How does the slogan ‘Creativity empowers us together’ resonate with you?

As a writer, performance artist, and activist, I view art and activism as inseparable. For me, as a woman existing outside patriarchal and heteronormative structures, writing and performance art are not luxuries—they are essential. The question has never been whether I should write, express myself, or perform freely. The real question has always been about visibility, subverting oppression, and diversifying harmful narratives. In a world that wields social and political power to dictate who we are and how we should exist, creativity becomes our protest. Our unique languages become collective tools for resistance.

European Union in Kosovo, 2025

Can creativity help to shape a world where everyone feels included and valued, regardless of their background or identity?

Through my practice, I seek to dismantle the rigid identities imposed upon us. In a world where societal structures limit self-expression and movement, my art serves as an act of defiance—a call to reimagine what it means to be human, to be free, and to be seen. Creativity doesn’t just shape an inclusive world; it is a prerequisite for one. A world can never reach its full potential unless it embraces and elevates the authentic expressions of all individuals.

European Union in Kosovo, 2025

How do you see your creative work contributing to political and social change?

My art is inherently political. My contribution to the world lies in the intellectual, somatic, and emotional knowledge I produce through creativity, speaking to the general human condition. In my poetry books How the Hell Do I Abort a Demon (2021) and Woman Warmth, Woman Wrath (2023), I delve into themes of self-doubt, societal expectations, and the resilience of marginalized identities. In my theatre performances “Are You a Girl or a Boy?!” (2020) and Romeo & Romeo (2024), I challenge the idea that only certain people are entitled to belong, questioning if and how a nationalist identity can accommodate diverse sexualities and gender identities. In my performances Penetrating Air (2021) Nasty Beauty (2023) “The Apple Was Not An Accident” (2023), I confront questions surrounding humanity, existence, and queer identities particularly in terms of public space and who is permitted to exist within it.

Beyond challenging the status quo and systems of oppression, my work is rooted in healing and resistance. Self-care and self-maintenance are radical acts. When societal and political forces push and pull us, simply continuing to exist is a form of resistance. My artwork is always an extension of my social ethics and principles. I may not change the world in a single day, but I can empower and inspire others to persist as they are.

BIO:

Uresa Ahmeti is an activist, writer, and performance artist. She completed her secondary education at United World College Maastricht in the Netherlands after receiving a national scholarship. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University, CT, USA, with a double major in Sociology and Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She was a finalist for the Artist of the Future award at the Stacion – Contemporary Art Center in Prishtina with her multimedia performance video installation Duke Depërtuar Ajrin / Penetrating Air. Uresa is also the author of two poetry books: How the Hell Do I Abort a Demon (2021) and Woman Warmth, Woman Wrath (2023).

She has written original plays such as Romeo & Romeo and Are You a Girl or a Boy?!, and has written and performed in various performances, including Pride Has Many Colors, Nasty Beauty, The Apple Was Not an Accident, From Other to Self, Interrogating ‘Power’, and Ho-me is Where the Breath Is / (Be)longing. Uresa has extensive experience in performance art, having created and performed more than ten performances over the recent years. Her activist and artistic work is a direct protest and a call for self-agency, social awareness, and collective resistance against oppressive systems that coexist and subjugate bodies.