Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Philology and Head of the NGO “Youth Drama Theater ‘AmaTea'”, Olena Rosstalna, is leading the project “Laboratory of Creative Works” (2023-2024). This initiative aims to facilitate intercultural exchange between Norwegian and Ukrainian youth aged 16 to 22.
The project is supported by the Erasmus+ National Agency of Norway (KA2 Youth Exchanges). The organizers include the Vesterålen Municipal Cultural Center (Norway) and the NGO “Youth Dramatic Theater ‘AmaTea'” (Ukraine). The youth exchange took place from August 11 to 18 in Vesterålen, Norway, bringing together 16 participants (8 from Chernihiv and 8 from Vesterålen).
The project’s goals are:
- to create an inclusive environment for intercultural exchange and self-expression.
- to help young people further develop creative and digital skills that will benefit them in the future.
- to expand opportunities for youth to share their experiences within their communities and beyond.
- to increase their confidence in communication skills in English.
Through a laboratory-based approach, under the guidance of Emma Nordstem (Norway) and Olena Rosstalna (Ukraine), the participants went through all stages of the collaborative creative process, culminating in the creation of a film or animation. The project aims to empower young people, foster a sense of inclusive collaboration, and enhance creativity and practical skills using both digital and non-digital artistic techniques. As a result, the participants created four short films using various techniques. This project marks the first step in continued sustainable collaboration and co-creation in the fields of youth exchanges and educational-artistic projects.