LocationsA Performance Bringing Catharsis to New Generations
“STORKS” – Art that Builds Trust Through Facts and the Voices of Youth
March 5, 2026
In the moment when the stage lights dim and the audience falls silent, holding on to their emotions, it becomes clear that “STORKS” is not just an artistic performance. It is a bridge between past and present, between what we know and what we must find the courage to truly see.
The play was created by young people gathered around the Youth Theatre of Tuzla and the CSO “Mladi Tuzle”, as part of the project “Catharsis for the Future”, supported through the broader regional programme “EU Support to Confidence Building in the Western Balkans”, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP.
“STORKS” premiered on 16 February, with a second performance on 17 February, as part of the 22nd Days of Youth Tuzla at the Youth Theatre of Tuzla. The script was written by Amila Beširović, Adnan Mujkić and Tarik Dedajić, and directed by Adnan Mujkić. Together with the young actors on stage, through their voices, emotions, and courage, they brought to life the stories of real people.
The Birth of a Catharsis
Or “The most important thing is the responsibility we carry, because we tell the stories of the real people.”
After a premiere followed by long ovations, young actress Anja Bulić struggled to find words. Her emotions, she said, “were still not settled.” But what she did know was that she felt “happy and grateful” to be part of something that goes far beyond theatre.
“For me, the most significant part was the responsibility we all carry… because we tell the stories of real people. This was, and still is, the reality of so many people. The consequences are, unfortunately, all around us, and as long as we ignore that, we cannot move forward.”Anja Bulić
Anja’s words bring us to the core of this project: young people were entrusted with becoming keepers of truth. And they embraced that responsibility, deeply and sincerely.
“STORKS” is built on a powerful symbolic framework. It follows Delila and Rodoljub, two children whose lives were forever marked by wartime Srebrenica, and whose paths cross again decades later in Munich. Through their stories, the young actors explore how trauma is passed down through generations—and how the past never fully ends unless we confront and understand it.
For actor Ermin Suljkić, the process of working on the play became a personal journey:
“This process reminds me that we need to talk about these things much more… As actors, we become part of a larger group that speaks about history based on facts.”Ermin Suljkić
His message resonates as a warning that acknowledging facts and court‑established truths cannot wait for yet another generation.
“I think we needed a project like this even earlier. History and the judgments of the Hague Tribunal helped us greatly in understanding the script as well as what happened.”
Roles That Demand Empathy Beyond Acting
For Iris Stubli, a 20‑year‑old performer, this play was both a professional challenge and an emotional test. On stage, she portrays a mother of two children in Srebrenica, in the UN-declared safe zone—a woman much older, more mature, and far more wounded than Iris herself.
“It was difficult to step into the character of a woman who lived through something I hope I never will, and to align myself with her way of thinking. She is someone who, as we say, has sabur—someone calm, grounded, carrying a deep faith in a better tomorrow. That is what keeps her going.”Iris Stubli
Iris explains that she tried not only to portray this woman but to feel her, to understand the layers of strength and sorrow she carried. Only when she allowed the emotions to come naturally did she realise that truth can only be conveyed when approached with respect and vulnerability.
Each rehearsal brought new emotional layers, and sometimes the challenge of overcoming them.
Truth as a Compass, Art as a Tool
The play is entirely based on historical facts and the judgments of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Its mission extends beyond artistic expression, it creates space for dialogue, confrontation and empathy. It offers young people a way to learn about the past not through myths or fragmented narratives, but through documented truth.
Through the story of Delila and Rodoljub, the audience is confronted with a universal question:
How do we live with a past that continues to shape every generation that follows?
Perhaps the greatest value of this play lies in the fact that it is carried by young people—schoolchildren, students, and emerging actors. They are a generation that did not live through the war, but live with its consequences every day.
Their message therefore carries particular weight: that truth is not a burden, but a responsibility;
that peace is built on facts, not silence; and that art can be a powerful tool for education and trust‑building.
This is not simply a play that leaves an impression, it is a play that changes.
The audience leaves quiet but transformed. And the young actors leave the stage carrying the sense that they have done something that goes beyond a role, a career, or a project. Because “STORKS” is not just a symbol of one encounter, one story, or one city. It is a reminder that peace is built when we find the courage to look at the past, accept facts, and truly listen to one another.
And that is why “STORKS” is a catharsis. For the young. For the audience. For the entire society.
About the Project
The play “STORKS” was created within the project “Catharsis for the Future”, implemented by the Youth Theatre of Tuzla in partnership with the NGO “Mladi Tuzle”. The activity was supported through the regional programme “EU Support to Confidence Building in the Western Balkans”, funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
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