Berlin (DE) – A piece of the puzzle that I put together

Although my time in Berlin was short it was definitely sweet, I was already aware of aufBruchs work by the time I got to see them in person from the many stories and some clips I got to see before. But I was still completely blown away. They have worked a very long time in the prisons there and have become apart of the Berlin prison experience and I see why. From the beginning when I was entering the prison which looked like a castle until the end of the crazily well acted performance I was captivated. The way they used their surroundings as their stage. The way they used the walkway and the cells was enthralling and even though it was very unconventional it really worked in their story. These types of performances show us that despite of the mistakes some of these people have made there is still an incredible amount of talent within them. I could really tell that all the prisoners were really enjoying themselves and that this really meant a lot to them especially in the end when they were giving their interview with the audience. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life and I will never forget it.

C.K.

My participation as audience in the Freeway Project leg in Berlin was very suggestive. In fact, it made me experience from a fresh perspective the theatre laboratories in prison and also it made me understand how important the collaboration between different realities in this environment is. Even if I did not participate in every step of the project, in Berlin I could be present at the closing conference, so I could watch the recap of what had been done, a piece of the puzzle that I put together with my experience of the performance of the German partner and with the videocalls for the project I joined. I found very surprising how the project didn’t stop during the COVID-19 crisis but instead it kept going, even with some changes: that has highlighted the will and the trust of the participants of Freeway. I’m also happy that the project has invited audience/volunteers to join this trip, too. I hope it could be repeated and, maybe, could allow more people in it, to make the society more aware about the work and to spread more awareness on this environment.

L.P.