‘International Day of Democracy : Performance Desperately in Need of an Audience’

Human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights are the core values of the EU. However, the multiple crises facing Europe over recent years have painfully exposed a lack of solidarity that is crucial to preserve these democratic ideals. The rise of the far right and popular reaction to the refugee crisis have shown the failings of the system. The populist rhetoric of strangers coming from overseas to destroy European order has changed the perception of Europe as a safe, united homeland and introduced borders between nations – metaphorically and literally.

Many citizens are not only questioning the point of the EU’s existence, but challenging the very concept of democracy. Why democracy? What does democracy mean? Has it prevented us from falling from one crisis to the other? 
The International day of Democracy will tackle these themes, with a key note speech by Herman Van Rompuy, the very first permanent president of the European Council. During his Keynote Address, he will talk about EU and democracy: A never ending task.

There will also be a performance by the Arab Puppet Theatre.  With their silent performances, they bend the rules of puppet theatre, transforming props and sets into characters. Performance Desperately In Need Of An Audience is a tale as bittersweet as exile itself, set on a war-torn shore where attempts at pursuing everyday activities are as dangerous as they are impossible. A beautifully crafted story of the refugee crisis seen from a different perspective, it provides an answer to the questions posed by those doubting in democracy. In times when the European society questions the meaning of our underlying values, the Performance Desperately in Need of an Audience tells a story of an exile, into the world where thousands chose to bear the burden of migration, leaving behind their homes and loved ones, in the hopes of finding themselves human again beyond the seas.