The foreigner is always perceived as “entering” – as someone who has come to occupy “our” space. We politicize his presence by choosing and imposing them our own social rules. In this work, six Polish citizens living in Norway tell Norwegian audiences about Poland, and why they choose to move away from their own country.
This on-stage project uses the device of confidential discussions to establish a tone of intimacy and invite reflection on the relationship we have with strangers – the invisible people, the others. Who are these people? Essentially, they are citizens of Eastern Europe who have come to Norway to change their lives – but on whose terms? While a significant number of Polish immigrants move to Norway to improve their standard of living, others have arrived because they mistrust their government and wish to campaign for social justice and human rights in their homeland. Some are nostalgic for their country, while others experience displacement differently: they now feel there is no welcome waiting for them in the place from which they have travelled.