I T.H.I.N.K.
17 – 25 May, 2023
Perloja, Lithuania
What was organised?
Planning visit took place in Vilnius, Lithuania March, 2023.
‘I Think’ Youth Exchange happened in May, 2023 in the village of Perloja, Lithuania.
With this project, we invited the participants to critically overview their own thoughts and opinions, as well as aimed to empower them to be the change for themselves and the environments surrounding them. Not only that, the title, as an acronym, can be dissected as such:
Inclusion – bringing people, different cultures, religions and regions closer together, despite all the stereotypes, misleading information (especially from the internet);
Tolerance – boosting tolerance towards others, especially those who are considered „not normal“ in that certain society;
Humility – having a sense of connectedness with the whole world and other people;
Intercultural – exchanging and embracing world cultures with an open mind;
Non-formal – adapting non-formal methods in pursuing the project goals;
Knowledge – „Without knowledge action is useless and knowledge without action is futile“ (Abu Bakr).
These key-words embody the main focus of the project and our values as well.
Local festival "Festival of Perloja"
The highlight of the youth exchange was the festival for and with local people. Each country has represented their culture with dances, local snacks and exciting games. We also had the opportunity to learn more about Erasmus+ and ESC programmes and try lino cutting methods. Some decided also to experience Pilates training or have a henna painting. Also, relaxing with coffee or tea while having a nice chat was a good option. Simple and exciting- that’s how the meeting with the local community was. All in all, not only the festival but the project itself was a joyful experience in the springish Lithuanian village.
Programme of the festival
"Hope" Cards
„Hope Cards“, as a package, is a result of a collaborative process, which happened at the time of the Erasmus+ Youth Exchange “I think”. The designs of each card were made in a lino cutting workshop, which took place during a part of the project – the “Festival of Perloja”. The whole creation process was led by the artist Darya Korolkova.The process itself started with brainstorming of what “hope” means to each participant and what message could be delivered to other young people. Following that, participants made a freehand drawing of their desired design on an individual lino piece. Later, the design was carved with lino cutting tools. After that, the colourful print from the finished linocut laid down on paper. The prints were collected by the Artist and digitalized.
The meaning
The cover of “Hope Cards” symbolizes a labyrinth and a path you could be taking in it. The cards should inspire you to look for answers, your own unique way of living, to not be afraid of making decisions and to take responsibility of shaping your own destiny. If you look closer, you might also see an aerial look of a settlement, a city, or a village. Following this, our invitation is to take an aerial view of our own lives with the help of the “Hope Cards”. By reflecting on certain life situations using the “Hope Cards”, feel the power of the community, the positive energy it transmits. YOU CAN DO IT. Whatever “it” means to you.
Presentation of the cards on September 13th in Vilnius, Lithuania
Links and info
About the Artist of "Hope Cards"
Lino-cut workshop is a part of an interactive strategy for engaging with the art-producing process. It provides an active and experiential learning opportunity in an artspace. When taking an active role in the learning process- the deeper and more memorable the experience is. The goal is for you to have a chance to share visual ideas using old- fashioned technique.
Darya Korolkova studied graphic design at “Visual design and Media* program at the European Humanities University. She moved to Vilnius when she was 17 and studied at three different universities since then (Valencia, St.Peterburg, Vilnius). After that she obtained a Master’s degree as Master Of Art in Art studies. Darya participates in exhibitions since 2018. Some of her exhibitions are”Corpus Est, “Transitions” and”Home,uncanny home!”. She collaborates with Inovatyvi karta since 2020.
Organizers and Partners
All this was done with our amazing partners: Creative Youth Platform from Georgia, Yndi from Jordan, Youth TGN from Spain, Oriel from Italy, Think Youth from Palestine, with the main organiser Inovatyvi karta from Lithuania.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
