Ruben Otero sitting on the stage next to a table covered with the flag of Argentina and some personal objects

Ruben Otero spent 41 hours adrift on a raft after the sinking of the cruiser ARA General Belgrano during the Malvinas/Falklands conflict in 1982. He later took part in the unique theatre project Minefield, which brought together Argentine and British veterans of the conflict to use performance to explore themes of trauma, resilience, and reconciliation. His journey in theatre led him to write Stay Afloat (Seguir a flote).

Recently, Ruben participated in an episode of the British Council podcast Our World, Connected. The discussion, which also featured Jackie Wylie, Artistic Director and Chief Executive at the National Theatre of Scotland (NTS), and was hosted by Christine Wilson, Director of British Council Research and Insight, explored the power of theatre in shaping national identity while also strengthening cultural connections across borders.

To listen to the episode, you can visit the podcast's webpage or search for 'Our World, Connected' in your favourite podcast platform.

Listen to Ruben Otero’s Story

Here on this webpage, we are making available the full audio clips of Ruben Otero’s contribution to the podcast, where he shares his remarkable journey.

Audio Clips:

Introductions

Where are you now?

How did you get involved?

Touring

How did it affect you?

Relationship with the UK

Impact on both countries

Motivation to write

Theatre for difficult issues

Building trust

The next decade

 

If you want to dive deeper into Ruben Otero's incredible story, you can also access Oral histories | British Council