Upsala – SUITCASES

forthcoming

"Upsala – Interkultureller Zirkusaustausch für Kinder und Jugendliche e.V. SUITCASES is a media-artistic project transforming personal migration experiences into a universal emotional language through contemporary circus and digital interaction. Created with the participation of artists who have themselves experienced forced migration, this project brings authentic stories to 20 medium-sized cities in 5 European countries where international cultural projects often don't reach. To cities with a high percentage of population with migration and refugee experience, and where social tension is rising, expressed in growing support for far-right movements. At the core of the project is a contemporary circus performance that uses physical expression, acrobatics, and visual metaphors to convey the complex emotional landscape of migration. The communication-technological solution ""Digital Migration Avatars"" adds an innovative context for broader audience engagement and attracting the attention of young people. In addition to 3200+ spectators who will attend the performance, we will engage 15,000+ citizens in communication through avatars and involve 600+ young people from among the audience in discussions and workshops after the performances. These workshops provide practical tools for expressing personal experiences through art, creating spaces for intercultural dialogue. The communication campaign will reach more than 400,000 people through targeted advertising, social media, and local media. ""SUITCASES"" overcomes the cultural imbalance in Europe, shifting the focus from abstract discussions about migration to lived human experience. Precisely where dialogue is especially needed—in small towns on the periphery of cultural processes—we create bridges between communities, transforming statistics into stories and forming the foundation for a common European future. "