Strengthening Youth Participation Through Theatre and Debate in Hungary
Implemented by the Round Table Theatre in Education Company in Hungary from March 2024 to August 2025, the It Is Not Impossible To Have an Impact project responded to skepticism among young people about whether civic participation can influence local processes. Through direct experience, the project aimed to show that participation in social issues can make a difference. It focused on vocational secondary school students in Hungary outside the capital.
The project centered on two activities. The first was Nem lehetetlen lenni (It Is Not Impossible To Be), a participatory theatre performance on young people’s role in society, their decisions, and their opportunities to act. The second was Odahatunk (We Can Have an Impact), a debate-based theatre event exploring youth participation, decision-making, and responsibility. Together, these activities gave students space to reflect on social issues, express their views, and shape the direction of the sessions through active participation.
The program was delivered in multiple cities across Hungary and reached dozens of school classes through both of its formats. It engaged well over a thousand participants. Students reflected on questions about their future, their communities, and their role in public life. Throughout the participatory theatre performances, student volunteers stepped into the story and tested their ideas in front of peers, helping shape how the events unfolded.
Teachers also reported that the project created space for dialogue on issues that matter to young people but are difficult to address in the classroom. Following one Odahatunk session in Szeged, a teacher noted the value of more programs of this kind—ones that encourage older adolescents to think critically and have an open dialogue on issues that concern them but are not easily discussed within the limits of regular teaching settings.
The project’s broad reach, the strong level of participation, and the positive feedback from students and teachers point to a successful initiative. It showed that theatre- and debate-based methods can help young people engage more actively with questions of participation and responsibility.
The project It Is Not Impossible To Have an Impact, supported by the Engaging Central Europe program of the Transatlantic Foundation, was implemented under the PROTEUS program and co-funded by the European Union.
The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Transatlantic Foundation (TF) or the European Union (EU). Neither the EU nor TF can be held responsible for them.
