Charity project "Camp-residence Arts for hearts Vyzhnytsia-2023"

For 5 days, namely July 03-07, 2023, the first part of the All-Ukrainian project "Camp-residence Arts for hearts Vyzhnytsia-2023" was implemented on the grounds of the Vyzhnytsia Art School (director - Natalia Dodyak). The authors of the idea and organizers are the Artistic Way of Good Charity Foundation in partnership with the Children's Art School #5. At the beginning of 2022, the Dunayevsky Children's Art School #5 passed the expert selection of grant applications in the UCF competition and was to enter the negotiation phase of the project, which involved organizing a large-scale summer art camp for children with special educational needs at the Dunayevsky Children's Art School #5. However, due to reduced funding in 2022, in connection with the full-scale war, this project was not to be realized. That is why Oksana Kravchuk (Executive Director of the Artistic Way of Good) appealed to the partners and friends of the foundation, the Vyzhnytsia Art School. A proposal was made to conduct a joint project with their own efforts for internally displaced children, children with special educational needs, and local residents of Vyzhnytsia. Thus, the project idea was supported: Vyzhnytsia City Council, Vyzhnytsia Art School, Department of Culture of Kharkiv City Council, Charitable Foundation "Artistic Way of Good", and I.O. Dunayevsky Children's Art School #5. So, the first day of the project began with introductions. On Monday (July 03), the children and their parents came to the Vyzhnytsia Art School. Until February 24, 2022 they lived in different cities of our country, but were forced to look for a safe place to stay and found shelter in the hospitable city of Vyzhnytsia in Bukovyna. Six teachers from Kharkiv teamed up with teachers from the Vyzhnytsia Art School to create an art therapy program aimed at emotional relief for the children, release of positive emotions, and establishing new connections and acquaintances. The most important thing is that all this was realized through art classes. In total, about 47 children joined the project (most of them are IDPs, families who lost their breadwinners, low-income families, families whose fathers are defending our country and who lost a family member in the war). Every day there were group and individual lessons in theater, drawing, noise orchestra, guitar and piano, singing, and choreography. In addition, there were usual entertainments such as board games, competitions, contests, tournaments, watching an instructive cartoon in the cinema, drawing on the asphalt, didactic games, that is, everything that brings a lot of positive emotions. The children especially liked the bunny (life-size doll), which accompanied all creative activities and entertained the campers. All children were also provided with lunches, drinking water, sweet gifts and memorable awards. The art therapy program also aimed to unleash the creative potential of the children who came to the camp, as most of them did not realize that they had a certain talent for a particular type of art. Thus, the children had the opportunity to try themselves in different types of artistic activities and to continue their creative development professionally in the future. In addition to entertainment and classes, the camp coaches prepared the children for the final day, where they were to show the cultural product that was born in the process of work - a musical and theatrical performance "Who Said "Meow?" (directed by Alina Yesina). In just THREE days, the children and their teachers prepared a cheerful dance (directed by Iryna Khotymska), an instrumental piece by Kharkiv composer Borys Sevastyanov, Morning Rain, adapted by Maria Stadnik: piano part by Omeliana Popovych, piano part by Maria Stadnik (Kharkiv); guitarists: Maksym Megedyn, Khrystia Pylypko, Sofia Varvaryuk, Gayane Hamzaeva, Valeria Semenenko (Kharkiv), violinists - Maria Kolodchenko, Hanna Vatamaniuk; double bass - Tetiana Khovanets (Vashkivtsi). They also prepared performances with a noise orchestra (directors: Tetyana Novikova, Maryna Vinichenko) and a vocal final number (soloists: Maria Stadnik, Maryna Vinichenko). The coordinators of the final performance at the House of Culture were: Oksana Kravchuk and Natalia Dodiak. Maksym Hryb (bandura player, vocalist), a graduate of Kyiv Music School #23, added to the variety of the finale by performing the song "I'll Go to the Far Mountains" by Volodymyr Ivasyuk. Teachers of fine arts of the Vyzhnytsia Art School helped to create exquisite fairy-tale images: Liubov Kosovych, Valentyna Dudiak, and Olena Tkach. The children's drawings were also presented at the exhibition organized during the final day of the camp. According to the results of the week-long camp, we can definitely note the positive impressions of children and their parents from the art camp. New emotions, acquaintances, unleashing of creative potential, a powerful charge of vital energy, interesting activities and entertainment, and for some of them the first performance on stage and artistic experience. For the teachers, it was an exchange of methodological experience, joint creation of an art therapy program and work with extremely open and sincere children. This project really united and gave unforgettable moments among the beauty of the spectacular nature: mountain landscapes, unrestrained rivers of Bukovyna, traditions and hospitable embraces. We express our special gratitude to the mayor of Vyzhnytsia, Oleksiy Chepil! For his support, the opportunity to implement our plans here and now, and for funding a creative project that brought together children and teachers from all over Ukraine. We are grateful to Halyna Tokar, Head of the Department of Education, Culture, Medicine and Sports of the Vyzhnytsia City Community, for her personal participation in the project and during the creative days, her kindness and appreciation of the camp's activities. We would like to thank Natalia Dodyak for her hospitable reception, provision of necessary working materials, professional approach to the implementation of joint activities, friendly support, and the quality of a leader and coordinator! Hanna Vatamaniuk for her involvement in the preparation of the final cultural product, timely response to requests and needs.