Exhibition opening for the Brighter Worlds project

On July 2, 2016, at 5 PM, IZONE Creative Community will host the opening of a project exhibition by youth participants of the Brighter Worlds art and education program - Confronting Violence Through Youth-oriented Media (CVTYM). This U.S.-Ukraine joint project is implemented through the partnership between IZOLYATSIA foundation (Kyiv, Ukraine) and AS22O center for the arts (Providence, Rhode Island) as part of the Museums Connect grant program supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

The goal of Brighter Worlds: CVTYM is to involve Ukrainian and American youth who have experienced hardship in their lives into an active role in their communities, teach new skills, creative methods of self-expression, offer self-improvement opportunities, and demonstrate to youth that regardless of external factors, they are capable of designing their bright futures. The open call for recruiting project students and instructors continued through February 2015, with preference given to youth from different regions of Ukraine, who have directly experienced the adverse effects of the conflict in Eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea, and a cohort of ‘at-highest-risk’ Rhode Island youth disadvantaged socially and economically. Based on the results of the open call, 4 instructors and 10 students were recruited from each side.

In March 2016, the students began their artistic explorations on the platform of the IZONE Creative Community. Under the guidance of youth instructors, the younger students participated in workshops on a whole range of creative industries: printing techniques, analog photography, making (2D modeling, 3D printing, laser cutter work, CNC milling), screen printing. Students were also introduced to important topics during seminars on copyright issues, contemporary and social media art, curating, fundraising, urbanism, activism, and politics. During this time, youth from Ukraine and the United States actively communicated and exchanged ideas online. In April, Ukrainian instructors visited AS220, met with U.S. students and exchanged experiences with instructors from Providence. In turn, American instructors visited Kyiv for their cultural exchange in late May and participated in a panel discussion on the future of creative education in the U.S. and Ukraine at America House cultural center in Kyiv.

In early April, Brighter Worlds students presented their projects at the first Ukrainian PrintFest 1/100, held at IZONE. All projects were related to the overarching topic of "SPAM” that the students interpreted freely, from outdoor advertisement to bad habits to bureaucracy. Over 1,000 visitors of the PrintFest 1/100 learned about the student projects. In addition to acquiring practical skills and conceptualizing their ideas during the first five weeks of the program, students gained experience in fabricating and presenting their ideas to the public and working in groups.

The final exhibition opening on July 3 encapsulates the accomplishments of Brighter Worlds participants over a 4-month span of creative exploration. For the first time, youth participants will create their art projects, which will reflect their transformation brought upon by skill-based training and personal development. The exhibition will feature nine student projects, some of which will employ graphic techniques, involve video and audio installations, and include series of black-and-white photographs, among other media. As a result of four months of creative work at the IZONE workshops, young people previously inexperienced in art practices have been transformed into artists who are now capable of making a statement about themselves and their creative evolution using the language of contemporary art.

Exhibition Details

Participants:
Stanislav Alyohin, Anastasia Belitskaya, Artem Bilozerov, Anton Bukoros, Mariia Lykova, Danylo Manzhos, Vladyslava Piun, Ekaterina Polyah, Helga Yasenovska.

Instructors:
Andrii Drahan, Ganna Ivanenko, Oleksandr Manukians, Alina Nikitina.

Opening:
July 2, 2016, 5 PM.

Address:
Kyiv, 8 Naberezhno-Luhova, Fourth Floor.

Schedule:
July 2 - August 2, 2016, Monday to Sunday, 12 PM - 8 PM.