Discovering Cultural Activism - CulDive
Bistra's recap of a youth workers mobility Erasmus+ project in Hrastnik, Slovenia
CulDive, a.k.a CoolDive was a youth worker mobility project on discovering cultural activism which happened in Hrastnik, Slovenia.
One important part of the training was to equip youth workers with new skills, to enable us to plan and organize new cultural activities, which will foster processes of social activation and inclusion in our local environments.
During the training course and together with participants from Slovenia, Serbia, Portugal, Spain, Bulgaria, and Lithuania, we presented our vision of culture and cultural participation in our local environments, as well as noticed the cultural opportunities and challenges which are available.
Now, during the TC, there was an important event in the town of Hrastnik - the festival RDEČI REVIRJI. The name of the performing arts festival Rdeči Revirji is synonymous with the three Zasavje valleys - Trbovlje, Hrastnik, and Zagorje - which used to be a hotbed of the struggle for the rights of the working class. In 2022, the festival is celebrating its 20th year. The festival celebrates the 200-year history of mining and heavy industry that has shaped the local environment and is a way to preserve and reawaken values in a different form.
It is an international performing arts festival offering national and international dance and theater performances, musical events, puppet shows, exhibitions, installations, films, concerts, contemporary circus, and diverse street performances by local and international artists. The festival aims to present different artistic genres and forms, as well as variety and directness, that bring life to the streets of Zasavje and cultural content closer to the widest range of people. Art brings people together, opens doors to the world, encourages self-exploration, and, in a predominantly working-class environment, opens the door to critical thinking, creativity, and self-initiative.
And our project gave us not only the opportunity to be visitors but also to perform our own piece which we prepared with the help and care of our choreographers (and very talented artists). There’s a video of our work-in-progress below.
So, after a week full of exploration, intercultural exchange, some tough moments but also lots of laughter, many conversations, and smiles, we left full of ideas and inspiration. I personally wish to come back next year in Hrastnik, as a volunteer and performer at the festival, and hopefully, someone who has organized and/or taken part in more cultural events!
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Zarika Team