🎭 EXTENDED UNTIL OCT. 15, 2026 Open Call: Artistic-Historical Residency “Foreign Visitors” in Gelsenkirchen!

We at Vitsche e.V. are excited to announce the Open Call for our 6-day Forum Theatre Residency “Foreign Visitors” (“Gäste aus der Fremde”), taking place from November 12–18, 2026, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany!

Curated by Eva Yakubovska, the residency brings together 6 selected participants (interdisciplinary artists, actors, researchers, and activists) from Ukraine, Poland, and Germany.

Drawing on archival sources and personal letters, we will explore the experiences of Ukrainian and Polish forced laborers during World War II and examine how historical memory, discrimination, and the distortion of history continue to shape our present.

Together with experts, facilitators, and a Joker, participants will develop short performances using the Forum Theatre methodology. The residency will culminate in a public performance on November 17, 2026, at Atelierhaus Gelsenkirchen!

💡 Project Context & Funding

This residency is part of our broader project “Memory of Forced Labor: Ukraine and Poland under National Socialism” (“Erinnerung an Zwangsarbeit: Ukraine und Polen im Nationalsozialismus”).

The project is implemented as part of the Education Agenda on Nazi Injustice (Bildungsagenda NS-Unrecht) funding program, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) and administered by the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ Foundation).

🤝 Partner Organizations:

• Project Leads: Vitsche e.V. & Pilecki Institute Berlin

• Partners: Institute for City History Gelsenkirchen, NGO Sklad 2.0 & NGO After Silence (ГО «Після тиші»)

📌 Key Application Details:

• When: November 12–18, 2026 (Public performance: November 17)

• Where: Gelsenkirchen, Germany

• Application Deadline: October 15, 2026

• What’s Covered: Accommodation, meals, and travel expenses for selected participants.

👉 Interested in participating? Find all the details and the application form here: Apply Here

Join us in this important project of exploring and critically reflecting on our shared history!