Create the Worlds

All-Ukrainian festival for children in the Kharkiv region

From April 25 to May 10, 2024, a number of creative master classes were held in children’s spaces that we opened in the Kharkiv region. The events took place within the course of the All-Ukrainian art festival “Create the Worlds” from the Charity Fund “Ridni”.

130 children aged from 6 to 13 were involved in “ARTshpakivni”, more than 40 of them are representatives of IDPs (internally displaced persons) and children who have lived in the occupation or near-front region for a long time. The events took place in the children’s spaces of Bezruky, Savyntsi and Derhachi. The teachers and tutors of these spaces, as well as the parents of our students, gained new experience in a form of art therapy, were inspired by examples of it and expanded their knowledge of tools for the creative abilities development for children.

The general purpose of the festival and our participation in it match our basic goals and aspirations:

Improving the psychological state of children: participation in creative activities improves the emotional state of children from the frontline areas, and workshops and communication in the process help to distract them from the everyday routine;

Socialization: interaction in artistic processes creates additional conditions for communication between peers and improving mutual understanding with adults;

Cultural enrichment: reproduction of Ukrainian traditions during workshops inspires children to learn about our culture;

Creative approach to problem solving: various materials and approaches are used to process the traumatic experience of children;Flexibility of thinking: helping children to expand their experiences in order to develop stress resilience and curiosity

As part of the “ARTshpakivni” the following events took place:

• Pysankarstvo workshop;
• making of an Easter bouquet workshop;
• making a Khvylyalʹka ragdoll workshop;
• making a doll workshop;
• a performance by the Kharkiv State Academic Theater of Puppets named after V. A. Afanasyev;
• pyrography workshop;
• dance improvisation.

5 craftsmen and 2 puppet theater actors took part in the events. 8 meetings with children were held and innovative art therapy methods were adopted in children’s spaces. Thanks to various forms of interaction in the artistic process with specialists and other children, kids received the necessary resources and experience of creative expression to strengthen their inner reliance in difficult life situations and challenges of a full-scale invasion, for the sake of a happy future for Ukraine.

We are glad that thanks to the joint efforts between the foundations, children will have the opportunity to improve their psycho-emotional state through creative interaction and learn new things.

We continue to lay the foundation for the creation of an internally rich, educated, artistic, conscious Ukraine. Happy to find like-minded people and together, despite everything, implement incredible projects for the growing generation.

The project is implemented in cooperation with and via the financial support of BF “Ridni”