Respect for diversity and overcoming personal insecurities converge with growth, self-reflection, and the discovery of the beauty of shared experiences. Who are the protagonists? Young people!
Gen Verde returned to Germany with the artistic and musical project ‘Start Now’ February 10 to 13. This initiative stems from a collaboration that has been ongoing since 2017 with the Kommende Dortmund Foundation and its ‘Bene Volens’ initiative, aimed at welcoming young people from socially disadvantaged families and offering them a new perspective on life and the future. In this context, Gen Verde’s workshops found a home, engaging about 100 students aged 14 to 17 from the Heinrich-Heine-Realschule in Hagen.
The young people embraced the challenge: for three days, they immersed themselves in street percussion, dance, singing, body percussion, and theater, showcasing all their artistic and social experiences during the concert on February 12, which attracted more than 400 spectators.
The voices of young people
«It was a great discovery for me that everything could be transformed into music, even my body! I was scared of the stage and performing in front of so many people, but knowing that I wouldn’t be alone, that there were many of my friends on stage with me, helped me overcome this fear!” confessed one of the participants at the end of the Start Now project..
«I found it difficult to memorize the sequence of steps in the choreography and keep in time with the others. This made me realize the importance of commitment and hard work in achieving a goal», said another student.
One hundred young people were able to bring to the stage what the Kommende and Gen Verde’s Start Now project aim to convey during this experience: learning to take charge of their own lives, having confidence in themselves, and understanding that the winning formula is to do it together with others.
