Living Library: Journeys We Carry is a participatory project built around one simple idea: instead of reading a book, you meet the person who carries the story. In September 2026, Mariupol Theatre of Ukraine in Exile was invited to take over World Kiosk as part of Aarhus Festival in Denmark. The festival welcomed us into its programme and gave us a space to create a Living Library built around personal stories, listening and direct human exchange.
LIVING LIBRARY: JOURNEYS WE CARRY
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Seven artists become seven Living Books. Each person carries a different story shaped by experiences of home, war, displacement, identity, belonging, memory, family and rebuilding a life somewhere else. Visitors are invited to choose one of the Living Books and spend time with them in a direct, personal conversation.
There is no script and no performance to watch from a distance. You sit at the table, listen, ask questions and allow the conversation to unfold between two people.
Every fifteen minutes, a gong marks the end of the encounter. Visitors can then choose another Living Book and enter a different story, meeting another person and another perspective.
For one hour, World Kiosk becomes a living library of personal experiences, where different stories and perspectives meet through the simple act of listening.
The project creates a temporary space for encounter, where personal memories can be shared, questions can be asked and strangers can meet through conversation.
The stories are personal. The encounter is shared.
