TETA GJYL

What is a community and why do we need it? These are two of the core questions posed by TETA GJYL – an alter ego for a woman born in Kosovo, who has grown up as a migrant in Austria and is now looking for her peers – or her friends? In six podcast episodes so far, she invited peers to share their experiences.

Who are our friends and why? What connects us to them and what makes us feel safe? What does it mean when there is one part of us that we share only with a certain group of people?

Experiencing migration feels like the uprooting of the social network you once had, while you have to connect and adapt to a new world that fails to understand you – technically and emotionally.

The project TETA GJYL looked further into the Albanian community in Vienna – even though such a community does not really exist as the once tight network of guest workers from former Yugoslavia has loosened over the years. The children of the families have moved away from their former neighbourhoods in the outer districts to other parts of the city and so did their communities’ bond. For the second and third generation of migrants it is a balancing act between overcompensating their national origin on one hand and dealing with their individual identity on the other hand. The lack of a community space leaves them without a room for unconventional questions and vivid discussions with people, who face similar struggles. This is the reason why the project by means of a podcast and an especially designed recording situation aimed to create a home-like atmosphere of trust – a space for friendship – where you can be who you are and be understood.

Time

January 2020

Location

Vienna

Team

Alberta Sinani

Links

https://www.instagram.com/tetagjylpodcast/