Arts Lab 7.0: Anes Taki Eddine Zerrouni - Month III

Hi everyone, it’s my third month here  Târgu Frumos, and I’m so excited to  share my experience with you.

I started the month by working intensively on creating a theatrical performance with my colleagues. I was involved in writing the script, designing and implementing the scenography, and acting. It was a collaborative process that required creativity, coordination, and commitment from everyone involved.

We participated in a Super Talk  with Aya and Monica about  Warm Crochet, where we learned about this creative activity and how it can be used as a tool for connection and community building.

After that, we visited several schools to present our JEMOM program, through which we will organize workshops and activities. The volunteers were divided into groups, and I was assigned with my colleague Beyza to the Moldova School for children with special needs.

We also had another Super Talk with Salma from Egypt, focused on games. It was a very enjoyable and interactive session that brought a lot of positive energy.

A large part of the month was dedicated to rehearsing and finalizing our performance. We spent many hours working together, and the final result was truly wonderful and rewarding.

We had activities at the Open Heart Hub with local volunteers, aiming to learn the Romanian language in a fun and interactive way.

During this month, we also started the art residencies. Beyza and I worked as a team, and we had a great experience with the children. We organized creative activities and workshops, and the final outcome was a collective artwork made by the children: a miniature cemetery sculpture, painted with colors and marked with their fingerprints on the gravestone, as a memory of what happened to the Jewish community in Iași.

In the last week of the month, we focused on preparing the upcoming Intercultural Event and visited the Rroma Gallery, where our next exhibition will take place. It is important to mention that the JEMOM project addresses themes of grief and suffering, based on the tragic history and the persecution experienced by the Jewish people living in Iași during the 1940s.

Throughout this month, I experienced strong feelings of motivation, pride, and emotional involvement. Working on the performance made me feel connected to the team and proud of what we achieved together.

Working with children, especially those with special needs, touched me deeply and brought me a lot of joy. Seeing their engagement and happiness during the activities was very meaningful. At the same time, the themes of the JEMOM project were emotionally challenging, but they helped me reflect on the importance of memory and respect for history.

Working closely with Beyza made the experience even more positive, as we supported each other and created a strong and harmonious team.

This month helped me understand that art is a powerful tool for expressing difficult stories and addressing sensitive topics such as grief, suffering, and collective memory. I learned how creative processes can encourage dialogue and understanding, even without words.

I also developed my skills in teamwork, communication, and working with children, as well as my ability to adapt activities to different groups. I realized that art can create meaningful connections between cultures, generations, and communities.

In the coming months, I aim to successfully deliver the Intercultural Event and actively participate in the upcoming exhibition at the Rroma Gallery. I hope to further develop my artistic skills and continue working with children, especially within the JEMOM project.

My goal is to use art as a tool to promote awareness, dialogue, and mutual understanding between different cultures, while continuing to grow both as a volunteer and as an artist contributing to positive change in the community.

This monthly report was written by Anes Taki Eddine Zerrouni, our Algerian volunteer taking part in a seven-month Arts Lab 7.0 mobility, co-funded by the European Union under the European Solidarity Corps.