The National Theater of Nice, as every year, returns in 2024 with the “Letter to…” series with Letter to… Myself for Later. An introspective work aimed at addressing one’s future self.
The “Letter to…” series was initiated by the TNN in 2020 with Letter to… Nour. Each year it is sponsored by a writer. This year, the sponsor is Susie Morgenstern, an author and illustrator for youth. An adopted Niçoise, she has been decorated with the national order of the Legion of Honor and the Order of Arts and Letters for her books, which have now become classics of children’s literature.
A Complex Exercise
This initiative, with a pedagogical purpose, aims to teach young people to express themselves in writing. Letter to… Myself for Later is an excellent way for young students participating to engage in introspection to better understand themselves in order to communicate and converse with their future selves. The exercise is not simple, especially since the letters will be read publicly by their authors before being sealed and kept for a duration of 10 years.
High school students will have to show imagination as well as courage. Some appeared shy, scared, but also enthusiastic and happy to be part of this beautiful initiative. They opened up to us to open up to themselves, mentioning doubts, fears, desires, dreams…
How did the process of involving young people go?
The Letter to… Myself for Later project involves middle schools, high schools, university groups, and also a social singing group. In total, 806 students are participating. The young participants had the opportunity beforehand to discuss with their teachers, author Susie Morgenstern, and the theater troupe of TNN to exchange ideas about the content of their letters. The TNN will then carefully preserve the letters for 10 years before returning them to the adolescents, who will then be active adults. Today, it’s a letter to a nonexistent recipient, and tomorrow it will be a letter from a correspondent who no longer exists.
