Identity
Integration without assimilation — can a person belong in two places?
Many people who live abroad feel the same inner conflict: how much do we have to adapt in order to belong?
I think the idea of integration is often presented in the wrong way. It can seem as though a person has to erase a part of themselves completely in order to be accepted.
But I do not believe that.
I believe it is possible to build a life in another country, to respect its rules, its culture and its way of life — and at the same time to stay connected to your origin.
People rarely have only one identity, least of all today.
I see many families in Switzerland who manage to bring both worlds together: the children speak several languages, they grow up with different cultures, and they learn to be at home in more than one place at once.
Of course, it is not always simple. Sometimes there is a feeling that you are not fully "here nor there". But perhaps it is precisely out of that experience that a particular breadth is born.
I think culture plays a great part in this. Through music, film, theatre and community, people strengthen their sense of belonging — and that sense does not have to be tied to one culture alone.
At our events the focus is not only on entertainment, although it is always there. But while you are enjoying yourselves, you are at the same time giving yourself (and your children) a firm connection to one important side of your identity.
— Evica
Our stories
Why people from the Balkans leave so often, yet find it so hard to stop thinking about it
Evica Marković1 October 2026When you have lived away from the country you came from for a long time, your relationship with it becomes more complicated than you imagined at the start. Distance sometimes sharpens the view and sometimes clouds it with nostalgia…
Read moreEleven days when Zurich lives through film
Evica Marković23 September 2026Every autumn the area around Sechseläutenplatz changes almost overnight. Festival signs appear, queues form in front of the cinemas, around town you hear more and more conversations about films nobody has had the chance to see yet, and people who might otherwise never meet end up in the same auditorium because they picked the same title from the programme…
Read moreWhen design steps out onto the streets of Zurich
Evica Marković17 September 2026There are things we use every day and almost never think about. The chair we sit on, the glass we drink water from, the sign at the stop that tells us where to go, the light in a restaurant that keeps us there longer than we planned, or a poster on the street that makes us stop…
Read more
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
HELSE is a Swiss cultural association that fosters exchange between Switzerland and Serbia. Through theatre, film, music, stand-up and children's workshops we build cultural bridges — alive, inspiring and open to everyone.
Our programme is diverse: theatre performances, film screenings, stand-up comedy, concerts, readings, seminars and children's workshops.
Events run year-round — the current schedule lives in the Events section.
Tickets are sold online via each event's page and, for some programmes, at the door before the show. HELSE members receive discounts on selected events.
Membership is open to anyone who wants to support the association. The annual fee is CHF 70, with reduced rates for students and pensioners.
Sign up via the Membership page — for any additional questions, write to info@helse.ch.