{"id":3254,"date":"2026-03-31T10:59:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T08:59:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clowns.org\/expedition-diary-tortell-poltrona-in-ukraine-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T12:36:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T10:36:20","slug":"expedition-diary-tortell-poltrona-in-ukraine-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clowns.org\/en\/expedition-diary-tortell-poltrona-in-ukraine-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Expedition Diary – Tortell Poltrona in Ukraine (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Antonia Gonzalez, Gast\u00f3n Sanchez, Luara Mateu and Tortell Poltrona, the author of this diary, spent two weeks in Ukraine<\/strong>. The aim was to continue the project that began at the end of 2025: bringing laughter and moments of play to children caught in the midst of war<\/strong>. Among snowfalls, icy roads, and centers devastated by violence, the team has shown that art and human connection can transform anguish into moments of happiness. <\/p>\n\n

This is a brief account of their journey. <\/p>\n\n

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Arrival, February 23, 2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n

Coincidentally, today marks exactly 33 years<\/a> since I left home with Montserrat and my son Blai to travel to Sabudrija, in Yugoslavia, and begin this adventure known as Clowns Without Borders<\/strong>. On that trip, I was struck by people\u2019s determination: for them, dignity was more important than life. Now, I see Ukrainians everywhere who, despite the hardships and more than 150,000 deaths, try to live as \u201cnormal\u201d a life as possible. We are told that in the city of Krakoff there are 12,000 children hiding under the threat of drones and missiles; we will visit them. <\/p>\n\n

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Image 1: Tortell Poltrona performing a show during the expedition to Ukraine (2026)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Lviv, February 25 <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n

We set off in a Mercedes Bito rented by the technical team, with a driver who only speaks Ukrainian. Outside, it is snowing and traffic is slow. The day after a 25-hour journey, we perform our first show: as soon as we step out of the van, the head of the center, a red-haired woman, hugs me emotionally. We begin with Slavic punctuality and the performance flows: Luara with a little rabbit, Gast\u00f3n with a ball, and Antonia and I interacting with the audience. We wrap it up with spectacular photos\u2014the children ask us for them. The second performance, with teenagers, is just as intense; the parasympathetic response kicks in, and the team works like a perfectly tuned mechanism. I will never forget the happy faces of the children and their families.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n

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Image 2: Luara Mateu performing a show during the expedition to Ukraine (2026)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Zhytomyr, February 26 <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n

Today marks 33 years since this adventure began, from the first performance in the refugee camps of Veli J\u00f4ze<\/a>. Let\u2019s celebrate it! Here we are, now in Ukraine\u2014the expeditions never stop. <\/p>\n\n

Ukrainians say this is the worst winter in 25 years: parks with 30\u201340 cm of snow and sidewalks piled with dirty ice. The first performance is for about 80 children in a 25×25 m hall. Children, teenagers and teachers treat us like rock\u2019n\u2019roll artists. In the end, we rush out because the show has been moved forward as a precaution due to supply concerns<\/strong>. The director of Rokada, the NGO we work with as a local partner, welcomes us with love and constant gratitude: \u201cWe don\u2019t know how to thank you for coming to do this in a country at war\u2014you don\u2019t know the good you are doing<\/em>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

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Image 3: Snow-covered Zhytomyr (2026)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Vchoraishinsky, February 28 <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n

Endless white fields and a hall of 300 people at just 5 \u00b0C. They light a huge wood stove for us. At the end, Petita Lu explains in Ukrainian: \u201cWe are a group of performers from Barcelona, here to share a good time with you<\/em>.\u201d The mayor thanks us for our visit and highlights the importance of keeping life alive despite the war. <\/p>\n\n

A small village welcomes us with flowers and the human warmth of the Rokada NGO team, our local partners in Ukraine. We hurry to transform the cold and do what we know best: be clowns who turn fear into laughter and connection<\/strong>. The mayor of Vchoraishinsky is also present and explains how, even in times of war, moments like these performances show that life goes on. <\/p>\n\n

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Image 4: Children attending one of the shows during the expedition to Ukraine (2026)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Chervonograd, Radekhiv and Lviv, March 2\u20133 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

We perform and the children respond with curiosity and energy<\/strong>. Some twist their bodies as if conducting an orchestra; others laugh at our close-up theatre. In Lutz, more than 350 people wait for us in a large theatre; the show becomes a bridge between reality and fantasy, where children and adults can be happy, even if only for an hour. <\/p>\n\n

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Image 5: Ending of one of the shows during the expedition to Ukraine (2026)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Lviv and surroundings, March 6\u20137<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

We perform shows for small groups of fewer than 30 children and others for around 350. Each performance reveals the different energy between children and teenagers. Thinking about how many have their father at home, or how many will go to bed wondering if he will still be alive tomorrow\u2026 When I think about it, our work takes on a profound meaning. Everything hangs by a thread, while the world seems caught up in absurd and violent decisions. But here, with the children, every gesture of connection feels like an act of resistance<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n

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Image 6: Gast\u00f3n S\u00e1nchez performing during one of the shows of the expedition to Ukraine (2026)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Return, March 8<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

After 18 performances and hundreds of kilometers along icy roads, we return home. The team has shown incredible professionalism and generosity. I don\u2019t know when the war will end, but I do know one thing: the Ukrainians I have met value dignity more than life. The laughter, hugs, and moments of connection we have shared will always be a reminder that humanity and solidarity always find a way to shine, even in the midst of war.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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Image 7: Ending of one of the shows performed during the expedition to Ukraine (2026)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
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