This year’s Euro Kids Fest festival, organized by the Delegation of the European Union to the United States, became a platform for a special Ukrainian interactive installation. In partnership with the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States, Ukraine House presented an art space called “HOME” – a symbolic journey of Ukrainian children forced to survive the war.
This was reported by the organizer, the Delegation of the European Union to the United States of America..
Kids Euro Fest Family Day was held in Washington at the Spanish Cultural Center, during which 15 European countries presented their culture through performances, stories, crafts, interactive activities and master classes for children aged 2 to 12.
Students of the Taras Shevchenko School of Ukrainian Studies, DC Music Academy, SLAVA School of Ukrainian Music and Dance performed on behalf of Ukraine at the festival. Their performance included Ukrainian folk songs, dances, and folklore. A special atmosphere was created by the performance of bandura player Maria Bogomolova.
“Ми пишаємося тим, що мали змогу представити українську культуру через танець на KidsEuroFest”, – shared the impressions of SLAVA School of Ukrainian Music and Dance.
Also within the framework of the festival, the installation “Journey Home” was presented, which became a deep artistic understanding of the life of Ukrainian children in war conditions. The installation was both interactive and emotional. The project covered four important topics: “Home”, “Education”, “Security” and “Family”. The four capital letters that made up the word “HOME” became the basis of the art object.
Each letter symbolized a separate aspect of a child’s life during the war: the letter “H” (half decorated with mosaic, as a symbol of Ukrainian houses, which are usually decorated with tiles and mosaics) – as a home reconstruction, the letter “O”, half painted in the style of Ukrainian folk art painting “Petrykivka”, as a symbol of a protected space, the letter “M” with drawings made by Ukrainian children during the war, as a symbol of a wish for peace, the letter “E” with paths and routes, half filled with flowers and decorated with decoupage pictures with Ukrainian floral motifs. symbolized the paths leading home.
Participants could decorate these letters with mosaic, folk painting, paper doves and flowers, joining in a collective act of memory, hope and reconstruction. The installation became not only an art project, but also a profound humanitarian gesture that united the participants around the voice of Ukrainian children.
“The Day of Unity and Creativity: Children from Ukraine were in the spotlight of this year’s Children’s Festival “Kids Euro Fest”. Our common mission is to bring every Ukrainian child home, give children an education and a secure future,” remarked the Ambassador of Ukraine to the USA Stefanishyna, who joined the event.
It is worth noting that Kids Euro Fest is organized by the EU Delegation to the USA in cooperation with the Spanish Cultural Center – the Embassy of Spain and 27 member states of the European Union, the Embassy of Ukraine, the Ukrainian House and the European Investment Bank.
Photo: Embassy of Ukraine in the USA
Author: Inna Mikhno