8 November 2012

The theater play ?At Home in Ukraine? based on real stories of migrants and national minorities was selected to be staged during the annual international festival ?Week of Contemporary Drama?. The project aims to assist talented authors, whose plays were not widely staged so far, in establishing contacts with theaters. The festival is supported by the Goethe Institute, the British Council and ?СТБ? TV channel. Ninety scenarios were submitted to the festival jury, of which 20 were selected for the festival programme. Improvised performances are taking place in Kyiv theaters from 3 till 11 November.

The script of the play ?At Home in Ukraine? developed by Kateryna Pen?kova will be staged by ?Kolovorot? theater association founder and director Ruslan Osyka. Actors are students of different ethnic origin, whose stories served as the basis for the play.

Like in many other countries, migrant communities and visible minorities face discrimination and are subjected to manifestation of xenophobia and hate crimes in Ukraine. IOM Ukraine?s aim is to increase the understanding of migration, to promote cultural diversity and respect for migrants.

The performance ?At Home in Ukraine? was initially produced by IOM as part of a project on counteracting xenophobia and racism, funded by the U.S. Department of State. First staging of the play was in April, 2012, by Anatolii Cherkov. The aim of the project is to provide an insight into the hopes, dreams, fears and experiences of representatives of migrant and ethnic minority communities living in various regions of Ukraine. IOM gives Ukrainians an opportunity not just to read migrants? stories, but to experience their lives. This ?3D? model of knowing thoughts, words and deeds is supposed to foster trust of immigrants, enabling them to participate in the Ukrainian society.

?At Home in Ukraine? will be staged at 7.30 p.m., 10  November, Museum of History of Kyiv City, Bohdana Khmelnytskogo st. 7, third  floor. Entrance is free.

For further information please contact IOM Ukraine Communications Officer Ms. Varvara Zhluktenko (568 50 15, 067 447 97 92, vzhluktenko@iom.int)