unmasc

Collecting stories via interviews

In summer 2024 the project team kicked off the artistic research phase of UNMASC by starting to collect stories and experiences of various persons and experts. The partners were free to employ semi-structured interviews, narrative interviews, and/or focus groups. The selection of the method was based on the research question(s) the partners were interested to explore.

Different perspectives on gender justice and role expectations were collected from individual persons and experts. The most relevant parts of the interviews and focus groups were documented in order to use them further in the artistic process of UNMASC.

Exploring gender via theatre/performance workshops

In the next phase of the artistic research the partners facilitated theatre workshops. Different theatre professionals brought in their expertise on devised theatre, physical theatre, and participatory processes. The workshops were a vehicle to collect stories and experiences of individuals through different outputs in the workshop activities but also through observation and reporting on the workshops.

The workshops promoted and explored gender and sexuality, including:

• enhancement of the participants’ expressiveness,
• promoting empathy, and understanding,
• addressing social issues through theatrical exploration.

Through engaging activities and practical exercises, participants were empowered to express themselves authentically and contribute meaningfully to the theatrical process.

In the upcoming moths the partners are working on the production of performances inspired by the various perspectives collected via interviews and theatre workshops.

(c) Karin Gruber

(c) Karin Gruber

(c) Karin Gruber

In July 2024, as part of the UNMASC online campaign, Kulturanova turned to its audience with a powerful question:

Does the perception of your gender suit you?

This wasn’t just a question—it was an invitation. An invitation to reflect, to speak up, and to challenge the roles society has assigned us.

Through the lens of theatre and the heartbeat of real stories, UNMASC is a space where gender realities are explored, questioned, and reimagined. We’re not just performing—we’re transforming narratives, fighting for gender justice, and amplifying the truths that often go unheard.

 Your identity is yours to define. Your story is ours to share.

 This activity is part of the project UNMASC! Promoting Gender Justice Through Socially Engaged Theatre, supported by the European Union.

In June 2024, Artpolis launched UNMASC Voices—an online campaign that echoed across Kosova in Albanian, Serbian, Turkish, Roma, and English. This digital dialogue invited people from every community to reflect on a powerful question: How does culture shape our understanding of gender and sexuality?

From traditional norms to personal breakthroughs, the campaign sparked open, honest, and often courageous conversations. It asked: Are we defined by our cultural expectations, or do we break free and define ourselves? Do gender roles confine us—or empower us? Can we challenge stereotypes and rewrite our stories?

In a world where identity is no longer boxed into binaries, UNMASC created a space for exploration. A space where questioning isn’t feared—it’s celebrated. A space for truth, transformation, and visibility.

Through a series of bold, thought-provoking questions, Artpolis didn’t just start a conversation. It amplified the unheard, the unseen, and the unspoken.

Because your story matters. Your voice matters.

UNMASC the norms. UNMASC the silence. UNMASC yourself.

 This activity is part of the project UNMASC! Promoting Gender Justice Through Socially Engaged Theatre, supported by the European Union.

From June 11–14, 2024, Artpolis – Art and Community Center hosted the UNMASC Artistic Research Interviews, conducted by Shqipe Malushi as part of the ongoing artistic process of the UNMASC Project. Over four days, 34 individuals were contacted and 17 participated—12 women and 5 men—representing diverse professions including artists, activists, authors, journalists, actors, and students. The ages ranged from 1953 to 2006, providing a rich intergenerational perspective.

Participants were asked three central questions about their past, present, and hopes for the future. Women shared stories shaped by war, trauma, gender-based violence, and social inequality, highlighting both resilience and systemic barriers. Men, too, expressed emotional vulnerability—recounting childhood memories, the burden of unhealed war trauma, and ongoing uncertainty in a shifting society.

On June 14, two focus group interviews deepened the inquiry. Group 1 emphasized the role of art and education in dismantling patriarchal norms, especially through tools like theater and body-mapping with youth. Group 2 focused on digital advocacy, proposing that marginalized voices be amplified via podcasts and social media to build inclusive change.

The interviews were deeply emotional—marked by tears, laughter, fear, and a shared desire for transformation. Some participants expressed uncertainty about the future, while others saw art as a vital tool for societal healing and empowerment.

These testimonies will inform the upcoming theater performance of UNMASC and contribute to broader efforts toward gender justice and inclusion. The transcripts will be translated and anonymized to preserve participants’ confidentiality.

Who is Shqipe Malushi – Founder of Global Visionary Minds | Poet of Possibility | Architect of Empowerment

Shqipe Malushi is a poet, writer, performer, public speaker, gender adviser, producer, empowerment coach, and transformative leadership trainer whose voice rises at the crossroads of creativity, resilience, and global healing. As the visionary founder of Global Visionary Minds (GVM), she harnesses the timeless power of storytelling to awaken consciousness, cultivate leadership, and bridge divides across cultures and generations.

Born in Kosovo and shaped by the tides of displacement, Shqipe journeyed from immigrant to world citizen—her path marked not by borders, but by bridges. Through the written word and spoken truth, she has touched lives in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iraq, India, Kosovo, Albania, Northern Macedonia, Ethiopia and the United States, empowering women and youth in places where hope was once a whisper.

Her poetry has been published internationally, and her performances echo with the power of love, healing, and the sacred right to dream. With courage and compassion, Shqipe leads humanitarian initiatives that dissolve barriers of race, religion, and gender, fostering unity where division once stood. Whether on stage or in the classroom, her voice inspires transformation.

Her extraordinary work has earned her global recognition, including:

* Laureate of Women’s Rights, Kosovo 2023

* Iconic Women’s Leadership Award by the Women’s Economic Forum, India (2016)

* Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International (2008) for peacebuilding

* Woman of the Year, Refugee Women’s Network, USA (2003)

* Ambassador for Peace, Interreligious & International Federation for World Peace (2003)

* NATO Medal for Kosovo Peacekeeping (1999)

… and many more, each a reflection of her unwavering commitment to love in action.

Through Global Visionary Minds, Shqipe continues to light the way for young changemakers—educating, inspiring, and empowering emerging leaders to rise beyond limitation and build a just, compassionate world.

Shqipe’s literary mastery is internationally recognized, with her impactful stories and

poems featured in publications such as “The Haunted Land,” “For You,” “The Blue World of

Dreams,” and “The Midnight Journey.” Among her compelling narratives are tales like “The Gift

of the Prophets,” “The Secret of Dreams,” and “Beyond the Walls of the Forgotten Land: Albanian Mythological Tales as Told by Her Grandmother!”

She lives by one truth:

“When stories are spoken with love, they do not just heal. They ignite change.”

In April and May 2024, Kulturhaus Brotfabrik started the digital wave of the UNMASC online campaign, asking brave, vulnerable, and necessary questions—in multiple languages, across borders, and straight to the heart.

Are you comfortable with the perception of your gender?
Have you ever been discriminated against because of your identity?
What does love mean to you in a world full of shifting roles and expectations?

These aren’t just questions—they’re invitations. To speak. To reflect. To connect.

Through the power of theatre, UNMASC seeks not only to tell stories—but to challenge systems, confront silence, and open space for transformation. Together, we explore how art can be a fierce force for gender justice, healing, and change.

Because every voice matters. Every story holds power.
And no one should live in fear for being who they are—or for loving who they love.

 This activity is part of the project UNMASC! Promoting Gender Justice Through Socially Engaged Theatre, supported by the European Union.