PRISONERS OF MEMORY

Prisoners of Memory - Theatre Performance Workshop

with director Rizeski Gjorgji

City Museum of Prishtina – The Prison of the Ideal

The performance Prisoners of Memory is a unique immersive theatre project inspired by the memoirs and testimonies of former political prisoners. It transforms authentic biographies, letters, documents, and personal recollections into a living performance that unfolds inside the very walls of the Prison of the Ideal - once a place of confinement, now a place of remembrance and artistic exploration.

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The project takes the form of a collaborative workshop and performance, in which actors and visual artists collectively reconstruct fragments of individual and collective memory. Rather than being presented on a traditional stage, the performance expands into the entire space of the prison. The audience is guided through cells, corridors, and hidden corners, where simultaneous performances take place. In each space, different voices and stories emerge, creating a polyphonic mosaic of experiences that confront the past while resonating with the present.

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Scenographic installations and site-specific designs accompany the performance, transforming the prison into a labyrinth of memory. Each room becomes a living archive: a place where silence, absence, and personal testimonies are embodied through theatre. The immersive form allows spectators to wander, discover, and choose their own path - confronting history not as passive observers but as active witnesses.

The project is conceived as both a workshop and performance process, giving participants the opportunity to explore methods of collective creation under the guidance of director Rizeski Gjorgji (North Macedonia), an internationally recognized theatre director with over 40 productions and numerous international awards to his name. Actors and visual artists engage in an intensive rehearsal process that blends acting, physical theatre, installation art, and documentary materials.

Prisoners of Memory is more than a performance - it is a gesture of remembrance and dialogue. By animating the voices of those once silenced, it reflects on the resilience of the human spirit, the fragility of freedom, and the urgent need to confront histories of imprisonment and oppression. It seeks to transform the prison from a symbol of isolation into a site of collective reflection and artistic expression.

Rehearsal / Workshop Process: September 15–19, 2025
Public Performance: September 20, 2025 | 20:00