From solitude to solidarity to stories for hope
This blog is an introduction to STORIES FOR HOPE — a collaborative concept that I have initiated with the support of Culture Action Europe’s “Pop the Vote! Culture on the Ballot” project, co-funded by the European Parliament*.
I was born on the Mediterranean island country of Malta — an island of polarities with a multitude of cultural influences and complex contemporary realities shaping its identity. By day, I support artists to bring their projects to life, collaborate with creatives, and carry out research for arts and cultural organisations. This work brings me exciting and dynamic experiences, but naturally also comes with moments of introspection: Why do I do this? How am I contributing to the world around me with all its layers of complexity?
In 2023, I relocated to Rotterdam in the Netherlands, a significant shift from living on a tiny island. Viewing life from an outsider’s perspective felt refreshing. It felt like I had swapped my old pair of glasses that were in need of a new prescription — to a clearer vision of the world, free from distractions and open to new possibilities. Yet, it also meant solitude — navigating unfamiliar systems, not knowing anyone in this city, and not yet speaking the local language.
I turned to the language I knew best. I immersed myself in the joy shared between strangers through the experience of music, visited museums and exhibitions, found myself asking new questions, and stumbled upon arts festivals, discovering neighbourhoods and meeting diverse communities along the way.
As this happened, I found myself reflecting on my identities and values.
I was reminded of how powerful the arts can be in bringing communities together, and of why, through my work, I was committed to making the arts as accessible as possible to people from all backgrounds and realities.
But it was also a reminder of my privilege — as someone who had the means to access education and employment, and to also make time in my schedule to engage in these kinds of experiences.
As 2023 drew to a close, amidst a new sense of renewal, I also found myself increasingly aware of other realities that I had previously been too distracted to make space for.
Wars, conflicts, the climate crisis, the rise of the far-right …
… I found myself increasingly anxious — not only about the state of our world, but also about my own limited actions in response. Contributing my time and skills as a volunteer and donating to causes felt like very little when compared to the news of mounting death tolls, human suffering, and escalating political hate speech.
I was experiencing a strong sense of hopelessness for the world, and powerlessness regarding my ability to make a difference.
Knowing very well that these realities were not an isolated incident, I turned to history, and discovered Rebecca Solnit’s book ‘Hope in the Dark’. In it, Solnit explores how seemingly insurmountable challenges have been overcome through collective action and perseverance even in the darkest of times. She highlights how big changes do not happen overnight, and how it is sustained engagement fuelled by hope that led to massive legislative changes such as the abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage, and the decriminalisation of homophobia.
Through her words, I started reflecting on this theme of hope in more depth, wanting to explore it in its most active sense.
Then, in February 2024, I spent a week in the countryside of Brussels with 40 young artists (changemakers) from different corners of Europe, brought together by Culture Action Europe. We had come together to learn about artivism, but what we received was far bigger than this.
In getting to know these artists, not only did I learn about the social causes that they are passionate about — from the rights of refugees, to the climate and mental health crises, to feminism and trans rights — but I was also inspired by the diverse ways through which they engage their communities on these issues: from rural communities in France engaged through theatre, to the memories of communities in Bulgaria recorded through photography, and the realities of communities reflected and engaged with through play in Malmö and through an arts festival in Gdansk.
To most of these artists, what they were doing individually was but a small act in the face of massive challenges, but as I listened to their stories, I couldn’t help but witness the strong sense of active hope that I had been reading about. By choosing to bring people together despite the prevailing narratives telling us that we should fear one another, these artists were activating hope and possibility in their communities.
I had been tasked to go back to Rotterdam to do the same; a process which led me to create STORIES FOR HOPE.
Read more:
Why Stories for Hope?
Why I want this initiative to be for everyone.
Support this initiative or join the pilot events in Rotterdam.
*The opinions expressed in this document are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Parliament.
