Sound in the Silence brings together young people from across Europe for a week of artistic and historical exploration at the Gernika Peace Museum
Gernika, 8 October 2026 — How can young people today engage with one of the most powerful symbols of the violence against civilians during the Spanish Civil War? This is the question at the heart of the 2026 edition of Sound in the Silence, an educational and artistic project that brings together history, memory and creative expression.
Organised by the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity (ENRS), the sixth edition of Sound in the Silence takes place in Gernika in collaboration with the European Observatory on Memories (EUROM) of the Fundació Solidaritat UB and the Gernika Peace Museum. Throughout the week, a group of secondary-school students from different European countries has explored the history of the bombing of Gernika on 26 April 1937, its representation and the experiences of the civilian population affected by the violence.
The process will culminate on Saturday, 10 October, with a public performance at the Gernika Peace Museum. Drawing on their historical research, discussions and personal reflections, the participants have developed an original artistic work combining voice, movement and creative writing.
The bombing of Gernika has become an internationally recognised symbol of the targeting of civilian populations during wartime. The students have approached this history not only through the events of 1937, but also through the questions of memory, representation, disinformation and the long-term consequences of violence and dictatorship.
The artistic process is led by an international team including Dan Wolf, US hip-hop artist and artistic director of Sound in the Silence; Kat Rampackova, Slovak choreographer; and Sean Palmer, British musician and performer.
Art, education and memory
Since 2011, Sound in the Silence has brought together young people, artists and historians at sites connected to some of the most difficult chapters of twentieth-century European history. Through a combination of historical research and artistic practice, the project encourages participants to engage critically with the past and to explore how historical experiences can be understood and communicated today.
Previous editions have taken place at historically significant sites including Neuengamme, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Ravensbrück, Berlin-Wannsee, Kaunas, Jasenovac, Piteşti and Warsaw.
The Gernika edition adds the bombing of 1937 and its wider context within the Spanish Civil War to this European landscape of memory. By working directly with the site and its historical narratives, participants are invited to move beyond learning about the past towards interpreting and communicating it through their own creative voices.
The 2026 edition is organised by the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity (ENRS) in collaboration with the Gernika Peace Museum, the European Observatory on Memories (EUROM) and the Fundació Solidaritat UB.
Public performance
Sound in the Silence 2026 – Final performance in Gernika
Date: Saturday, 10 October 2026
Time: 18:00
Venue: Gernika Peace Museum, Basque Country
Admission: Free
Language: English