Inside the Kyiv Residency of NEWSPACE
June 2025
On June 23rd-28th, 2025, Kyiv became the stage for one of the most emotionally charged and artistically rich chapters of the NEWSPACE project so far. Over the course of a week, more than forty teenagers gathered in the Ukrainian capital to participate in a residency dedicated to participatory art, expression, and collective creation. Organised in collaboration with the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine and Ukraine’s National Agency for Arts Education, the residency reached a wide network of young people through art schools across the country, bringing together participants with diverse backgrounds, experiences and levels of displacement caused by the ongoing war.
The aim was not only to create art but to create space, a space where young people could reconnect with themselves, with others, and with their own capacity to imagine. The participants were divided into four interdisciplinary groups, each guided by a team of mentors combining expertise in theatre, video, sound design, movement and visual arts. While each group developed its own artistic language, the residency maintained a fluid structure, allowing teenagers to experiment across different media and discover new ways of expressing their ideas.
One of the most powerful themes to emerge during the week was that of dreams and transformation. Many of the stories created by the teenagers revolved around metamorphosis—turning into animals, escaping through song, or protecting something precious. These narratives, at once personal and collective, spoke to the resilience of young people navigating uncertainty and upheaval. The use of metaphor offered them a safe way to explore feelings that are often too heavy to approach directly, transforming their experiences into stories that could be shared and celebrated.
Stop-motion animation became a surprising highlight of the residency. Working with simple materials, participants crafted puppets, wrote monologues, and recorded audio, producing a large collection of short animated pieces. In parallel, theatre-based groups wove together movement and storytelling into a final performative moment, integrating the individual voices of the teenagers into a shared narrative.
https://youtu.be/01HnQ9IdHoIhttps://youtu.be/pkuoSCMlbzAhttps://youtu.be/foR-MNa8vvshttps://youtu.be/KemryPXwLlchttps://youtu.be/u6kadNGp_XAhttps://youtu.be/CjMuxn_usIMThe interdisciplinary approach created hybrid artworks, immersive environments, performative installations and soundscapes infused with the recorded voices of the participants answering four simple yet profound questions:
- What gives you strength?
- What gives you support?
- What advice would you give to yourself one year from now?
- What does creativity mean to you?
These responses, layered into atmospheric sound compositions, captured the essence of the residency: creativity, friendship and support. These three words, printed on coloured wristbands worn throughout the week, became both a motto and a promise.
The residency was not without its challenges. Some participants left due to illness, emotional fatigue, or difficulties integrating into their groups. The proximity of the war was ever-present; at one point, a nearby missile strike led two siblings to withdraw. On another night, an air raid siren lasted from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., leaving participants and facilitators sleep-deprived and on edge. Yet, in the face of this reality, the workshops became a haven. Once the activities began, the teenagers’ energy shifted: laughter returned, bodies relaxed and ideas flowed. The contrast between the outside world and the creative environment inside the theatre underscored the urgent importance of spaces like this.
The facilitators reflected on the delicate balance between process and outcome. While the residency did culminate in a final collective presentation, the emphasis remained on exploration and expression rather than perfection. “The process itself is the result,” one artist noted, echoing a shared belief that what mattered most was not the polish of the final piece but the journey of making it together. At the same time, having a shared goal provided structure and motivation, anchoring the week in a sense of purpose.
Perhaps the most moving aspect of the residency was witnessing the teenagers’ agency and talent. Among the participants were aspiring musicians, dancers who already teach younger children, young activists, and even a budding graphic designer. Despite their youth and the weight of their experiences, they approached the work with seriousness, generosity, and a deep desire to connect. For many, being recognised and treated as artists in their own right was transformative.
https://youtu.be/nsxm3_bR0hAhttps://youtu.be/uLAuHWD3cWMhttps://youtu.be/t0LzJibmZnQAs the week drew to a close, bonds had formed between strangers, stories had been shared, and a temporary community had taken shape. The Kyiv residency was more than a workshop; it was a reminder of the power of art to create connections, foster resilience, and hold space for healing—even, and perhaps especially, in times of crisis.
The journey of NEWSPACE continues in Bologna, where the themes and stories born in Kyiv will meet new voices and grow into the next chapter. If Kyiv taught us anything, it’s that when young people are given the tools and the trust to create, they don’t just make art, they make space for themselves and for each other. And in that space, something vital begins to heal.
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NEWSPACE is funded by the Creative Europe Programme
