In 2020, Open Letters to Sea became the pilot episode of the Middle Eastern Bloc – Spring ’20s podcast, produced by the European theatre collective. The piece explored the experience of a student locked down in a foreign country during the first wave of the COVID‑19 pandemic, capturing the emotional and psychological precarity of isolation, distance, and uncertainty.

The work was written by Jay Albaos, voiced by Amira Khalifa, with sound design by Sammy Kramer. The episode was directed by David Kozma and edited by Jenni Hurmerinta/Sanattu, bringing together a multidisciplinary team to shape the intimate, atmospheric narrative.

The Spring ’20s podcast series presented ten radio plays written by Europeans belonging to cultural and linguistic minorities. Together, the works reflected both deeply personal experiences and sharp societal critiques emerging from the early months of the pandemic. As the collective described it, the series aimed to “take you to the feelings of the spring 2020 when the first wave of the pandemic hit the world.”

Listeners could access Open Letters to Sea through the podcast’s SoundCloud release, and follow related updates and events via the European theatre collective’s Facebook page.

I remain grateful to the European theatre collective and to podcast director David Kozma for the opportunity to contribute to this project and for the collaborative spirit that shaped the episode.

*Listen to the piece: https://soundcloud.com/.../middle-eastern-bloc-presents...

Follow the event: https://www.facebook.com/events/733903600603304