🇪🇺 TEEN European Digital Community: Dancing Tree of Wonderland from city of Cologne, Germany

Dancing Tree of Wonderland

I’m Nicole, 23 years old, currently living and studying in Cologne. Since 2024, I’ve been part of TAG Germany. For the festival in 2027, I am on the curation team, and I also act in a local theatre group. I am very interested in exchange across cultures and languages, shaped by my experience as a second-generation immigrant and by living abroad during my studies. In my free time, I love being in nature, hiking, and sharing cultural experiences with friends.

The soil / the need

My first connection to theatre came through a friend and through the experience of performing.

The first seed

A friend.

Tell us about that first spark

It was probably after the first performance I took part in. I saw how theatre can connect you with so many people and how much impact a performance can have on an audience — helping people feel, think, and see differently.

Roots (people & experiences that shaped your path)

The Augenblick Mal festival became an important root in the most spontaneous way. In 2021, I applied (late!) for the youth editorial group to write reviews of the plays, and luckily I still got in. Five years later, I am still involved, and it has opened many doors for me. I’m also deeply grateful for a close friend from my theatre group in Cologne and especially for my parents, who always supported me and never missed a performance, even when it meant hours of travel.

The trunk (what keeps you in theatre)

The people — and the openness. People in theatre are often kind, open, and creative, and I love the way stories are created in that environment.

Branches (future / desire)

I want theatre to continue being part of my life through performance, curation, and cultural exchange. It has already opened important paths for me, and I hope it keeps connecting me to people, ideas, and international collaboration.

If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? Why?

A dancing tree from Alice in Wonderland — because in my first-ever school play, that was exactly the role I played.

Contact

Email: n.etschberger@augenblickmal.de
Instagram: @nothingbutnicole_