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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nLearning was not only productive, but also fun. I used to be afraid of public speaking and didn’t like improvisation, but this youth exchange made me change my mind. Already after the second day, I realized that improvisation can be fun and useful, and performing in public is not so scary. We have learned many techniques to hold the audience’s attention. We worked on body language, confidence, changing emotions, learned to shoot and edit our own films. We also discussed the problems of rural youth with other participants. I am really glad that I was able to attend this youth exchange, because it was a great experience. Iza, Viktor and Leo made the sessions easy, interesting and fun, and our team leaders Katya and Olesya helped to systematize every day, and together with them we spent the evenings talking. I hope this was my first but not my last youth exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vladyslava Kukulesku<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In a word, it was incredible! On the first day, I felt incredible excitement, many unfamiliar people, the brain needs to be reconfigured to English, to understand what is happening around you and to join the process. Thanks to the organizers, leaders and facilitator, the adaptation process was quick and successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All exchange participants were positive, open and ready to work together) Every day was full of different trainings, games, workshops and energizers. At first I tried to write down and remember everything, but then I realized that at the end of the evening, due to incredible emotions, I simply cannot remember everything we did) I would like to thank everyone who worked on the creation of this project, “FROM RURAL TO PLURAL” is really about incredible experience, energy and inspiration to make this world a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, I would like to share my impressions of the youth exchange “Stage and screen – empowering rural youth through arts” held in Romania 🇷🇴 During the exchange, I gained a lot of knowledge and a lot of new skills that I will be able to use in my future life. All the sessions and energisers were really interesting and new to me, but I liked the film making the most. It’s not even the result itself that impresses me, but the process of how we filmed\/edited\/searched for music and, of course, how we interacted with everyone.Well, of course, the clip was the highlight of it all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n P.S. I was stuffed into a suitcase🥲<\/p>\n\n\n\n And of course, I am very glad that this project draws attention to the problems\/needs of rural youth, because it is very important and we need to talk about it. Personally, I was touched by the stories of others about their obstacles as rural youth. The cultural evenings were unforgettable 😻<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was so fascinated by their culture that I just can’t put it into words. And I noticed that they were really proud to talk about their country, it’s really cool.And I think the Ukrainians represented our country with dignity. I also really enjoyed the day when we had the opportunity to visit Dracula’s Castle and Brasov. It may be a bit off topic, but I just fell in love with that nature and landscapes. They were like a breath of fresh air after the sessions. I would also like to highlight the people who were on this exchange. They are all just amazing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I am incredibly happy that I had the opportunity to meet them all. I am especially happy to have met the team of Ukrainians. Although I met these people for the first time, over these 10 days they have all become very close to me. And I would like to thank the two best group leaders for this wonderful time spent together and their support!And of course, I am infinitely grateful for every evening reflection, where everyone’s opinion was listened to without exception. And it’s incredibly cool when at the end of a busy day you can share your emotions with everyone. The idea of evening reflection is just great🌟 Conclusion – Katya and Olesya are the best! This is my first youth exchange, and it will no doubt be remembered for the rest of my life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another country, another society, another nature, another reality. This is all about my participation in the Erasmus+ project. The project named “Stage & Screen” in Romania opened up not only the world of theater and cinema to me but also allowed me to dive into the issues faced by youth in rural areas. We had a very busy schedule throughout all the days. We practiced a lot in the field of improvisation during the first days of classes with our trainer Iza. Thanks to this, I not only gained new knowledge about the basics of acting but also learned many useful exercises and energizers, which I will gladly use during events at the youth center in my city. Our sessions not only helped us practice new skills but also work on ourselves, develop public speaking skills, and learn how to use body language to engage and interact with the audience. I really liked Iza’s teaching technique; she kept us from getting bored, constantly encouraged us, and conducted many energizers to activate all our strengths during the sessions. There was a vibrant energy in the atmosphere during each class. It was wonderful to have a trainer who inspires and motivates you to move forward. We also mastered various exercises for concentration and memorization. This helped unite us and get to know each other better. Just through one game, each of us learned each other’s names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was not only a valuable experience but also incredible emotions. During these days, I laughed a lot, was amazed, and even cried. I met amazing people from Moldova and Romania and learned more about their cultures. Also, as Ukrainians, we had the opportunity to talk about the horrors of the war during our intercultural evening on the fourth day. We received a huge emotional feedback from other project participants. Their concern about the situation in Ukraine was also felt during the survey conducted by our national team on the problems of youth in rural areas. Most of the questions were aimed at finding out what difficulties arose during the full-scale invasion. We received a lot of sincere words of support and felt comfortable. Sometimes there was a language barrier between our country and others because the participants spoke in their native languages. But fortunately, we established a rule at the beginning that we must constantly speak English. And if someone forgot this rule, we could say “Bora Bora,” and then the participant addressed would switch to English. This rule really worked, so I had no problems working in teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another stage of our project was a trip to cities. Specifically, we visited Bran and Bra\u0219ov. In Bran, we visited Dracula’s castle. I was impressed by its grandeur and beauty. Each room was special and carried the history of Count Dracula. Afterwards, we went to Bra\u0219ov. There, we were met by Iza along with her actor friends in themed costumes. They gave us a city tour and told us about the magnificent history of the city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We saw huge stone walls surrounding the entire city. We also walked through one of the narrowest streets in Europe. We were also taken to the Black Church, where we were told about the legends associated with this landmark. This building impressed me greatly with its height and the number of miniature sculptures made in the Gothic style. Later, we had the opportunity to explore the city on our own, wandering through the streets and establishments of this wonderful city. Every day of this project felt like a small lifetime. We accomplished a lot of work as one big team, and each of us improved ourselves and our skills. The project allowed me to find new friends from different countries. I was also able to take a break from the war, at least a little. I found myself not worrying about anything during the project and truly enjoying every moment. So, I am grateful to all the organizers for such a wonderful experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In May of this year, I had an unforgettable opportunity to participate in a youth exchange in Romania. It was an extremely interesting and useful immersion in the world of the film industry, which took place within the framework of the Erasmus+ project. The program was carefully planned and intense. We not only learned the techniques of shooting and editing video, but also got the opportunity to work. Each participant, regardless of their level of experience, found something new and useful for themselves. We had a variety of workshops, lectures and practical classes that allowed us to significantly expand our knowledge and skills in the field of video content creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The opportunity to work in international teams was particularly impressive. Collaboration with young people from different countries not only enriched us culturally, but also helped us find new friends. We made short films and music videos together, shared our ideas and creative approaches. This exchange of experience was a real eye-opener for me – I realized how diverse and exciting the video creation process can be. One of the most interesting moments was getting to know the Erasmus+ program in a new format. In addition to traditional lectures and discussions, we had the opportunity to learn about the various opportunities for young people that this program provides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This discovery encouraged me to further study and participate in future projects. In conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude to the organizers of this exchange for their dedication and high level of organization. It was a truly unforgettable experience that inspired me to new creative achievements and gave me a powerful impetus for personal and professional development. I recommend all young people who are interested in video production and the film industry to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Erasmus+ program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I recently had the opportunity to visit sunny Romania thanks to the youth exchange Erasmus + YE “Stage & screen”, where participants from 🇺🇦🇲🇩🇷🇴 were gathered. It was an extremely cool experience in my life 💫 36 participants from rural areas learned more about the art of improvisation , filmmaking, practiced leadership qualities and public speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sessions were extremely interesting, because we devoted 80% of the time to practice and diluted it with fun energizers 🔥 We also had plenty of free time during this exchange, during which we actively exchanged cultural trinkets from other countries. What I remember most was the trip to the fantastic Brasov, 🌠 where we had the opportunity to see various architectural sights with a theatrical tour 🎭 This exchange brought me acquaintances with wonderful people, a lot of pleasant emotions and useful knowledge. I definitely advise everyone to try to take part in such exchanges, because after returning home you will definitely not recognize yourself 🙃<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was happy to spend the last 10 days of May in the village of Simon in Romania as a participant of the Erasmus+ youth exchange \u201cStage and Screen\u2014Empowering Rural Youth Through Arts.\u201d The project united 36 participants from Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine, both from cities and rural areas. The first days started with getting-to-know-each-other exercises and fun energizers. During the next days, we worked on public speaking and improvisation. Energy, voice, body language, eye contact, and confidence are the main five elements we focused on. By the way, I could never imagine that I would enjoy improv games so much!<\/p>\n\n\n\n After mastering some improvisation techniques, we moved on to filmmaking, starting out with creating fun advertisement videos where we needed to present a usual object from an unusual, new perspective on how it can be used. After getting the feeling of how videos should be made and working on our creativity, we started learning about different styles and genres. We filmed a couple of short films (almost each group decided to create a horror in combination with romance or comedy, and such a decision made the films very fun to watch). Actually, we loved filmmaking so much that we made a new film during lunch break on our own, and the next day, we spent the night working on a horror film during our free time. We also filmed a lip dub to a song about our youth exchange, which allowed us to understand better how music videos are made. During the last days of the program, all participants took part in filming a documentary about the challenges rural youth face in our three countries. I cannot wait to see the final version of the documentary in the coming days!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks to this exchange, I not only improved my filming, directing, editing, storytelling, improvisation, and acting skills but also learned a lot about the cultures of Romania and Moldova. All the cultural evenings were truly fantastic: we learned traditional dances, listened to national songs, and tried local food. Also, I was so happy to travel to the cities of Bran and Brasov to explore a small part of Romania. And, of course, I was grateful for the opportunity to share information about Ukraine during the cultural evening of our country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, I must mention that one of the best parts of this exchange was the many great people I met and the new friends I made. Long walks and photoshoots at the picturesque landscapes of Romania, parties after the culture evenings, playing billiards and tennis, traveling to a local shop, late night talks\u2026 It was so much fun! I will always cherish the moments we shared. As I reflect on my experience, I can surely say that this exchange, in addition to all the above, also allowed me to find a new passion\u2014filmmaking. In a few weeks, I plan to conduct a follow-up activity at a youth center in my town to share this new interest with local students and motivate them to apply for Erasmus+ youth exchanges and have as amazing experience as I did! Last but definitely not least, I want to express my genuine gratitude to all the amazing people who made this program happen \u2014 Active Development Association ADA, Prostir Idey, our wonderful Ukrainian team leaders, and many others. Thanks to your work, this exchange was a life-changing, inspiring experience for many, including me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stage and screen – empowering rural youth through arts” ❤️🔥 10 days of improvisation, acting, and video production. These are vivid emotions, great memories, new acquaintances with incredible people. During these few days, we managed to become a real family, learned each other’s culture, learned to cooperate and find a common language. 🥹<\/p>\n\n\n\n We laughed together, overcame difficulties, and learned about ourselves and others. Each of us returned home with a lot of new knowledge, impressions and emotions. It was my first youth exchange, so I was very worried about how everything would go. But remembering everything that happened, I have no regrets at all. Everything went great 🤩. Thanks to all the organizers and participants for this unforgettable time. 🫂<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was my first experience in a similar project. And it was unforgettable. I am very glad that I submitted and went. During this project, I learned that making videos is quite fun. It was very interesting to work together with other participants. I also learned that rural youth from Moldova and Romania have similar problems to youth from Ukraine. I really liked the intercultural evenings. I learned about Romania and Moldova, a lot about their culture and customs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In May 2024, a youth exchange in Romania, organized within the framework of the Erasmus+ project, became a unique opportunity for participants to immerse themselves in the world of the film industry and explore the current problems of young people in rural areas.The ‘Stage & Screen’ program had a rich schedule of workshops and practical […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":6507,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,10,19],"tags":[103,196,215],"class_list":["post-6547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-euro_en","category-main_en","category-youth_en","tag-erasmus-en","tag-ukraine-en","tag-youth-exchange-en"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prostir.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/37ef349e-b6c4-47a6-ab71-4595e936c715-1-1024x768.jpg\")
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<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAnastasiia Taranenko<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prostir.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/VID_20240605_215306_137-1.gif\")
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<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAlona Stakhir<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prostir.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG-20240529-WA0006-1-1024x685.jpg\")
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nVlada Lykian<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prostir.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_2446-2-edited.jpeg\")
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nLiliia Protsenko<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prostir.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_20240526_172905_304-1-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDiana Kravchenko<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prostir.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/7-2-1024x768.jpg\")
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nVictoria Kotiash<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prostir.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_6987-1-963x1024.jpg\")
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<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nValeriia Lahutina <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prostir.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_7703-3-1024x874.jpg\")
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