Dance is a powerful way to actively shape democracy. That much was clear from the performance of the community dance project “MENSCH SEIN! – Human Rights in Motion” on June 7, 2026, at the Ernst Barlach Theatre in Güstrow. Eight young people between the ages of 10 and 16 brought seven HUMAN themes to the stage through the HUMAN music, using the power of dance and a real sense of playful energy. Together with choreographer Yvonne Middelborg and theatre educator and dramaturg Stephan Wagner, they developed the performance over the course of several workshops. Some of the young dancers traveled long distances to take part in this unique opportunity — to develop their own perspectives on children’s and human rights and bring them to the stage together.
And the energy clearly reached the audience: “The children were just wonderful — and so different from one another.” “It would be great if school classes could see this piece.” “It was especially moving to see how the dancers interacted with each other, looked out for one another, and supported each other.” “Impressive.”
Following the performance, LAG Tanz M-V e.V. hosted a panel discussion, “Human Rights in Motion – Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow,” featuring Heiko Lietz (theologian, civil rights activist, recipient of the Federal Cross of Merit), Jazz Brantsch (theatre educator at the Ernst Barlach Theatre), and Stephan Wagner (dramaturg, theatre educator, project management team). The discussion was moderated by Thomas Radke and focused on opportunities for active engagement, both personal and community-based.
The project “MENSCH SEIN!” was initiated by Yvonne Middelborg, chairwoman of the Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Tanz M-V e.V. (State Working Group for Dance, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern), with the goal of giving young people the chance to creatively explore what it means to be human — and to engage with human rights — through their own personal stories, experiences, and perspectives.
Project Partners for “Being Human!”
- Freier Kinder- und Jugendtreff Frei.Raum Gadebusch (Free Youth and Children’s Centre), represented by director Franka Rosenkranz
- Ernst Barlach Theatre Güstrow, represented by artistic director Johanna Sandberg
- Design Academy Rostock, represented by Janne Arp, who completed her examination as part of her training as a costume and set design assistant and realised the costume and set design for the project
- Our thanks also go to all the parents and everyone who supported and helped carry the project forward.
Funding
The project “Being Human! – Human Rights in Motion” took place within the framework of the programme “tanz + theater machen stark” (“Dance + Theatre Make a Difference”), run by the Federal Association of Independent Performing Arts (Bundesverband Freie Darstellende Künste), and was funded by the Federal Ministry for Education, Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and musica innova e.V., Musica innova e.V., lead organisation of the HUMAN International Culture Project
