ЭТО NAV OK?

Forum theatre and cultural intervention

27 March 2026

New East cultural space, Daugavpils, Latvia

ЭТО NAV OK? was a participatory performance exploring domestic violence, public silence and the mechanisms that allow abuse to continue. Using the method of forum theatre, the work transformed spectators into active participants — people able to question what they witnessed, propose alternative actions and attempt to change the course of the situation.

The title combines Russian and Latvian, reflecting the multilingual reality of everyday life in Daugavpils. At the same time, it articulates a simple judgement that is not always easy to express: behaviour that society may excuse as a private family matter, a conflict, jealousy or care can in fact be violence. It is not OK.

At the centre of the performance was a recognisable situation involving conflict and injustice. After watching it unfold, the audience was invited to examine what had happened: at what point did the violence begin, why did those around it remain silent and what could someone present have done differently? The conversation did not remain theoretical. Audience members could replace a character, enter the performance space and test their proposed course of action in practice.

Each intervention altered the situation, but did not necessarily resolve it. Forum theatre therefore resisted reducing violence to a single piece of correct advice or a simple individual choice. Instead, it exposed the complex relationships between power, fear, emotional dependency and collective passivity.

ЭТО NAV OK? became a protected space in which to practise civic courage. The performance invited participants not only to recognise violence, but also to examine their readiness to act when confronted with it. What does it mean to intervene? How can we offer support without taking control over another person’s decisions? What can a community do to ensure that silence no longer protects the abuser?

No acting or theatre experience was required. The method relied on the audience’s existing knowledge, doubts and personal responses. The event brought together participants from Latvia and the United States, creating an encounter between different social and cultural perspectives.

Here, theatre did not function as a representation of reality. It became a rehearsal for reality — an opportunity to practise, within a safer environment, forms of action that may one day be needed beyond the stage.

Information

Date and time: 27 March 2026, 15:30–17:30

Venue: New East cultural space, 41A 18 Novembra Street, Daugavpils

Facilitator: Eduards Beļnikovs

Participants: representatives from Latvia and the United States

Project and Partners

Organised by: New East

Partner: Latgale Central Library / American Information Center

Project: Nobody Will Believe You

Programme: The Europe Challenge

Supported by: European Cultural Foundation

ЭТО NAV OK? was one of the artistic interventions developed within Nobody Will Believe You. The multidisciplinary initiative combined visual art, performance, literature and participatory workshops to raise awareness of domestic violence, amplify survivors’ voices and challenge the social silence surrounding abuse.