Reframing History, Reframing the Future. Mapping Trans-generational Heritage among V4 Youth

Four civil society organisations from V4 countries implement drama-based classroom workshops on WWII and dictatorship for secondary school students, combined with one international youth exchange and participatory action research on how Soviet-era memory impacts WWII remembrance — and shapes V4 generational identity — in Gen-Z youth.

Website: www.visegradfund.org 

About the project

The project brings together civil society organisations from the four Visegrad countries to explore how young people understand and remember the history of World War II and the Communist dictatorship.

Through drama-based classroom workshops, an international youth exchange and participatory action research, the project creates opportunities for secondary school students to engage critically and personally with difficult aspects of twentieth-century history.

A particular focus of the project is the relationship between historical memory, Soviet-era narratives and contemporary generational identity in the V4 region.

Main project objective

The project aims to strengthen young people's critical engagement with the history and memory of World War II and the Communist dictatorship, while creating a shared V4 perspective on how historical narratives and Soviet-era memory continue to influence contemporary generational identity.

Project partners

Tom Lantos Institute (Coordinator)

Website: https://www.tomlantosinstitute.hu/

The Tom Lantos Institute (TLI) is an independent human and minority rights organisation focusing particularly on Jewish and Roma communities, Hungarian minorities, and other ethnic, national, linguistic and religious minorities. The project “Reframing History, Reframing the Future: Mapping Transgenerational Heritage among V4 Youth” was developed by TLI’s Jewish Life and Countering Antisemitism Programme and will be implemented under its leadership.

In Hungary, the project will also involve the civil society organisation Személyes Történelem (Personal History) as a professional collaborator, rather than a formal project partner. The organisation has been conducting drama-based workshops and developing student performances for several years within the international Theatre of Remembrance programme. The project’s three international partners are Post Bellum CZ in Czechia, Post Bellum SK in Slovakia and STOP-KLATKA in Poland, all of which also have experience with this programme.

Building on TLI’s previous research and educational experience, the partnership will carry out an arts-based participatory research project, contributing evidence-based insights to a field in which such combined approaches remain relatively uncommon. The drama workshops are not only educational activities: they also serve as a research method, generating material relevant to the project’s research questions. Students will participate not merely as research subjects, but as active co-researchers.

Theatre of Remembrance: https://theaternadedam.nl/about-theatre-of-remembrance/ 

Post Bellum – Czechia

Website: https://www.postbellum.cz/

Post Bellum CZ has extensive experience in collecting and archiving oral history testimonies, remembrance education, and non-formal educational programmes on the Second World War and the communist era. As a leading Czech organisation connecting historical memory with youth engagement, it brings expertise in experiential learning, school-based educational activities, and the use of personal testimonies in history education. Its oral history archive and established workshop programmes provide a strong foundation for the project’s educational and research activities.

Post Bellum – Slovakia

Website: https://www.postbellum.sk/

Post Bellum SK has extensive experience in non-formal education, memory studies, and public history initiatives addressing totalitarian regimes, human rights, and democratic values. Its work with young people draws on experiential learning, oral history, and educational workshops, closely aligning with the project’s focus on remembrance culture, critical thinking, and participatory education.

The organisation will also contribute to the local implementation of research activities within the project’s participatory action research framework. It has a long-standing working relationship with Post Bellum CZ, including projects supported by the International Visegrad Fund. Cooperation with TLI is developing through the Theatre of Remembrance network and the present project.

Stop-Klatka – Poland

Website: https://stop-klatka.org.pl/

STOP-KLATKA is an association of drama practitioners using Applied Drama and Forum Theatre to promote social change. Since 2002, it has implemented more than 100 drama-based projects, reaching over 35,000 people. Its work addresses issues including cyberbullying, intergenerational cooperation, conflict resolution, non-violent communication, and anti-discrimination. Through role-based workshops, participants explore other people’s perspectives, developing empathy, critical thinking, and civic responsibility.

Alongside its projects, STOP-KLATKA provides training in drama methods, organises international conferences and professional forums, and publishes materials on Applied Drama. Its multidisciplinary team includes psychologists, educators, theatre practitioners, coaches, therapists, event organisers, and students.

The organisation maintains long-standing relationships with schools and teachers across Poland. Its projects include Theatre of Remembrance, Open Up!, To be or not to be well, and Prawo na scenie. It collaborates with drama organisations across Europe, both leading and participating in international partnerships, and publishes research reports using participatory and arts-based methods.

Project coordinator

Eszter Susán PhD.
Tom Lantos Institute
Budapest, Hungary

E-mail: 
Website: https://www.tomlantosinstitute.hu/

Project activities and outputs

Planned activities

• Drama-based classroom workshops for secondary school students
• One week long International youth exchange
• Participatory action research

Project outputs

Project news

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https://www.facebook.com/TomLantosInstitute/

Support

The project is co-financed by the governments of Czech Republik, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from the International Visegrad Fund. The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.

Visegrad Fund: https://www.visegradfund.org/