🇪🇺 TEEN European Digital Community: Raspberry Bush from Rivne, Ukraine
Ukraine
Raspberry Bush
My name is Andriy, I am 17 years old, and I am from Rivne, Ukraine. I am passionate about theatre, cultural initiatives, and social projects, because I believe that art has the power to change people and society. My experience includes participating in the Junior Academy of Sciences (MAN) with a project on “Youth Educational Migration,” organizing youth events, taking part in debates, and contributing to projects with the European Youth of Ukraine. For me, theatre is a space to explore human emotions, moral choices, and complex social issues. Performances like “Hrishna” at the Rivne Theatre taught me to appreciate the power of presence, pauses, and action on stage, and the impact theatre can have on the audience. I want to continue developing in this field, find like-minded people, exchange ideas, and create stories that inspire, make people reflect, and leave a lasting impression in their hearts.
The soil / the need
When I first got closer to theatre, I think I was missing a space where I could speak about important things in a truly deep and emotional way. I already had experience organizing events, participating in debates, leading youth projects, and researching social issues. I knew how to build arguments and speak convincingly. But at some point, I realized that logic alone is not always enough.
I was looking for a tool that would allow me not only to persuade, but also to make people feel — to create empathy, to touch something more personal and human. Theatre became that space for me. It allowed me to explore complex realities — war, inequality, responsibility, choice — not only through facts, but through stories and emotions.
In a way, I was also searching for myself. For my authentic voice — one that is not only strong and confident, but also honest and vulnerable.
The first seed
A parent / Family
Tell us about that first spark
When I first truly connected with theatre — especially through the performance “Hrishna” (“The Sinner”) — I realized I had been missing a space for an honest exploration of inner conflict. In my life, I was already involved in debates, youth projects, and research on social issues. I knew how to analyze, structure arguments, and speak convincingly. But “Hrishna” showed me a completely different dimension — where complex ideas are expressed not only through words, but through movement, silence, tension, and emotion.
At that moment, I was searching for depth. I didn’t just want to explain problems — I wanted to feel them. I wanted to explore themes like guilt, choice, morality, and social pressure not as abstract concepts, but as lived human experiences. The performance made me realize that theatre can touch what is often impossible to articulate directly.
In a way, I was looking for a more human way to speak about responsibility and freedom — not as a leader or researcher, but simply as a person. Theatre became that tool for me: a space to be honest, vulnerable, and at the same time, strong.
Roots (people & experiences that shaped your path)
He is not a professional actor or director, but he has always had a deep respect for art and storytelling. When I was younger, he used to take me to performances and afterwards we would talk for hours — not about the costumes or decorations, but about the meaning. He would ask me questions like, “Why do you think the character made that choice?” or “What would you have done in their place?” Those conversations taught me that theatre is not just entertainment — it is a way of thinking.
I remember once, after we watched a powerful performance together, I told him I felt uncomfortable because it made me question my own beliefs. He smiled and said, “If art doesn’t disturb you a little, it probably didn’t reach you.” That sentence stayed with me.
My uncle helped me understand that theatre is about courage — the courage to ask difficult questions, to face uncomfortable truths, and to see the world from another person’s perspective. In many ways, he planted the first seeds of curiosity and reflection that later grew into my own desire to step closer to the stage.
The trunk (what keeps you in theatre)
What keeps me connected to theatre is the feeling of real, living contact — the kind of connection that happens here in Rivne between the stage and the audience. In our drama theatre, there is no anonymity of a big metropolis. You can see people’s faces, feel their reactions, sense their silence. And sometimes that silence says more than applause.
After performances like “Hrishna,” I would walk out onto Teatralna Square and notice how people continued discussing what they had just seen. Some were debating, some were quiet and thoughtful. In those moments, I understood that theatre here is not just entertainment — it is part of the city’s conversation, a space where important questions are shared collectively.
Rivne is not a huge city, and maybe that is its strength. Cultural initiatives feel closer, more personal. Theatre does not seem distant or unreachable — it feels accessible, alive, and real. That sense of belonging — of not being just a spectator but part of something meaningful — is what makes me stay and keep going.
Branches (future / desire)
In the future, I see theatre for myself not just as a hobby, but as a tool to influence people and society. I want to continue working on performances that make the audience think, empathize, and ask difficult questions about life, choice, and morality.
I hope theatre will help me develop my own voice — not only on stage, but also in society. I want to learn how to create stories that combine emotion and meaning, stories that inspire action and change. Theatre also gives the chance to work closely with a team, feel responsibility for a shared result, and understand people more deeply — and I want to carry that forward in the coming years.
In the long term, I see myself involved in projects that connect art with social issues — perhaps even creating my own performances in Rivne or beyond, sharing stories that matter both to me and to my community.
Are you currently involved in cultural activities?
Not at the moment, but I would like to be more
If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? Why?
If I were a tree, I would be a raspberry bush. Although it’s not a tree in the traditional sense, its roots are strong, it grows quickly, and it produces bright, sweet fruits that bring joy to others.
For me, the raspberry symbolizes resilience and renewal: even if its branches break or the cold slows its growth, it always continues to bear fruit. In the same way, in theatre, my experiences in MAN, organizing events, participating in debates, and leading youth projects have taught me to overcome challenges, find new ideas, and share them with others.
Raspberries also have a tart but pleasant taste — they leave a mark in memory, just like a performance that touches the heart. My experience with “Hrishna” and at the Rivne theatre showed me that theatre can do the same: leave a lasting impression, make people reflect, and feel alongside the characters. I want to be like that — alive, resilient, and able to give emotions to others.
