The educational play “Echo of Silence”, developed within the project “Stage for the Prevention of Illegal Firearms Possession”, has captured the attention of young people across Tuzla Canton, encouraging dialogue on important social topics such as peer violence, mental health, and the risks associated with irresponsible and illegal firearm possession.

The play, seen by more than 2,800 persons in Tuzla, Lukavac, Kalesija, Živinice, and Kladanj, was produced by the Youth Theatre of Tuzla in cooperation with the Association “Youth of Tuzla”, the Secondary School of Contemporary Arts Tuzla, and local cultural centres, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The project brought together a team of 23 young people who, through 40 working meetings and 50 drama workshops, actively participated in creating the play. During the project, a survey on students’ awareness of firearm possession was conducted, involving 180 primary and 243 secondary school students from Tuzla Canton.

The young participants also attended educational sessions on the laws regulating firearm possession and use, gaining practical knowledge about safety and responsible behaviour. Thirty of them were directly involved in the production of the play, from the initial concept to the stage performance.

“Echo of Silence” powerfully and emotionally portrays the psychological states of young people facing loss, misunderstanding, and peer violence. Through an open-ended conclusion, it encourages audiences to reflect on possible outcomes and the importance of responsible reactions.

The play has shown that theatre can be a powerful tool for education and prevention, especially when young people are directly involved in the process. As noted by Adnan Mujkić, President of the Association “Youth Theatre of Tuzla”, the goal is not only to watch the play but also to foster open discussion about what is seen and felt, about the consequences of silence, responsibility, and timely action.

Thanks to its strong message and significant resonance with audiences, “Echo of Silence” continues to live on even after the formal completion of the project. As recognition of its quality and impact, the play has been invited to participate in the International Festival "Theatre Weekend for Children and Youth" in Zadar, Croatia, and will be played on 17 October 2025. This opportunity will allow young audiences in Zadar to learn about the important issue of illegal firearm possession and its consequences.

The project “Stage for the Prevention of Illegal Firearms Possession” was supported through the “Law Enforcement Agencies’ Development in Small Arms and Light Weapons Control“ (LEAD) initiative, implemented by the UNDP in Bosnia and Herzegovina and funded by the Federal Republic of Germany, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the French Republic, the United Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Norway, with general support from the European Union via the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) for implementing the Roadmap for a sustainable solution to the illegal possession, misuse and trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons, their ammunition and explosives in the Western Balkans by 2030.

 Originally published on undp.org/bosnia-herzegovina