The European project Escena Erasmus UV offers Erasmus students from different countries the opportunity to work together with Valencian students in the performance of a play. Written by Anna Marí and Daniel Tormo, directed by Josep Valero, Qui soc jo quan ningú em mira, is the new play developed as part of this project and addresses the question of personal and collective identity: ‘What is it that defines us? What is it that what makes us feel that we belong to a town, a country, a football team, an ideology, a community, a place?,’ reads the synopsis.

‘Based on the testimonies and reflections of the actors from five different countries, Qui soc jo quan ningú em mira reflects on who we are in a tumultuous world, once again threatened by the horrors of war, lies, and absolutism, but also by individualism, self-censorship, and a distorted projection of the self in the virtual world,’ adds Valero.

The play will be performed on 4 June at the Palau Altea Arts Centre in Altea, on 14 June in the Metropol Auditorium in Torreblanca, on 18 June in the theatre of the Cultural Centre in Muro, and on 20 June in the Casa de la Cultura in Viver.

There will be two performances in each town: one in the morning for high school students from the region and one in the afternoon for the general public.

Vice-Principals for Culture and Internationalisation of the Universitat de València, Ester Alba and Carles Padilla, respectively, highlighted the consolidation of Escena Erasmus UV as an international project that managed to make different cultures coexist through Performing Arts, dialogue and dance, in an journey through the territory. The Universitat de València also continues to be the leader in hosting Erasmus students.

Director General of the IVAJ Vicente Ripoll, pointed out that this tour is particularly rewarding, both for the actors involved, who will get to know more about our territory, and for high schools and young people from the municipalities where the play will performed, who will be able to enjoy this type of activities that both the IVAJ’s Carnet Jove and the UV’s programme carry out.

The Escena Erasmus shows began in 2010, starring Erasmus students who also participate in the texts, and have been performed in more than 300 cities, towns, and prisons, as well as in theatre festivals such as those of Almagro, Olite, Olmedo, Elche, Alcalá, the Santander International Festival, or at the European Commission in Brussels.

The 2024 cast is comprised of the Italians Alice Vaccaro, Fabiana Quattrone, Giulia Sbraccia, Luca Tinaro and Marta Toso, the French Doucia Lopez-Pueyo and Julie Mendez, the German Leonie Ronja, the Valencian Carlos Baixauli, Sara Olivas and Sandra Pombo, and the Basque June Otxoantesana.

As a result of its high quality and success, Escena Erasmus has been recognised on multiple occasions: they received the Charlemagne Youth Award of the European Parliament in 2011; the Honourable Mention of the ‘Spotlight on Heritage in Culture and the Arts’ Award of the Performing Arts Employers Association League Europe in Brussels in 2018; the AVETID Award for Best Valencian Theatre Project in 2019; the Distinction of the 9 d’Octubre Lluís Vives Award of the Valencian Government for their Valencian contribution to European construction in 2021, and the Valencian Performing Arts Honour Award of the Cultural Institute of Valencia-GVA in 2023.