If I don’t get to know the "other," how could I ever understand their problems? How could empathy, solidarity, or the desire to help be awakened in us? School education rarely covers social issues, and students often do not meet people from disadvantaged backgrounds. They lack the opportunity to get to know them and gain a glimpse into their lives, or to face the decisions, difficulties, and challenges that define their everyday reality.
Tandem Theater has been holding interactive theater performances for students for years. these sessions focus on different disadvantaged groups, and students are not merely spectators—they experience the situations that the affected individuals might face. For example: would you work legally for 25,000 HUF a day, or would you rather take "black market" work that pays 45,000 HUF, even if it means risking getting caught and receiving nothing?
In their latest initiative, around 200 students from three secondary schools in Baranya County participated in performances and related workshops. One play, Szociopoly, allowed students to immerse themselves in the fates of families living in deep poverty and make decisions on their behalf. Another, Fapados Revü (Economy Class Revue), brought the daily struggles of people experiencing homelessness closer to them. For many of these mostly middle-class youths, this was their first close encounter with poverty and vulnerability—not surprisingly, the performances had a profound impact. As one student put it:
"My perspective on people in difficult situations has changed; I can communicate with my peers who live in hardship much better than before and offer them help."
However, the program went even further this time: after the performances, moving beyond the theatrical framework, students were encouraged to come up with their own volunteer actions, with support provided throughout the implementation. In one action, they invited children from local "tanodas" (after-school centers) to their own secondary school to introduce them to the idea of further education. For their own peers and teachers, they presented the work of Péc-based tanodas and the volunteering opportunities available there. Two other initiatives involved fundraising events: one student team donated the proceeds to a civil organization working with Roma children, while another group used the funds to cook a communal meal with homeless people in Pécs. In this way, they slowly transformed from passive observers into active citizens while still in school.
The Tandem Theatre of Pécs was founded in 2019; their performances are realized through close cooperation between theater creators and civil organizations. Their goal is the processing of social issues through theatrical means, the amplification of social problems, awareness-raising, and the reduction of prejudice. To this end, they continue to work with civil organizations such as the Child Opportunity Association (Gyerekesély Egyesület), the Shelter Foundation (Menhely Alapítvány), the Foundation for Democratic Youth (Demokratikus Ifjúságért Alapítvány), or the INDIT Public Foundation.
Currently, they keep nine performances and one short film on their program, having held nearly 200 performances to date for school students, disadvantaged children, and employees of companies.
