Twenty minutes by car from Jelšava, there's an old, abandoned railway tunnel that stretches several kilometers through the mountain. This unique location became the ideal setting for our site-specific performance, "Toto Miesto" ("This Place"), designed to highlight the rich history surrounding Jelšava. This region has experienced a variety of changes—from being a forestry hub during the Austro-Hungarian Empire, to a center for magnesite mining in the past century. It's a place that has seen the boons of industrial development and the burdens of environmental degradation, with dust and pollution making life in the city increasingly challenging. As development slowed, houses decayed, and people left the area. Though mining pollution has since decreased, a sense of decline still haunts the local community.

As outsiders, we aimed to tell a story that encapsulates these complex dynamics, while also suggesting that change is possible, that places can transform, and that despite the shifts in population and perceptions, the enduring beauty of people and nature persists.

To explore this theme of locality and time, we took our audience on a sensory journey along a stream leading into the darkness of the tunnel. In this dim environment, they encountered musical sounds, saw miners walking on each other's shoulders, glimpsed animal silhouettes, and witnessed light sculptures reminiscent of ancient times. They also encountered a dancer performing in the shadows. The audience then turned around and walked toward the light at the end of the tunnel, symbolizing both a return to the present and a step into the emerging future. As they exited the tunnel, they were greeted by a performer suspended in the air, dancing—a final image suggesting the possibility of hope and renewal.