Actors from Warsaw-based Migrator Theater, African soccer players in Poland led by Legia Warsaw’s Zimbabwean defenders Dickson Choto and Herbert Dick, and dozens of Polish supporters gathered in front of the City Council on Bankowy Square Oct. 25 for a street event described as “a theatrical football demonstration.”

The participants were all dressed in the red-and-white colors of the Polish national soccer team. The event was spiced up by a spectacular performance by a Capoeira group led by João Carlos do Nascimento, a Brazilian expert in the martial art, and his Polish students.

The initiative was part of the Europe-wide campaign against racism in football’s “Action Week” (Oct. 17-30), coordinated by the Vienna-based Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE), an umbrella organization with affiliates across Europe. The annual campaign has the backing of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and top clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona, Lyon and Manchester United.

Migrator Theater—made up of actors from several African countries, Poland, Georgia, Serbia, Brazil and others—was contracted by the Polish Football Association and the Nigdy Więcej (Never Again) Association, to lead the campaign in Warsaw.

“Football could be classified under physical theatre, therefore footballers are actors. The mission of Migrator Theater is to promote and defend the rights of foreign actors, which is why we are taking part in the Action Week,” said Migrator Theater’s founder Simon Mol.

Migrator Theater kicked off its Action Week campaign with a gospel concert at the Bielany Cultural Center, where participants sang in seven languages.

The climax of the week was a match between Division One side Legia Warsaw and a team made of African players who play for various Polish clubs. The game attracted a great deal of media interest, with Legia winning 3-2.

The Action Week was rounded off with a gala night at Harenda Club Oct. 27. African players Stanley Udenkwor and Musa Yaha got the night going with a short address about their experiences of racism on the pitch. This was followed by a performance of the play Africa... My Africa and a Capoeira display. DJ Sam then took to the stage with music from around the globe that kept partygoers dancing until dawn.

Registered as a charity art foundation and functioning as a theater group, Migrator Theater has over 20 actors from four continents. The theater has released four plays so far—Race of Stamps, Africa... My Africa, Standstill Moment and Journeys in a New Homeland.

The group is currently preparing for a tour of Poland with its latest play Africa... My Africa. It will be hosted by the Poznań-based Ósmego Dnia Theater and Gardzienice in Lublin. Last summer one of its Moroccan actors was assaulted during a theater festival after a performance, and the theater is strongly engaged in initiatives to foster tolerance. The group is currently working on the release of a new play, XXI Century Man, penned by Mol, a piece that tackles the issue of interracial dialogue and is expected to be released in January.