Life with Down Syndrome: The play "Tales from the Meadow" in a packed Youth Theatre

Members of the Little Actors Club, operating within the "Life with Down Syndrome" Association, today performed the play "Tales from the Meadow" at the Youth Theatre in Sarajevo, reports the Patria News Agency.

In front of a full audience, 20 young actors confidently guided everyone present through three different stories, teaching and showing them how to live with differences, and how everyone supports each other. The relatable theme of life in a meadow, which we all know, with all its numerous actors, carries great symbolism for everyday life.

What will happen if one flower refuses to offer shelter to a butterfly because that butterfly is different, or if a firefly doesn't help an ant because it's too busy playing? The child actors sent a strong message about the importance of mutual support and respect.

The members of the inclusive acting troupe of the Little Actors Club are children from primary and secondary schools in the Sarajevo Canton, who have been diligently working for over 10 months in educational drama workshops led by actress Alena Džebo Hećo and ballerina Jovana Milosavljević.

"Every child, regardless of whether that child has a difficulty or not, needs to be approached individually, and allowed to show the uniqueness they carry within them," Alena Džebo Hećo told us, emphasizing that peers are the greatest support and incentive for each other in mastering new knowledge and skills.

"In part, the project aimed to highlight the need and right of children and young people with Down syndrome to actively participate in the cultural life of the community on an equal footing, and together with their peers," stated Sevdija Kujović, president of the Association, adding: "This is true inclusion, children with and without difficulties, together and equally carry the entire play."

The Little Actors Club was established through the project "Inclusion is the Key to Independence," supported by the Dutch Embassy in BiH.