Documentation: Action & Methods. German - Ukrainian Youth Encounters.

DOCUMENTATION Actions & Methods German-Ukrainian Youth Encounters RECLAIM THE CITY: German-Ukrainian youth exchange on participative citizenship and urban activism

21 – 30 July 2017 Berlin & Brandenburg, Germany 31 August – 9 September 2017 Kharkiv, Novogradovka and Dobropillya (Donetsk region), Ukraine with support of Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future“ (EVZ)

This publication is a compilation of materials presented and created for, during and after the german-ukranian youth encounter “RECLAIM THE CITY: German-Ukrainian youth exchange on participative citizenship and urban activism”, that was curated by Kulturlabor Trial&Error e. V. with financial support of Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future“ (EVZ), the German foreign ministry, as well as Robert Bosch Stiftung and took place in Berlin, Germany from 21 – 30 July 2017 and in Kharkiv, Novogradovka and Dobropillya, Ukraine from 31 August – 9 September 2017.

Publisher: Kulturlabor Trial&Error e. V., Braunschweiger Str. 80, 12055 Berlin, DEUTSCHLAND Contact: email@trial-error.org, www.trial-error.org Editorial team: Jemima Bickel, Carolina Achilles

Thanks to: The crew and participants of the meet ups, Kulturlabor Trial&Error e. V. crew, our lovely cook Jessica Alcazar, photographer Ira Yeroshko, Artistania e.V., Dobro4u, Youth Platform Move, and everyone else who inspired, encouraged and supported us!

Training course team: Ruta Vimba, Mariia Servetnyk, Galyna Uvarova, Carolina Achilles, Viktor Konopkin

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This publication is assembled under the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence, except when otherwise noticed. This means that you are welcome to use texts, photos or whole publication, as long as proper attribution to the original source of the material (name and publisher of this publication) is given. If you are in doubt, please let us know - email@trial-error. org. We would appreciate to know what you do with our work.

The project was implemented with the friendly support of the foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future“ (EVZ). The support of EVZ for the production of this publication does not constitute any endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the EVZ cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

CONTENT A THE PROJECT 05 B MEET-UP! – German-Ukrainian Youth Encounters 10 C THE CITIES 11 D THE ACTIONS 13 From Fashion Victims to Fashion Heroes 14 Parkour 16 Home is everywhere – reclaiming public transportation 18 From a different angle 19 Your Neighbourhood - Your Playground 19 Message the Strangers 20 Parkour in Kharkiv 21 Guerilla Embroidery 22 #UG_Urban Festival 23 Tour to Potsdam 25 D NON-FORMAL EDUCATION METHODS 27 Zip Zap Zong 28 Walking Interview 28 Blind Guiding 29 The Power of Many 30 Arm Corridor 30 Energy Ball 31 The Blind Plank 32 Say What I Say and Do What I Do 32 Hello Stranger 33 Name and Movement 34 Spiderweb 34 Expectation Tree 34 Rules Sun 35 Affinity Groups 35 Silent Brainstorm 36 Visioning 36 Brainstorming: No, because.. Yes, but... Yes, and...

37 Musical Chairs 37 E PARTNER ORGANISATIONS 38 D OUTRO 39

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THE PROJECT R E C L A I M YO U R H O M E TOW N : C R E AT I V E A C T I V I S M T O O L S F O R Y O U T H P A R T I C I P AT I O N IN EASTERN UKRAINE AND GERMANY

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In the summer of 2017, 20 young creative enthusiasts joined forces to realize the project “Reclaim Your hometown: creative activism tools for youth participation in Eastern Ukraine and Germany” with the aim of supporting each other in actively shaping and influencing their home cities to the benefit of the people living there. Using creative activism tools, we explored different ways of how messages can be transferred to the public and how changes in civil society and urban spaces can be implemented. It is often said that civil society generally has a passive mentality, therefore creative ways and methods for communication and addressing problems are needed, which „Reclaim the city“ has been exploring in theory and practice.

The project brought us together and to places that had been unknown mysteries to many of us before. It gave us room to discuss the problems in our local neighbourhoods and learn from other’s. During the encounter young people were encouraged to take active part in the transformation process, showing the practical examples of how change can be implemented. We felt empowered to take action, to get rid of a passive mentality and felt encouraged to be agents of change. Together we explored the concept of urban activism as a tool for social change, learned and shared various methods and techniques and most importantly: we took action together! We developed and implemented our own ideas on how to address social issues in our cities and in the places we visited together and built a flourishing network that continues to work together and is determined to realize more projects in the future!

On the following pages we hope to inspire the reader to take action in their neighbourhoods and reclaim their hometowns!

Also check out the amazing videos of our actions on the project’s youtube channel: Reclaim City!

THE PROJECT

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MEET UP! – GERMAN-UKRAINIAN YO U TH E N C O U NTE R S

The MEET-UP! Program of the foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future“ (EVZ) aims to intensify relation between Germany and Ukraine and to encourage young people from both countries to commit to fundamental democratic values and understanding between peoples. It supports projects aiming at bringing about changes for the environment of young people who are hence empowered to take initiative and bring about effective changes for their neighbourhoods and societies.

Projects within the MEET-UP! Program focus on political and historical topics, German-Ukrainian relations, human rights, ecological topics, creative ways of expression, art, and more.

More Information can be found on https://www.stiftung-evz.de/ eng/funding/working-for-human-rights/meet-up.html

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THE CITIES NOVOG R ADOVK A D O B R O P I L LYA KHARKIV BERLIN

Novogrodivka and Dobropillya in the ex-mining area of Eastern Ukraine were a war zone quite recently. Though currently recognised as safe, these areas are avoided if not ignored by the rest of the country suffering from a lack of resources, isolation, and mistrust.

Kharkiv is the biggest city of Eastern Ukraine. It is considered as a science, technology, trade and culture hub. Since 2014 Kharkiv is facing numerous changes and goes through a transformation process on the way to discover its new identity. Young people have been taking active part in the political, social and cultural life of the city, establishing numerous grassroots initiatives and projects, looking for creative ways to express themselves.

Berlin is a city in constant transition, being the uncrowned European queen of startups, fighting gentrification, facing influx of newcomers, still healing the scars of the wall, yet an inspiring sample on how active citizenship and urban activism can change the game. Nevertheless, due to economic, social and cultural disadvantages, young people from the Berlin Neukรถlln area, especially with migration background, have limited access to the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in urban processes, voice their opinion and influence public discourse.

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TH E ACTI O N S FROM FASHION VICTIM S TO FASHION HEROES PARKOUR HOME I S E VERY WHERE – RECL AIMING PUBLIC TR AN SPORTATION FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE YOUR NEIGHBOURHO OD – YOUR PL AYGROUND MES SAGE THE STR ANGERS PARKOUR IN KHARKIV

During the time we spent in Berlin, Kharkiv, Novogradovka and Dobropillya we took to the streets and reclaimed public space in various, colourful and playful ways. Most of them were temporary actions, games, installations, art, and events but we would like to share the experiences and pass on the fruits of our learning process to you dear readers in order for creative activism to spread and thrive! Please feel invited to take ideas, adapt, copy, play and implement in your own neighborhood and also share your experiences with us!

The action reports were written by the various participants of the project and can also be found, alongside more action reports and how-to’s, on the Mašta Blog for creative activism (www.mastazine.net).

GUERILL A EMBROIDERY

#UG_URBAN FESTIVAL TOUR TO POTSDAM

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THE ACTION S

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FRO M FAS H I O N VI CTI M S TO FAS H I O N H E RO E S Crew: five motivated people Material: donated clothes, hangers for clothes, a DIY moveable structure to present and transport the clothes, decoration (mirror, a place to change, a logo, ...)

It all started because we came together in a training course on creative activism and were motivated to tackle some issues in our neighbourhood.

We wanted to say that buying new clothes is unnecessary overconsumption.

Can be repeated if you are in a place where the fashion industry is omnipresent (if there is scarcity of goods, the action may be held differently / with different reasons) STARTING POINT Our point of departure was the dissatisfaction with being surrounded and restrained by the norms of the fashion industry, while this fashion industry is based on very problematic working and production conditions. Furthermore, the creation of superficial and often insatiable needs, the change of fashion lines every 6 months, the hegemonic (white and sexist) norms of beauty, the waste of resources etc. appeared to us as issues to tackle and reasons to create an alternative.

WHY SWAPPING? WHY GIVING THINGS FOR FREE? As Fashion lines are changing every 6 months, many of us regularly get rid of almost new clothes. Also, everybody has this one pullover or pair of shorts, which you never wear but is taking place in your wardrobe. These clothes can have a second life, instead of ending in the trash. Collecting them can be done easily and several methods can be used (s. below).

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SWAPPING / OFFERING HAS DIFFERENT POSITIVE EFFECTS: • Save money • Avoid waste • Preserve resources • Provide goods for people with low / no income • Create an alternative to money-based interaction and replace it by direct human-to-human interaction. For example, you don’t see the persons you interact with only as a source of income or a source of service.

• Creating spaces of discussion and dialogue.

For example, clothes can have stories to be shared (“It was the pullover that my grand-ma offered me…”)

• Creating spaces of alternative economy cycles.

For example, discovering that shopping malls are not the only places where you can get things, and that you can renew your wardrobe with other exchange means than money.

• Avoiding queuing in shops • Avoiding places that makes you feel ugly: The white lights, the omnipresent pictures of top models, the sizes etc. are strategies of the fashion industry to make you feel ugly and in need of help and artifacts to be more beautiful. But everybody has their own particular beauty, and clothes and make-up are actually not necessary to be beautiful.

WHY MOBILE? But our wish was not only to reach already convinced publics, but to reach also consumers where they are. The mobility had several positive effects for us:

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swap shop in front of their vitrine. The mobility allows not only to disturb one brand but make it possible to disturb one shop after another.

• In case of trouble: the mobile swap shop is easily removable, and placed in appropriate places. In Berlin, the shops have 2-3 meters in front of their vitrine where they can remove you. Beyond this zone you are in a legal green zone.

Check your local law before heading out!

DESCRIPTION On a sunny Friday afternoon a group of five chose a bunch of clothes from or local swap shop and brought them out to the people in the shopping street. We had lots of fun preparing our mobile swapshop and talking to the people in the street. People were all very curious and happy about our action and asked us to do it regularly. The manager of a big fashion store threatened us to call police but as we knew the law we simply moved our ‘shop’ four meters away, facing the main entrance so we were all on the legal side and could directly reach the customers of the fashion store.

• Reaching new publics. You can have direct contact with the consumers of mainstream brands and interact easily with the pedestrians.

• Surprise effect. The structure in public space disrupts the routine of the citizens and easily attracts attention.

• New use of public space. The pavement is a place open for everyone, but we often only use it as a transfer zone. This public space is characterized by anonymity and rapidity. The mobile swap shop allows deceleration and moments of encounters with other pedestrians.

• Disturbing the fashion companies in putting the

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HOW CAN ONE USE THIS ACTION AS A MANUAL? • Collect clothes that you and your friends don’t wear anymore. Wash them (and maybe iron them) and put them on hangers.

• Improvise a structure on wheels where you can hang the clothes and decorate it in a way that it attracts attention. Potentially you can sort the clothes according to size. We also created a logo with our own brand and batches for our ‘employees’.

• Site specific research: before you set up your ‘shop’ in front of a fashion store, make sure you know the law about where you can legally spontaneously stand and where you could be fined and take informed decisions. Research your way before taking the structure out: stairs, sand etc. can be avoided if you know your route.

• Optionally also announce the action beforehand (e.g. event on social media) and invite people to bring their old clothes to swap.

• Set up your ‘shop’ on a shopping street and invite people to take clothes for free.

• Optionally: Talk to people about overconsumption, production lines and working conditions in textile industry, etc. while they’re browsing the clothes or attach such info in printed form to the clothes (like a price tag).

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PA R KO U R Crew: alone or in a group, size is irrelevant Material and other requirements: comfortable clothes and shoes; a space with some structures (trees, walls, rails, curbs, stairs)

INTRODUCTION Parkour is the art of moving through the environment and interacting with the surrounding structures in playful and challenging ways. Within public discourse it is often misunderstood as daredevil stunts or teenagers seeking a quick adrenaline rush. To most practitioners, however, it is a deeply profound and transformative practice. It radically transforms the way you look at the city. Railings don‘t guide and restrict movement, but become possibilities for interaction and relation. It is a practice of misusing, re-appropriating and re-inventing everyday objects and structures, rethinking the potential for urban space and imagining a new relation between the self, the body and the city.

The modern city is produced by and intended for the reproduction of capitalist power relations. But just as the factory in the early days of capitalism, the city breeds ways of discontent and resistance.

Parkour empowers you to re-appropriate urban space, assert use value over exchange value and ultimately be involved in nothing less than a cultural renaissance, where people begin to take control of their rights to the cities. The possibility to connect and interact with the urban environment is almost non-existent. What street art or graffiti achieve through painting, Parkour does with movement. It is a sort of physical graffiti, coloring the concrete walls as the vision of the practitioner is transformed.

Parkour is for most people less a method of creative activism but a way of life, a continuous practice,

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an infinite game, that empowers them live in deep, resonant relation to the places they inhabit. This relation is built over time, but Parkour can also be used to loosen public space, to make people stop and wonder, to make the streets more lively. For a deeper description of Parkour, its subversive potential and its internal contradictions: http://www. onthemove.earth/2017/04/critically-rethinking-subversive.html A PARKOUR SESSION In most Parkour sessions there is no trainer or facilitator. People just meet up at a place with a lot of possibilities for movement, so called spots. They usually consist of various obstacles like walls, bars etc. In Berlin there are between 300-600 practitioners, exact numbers are very hard to gauge.

This particular action was led by an experienced practitioner, but can be reproduced by anyone. Two other people participated, one with a bit of background in parkour and one total beginner, but physically fit.

1. CHOOSE A SPOT Every major city has established training spots. A spot can also just be a railing, a curb or a set of stairs. The more bleak the environment the starker the contrast and the challenge to creativity. We chose an entrance area with a bike rack and some stone blocks. Here is a map of the ones in Berlin: https:// www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1s1511e9HMWrF3a7PlRPJ9DH910A&hl=en_US&ll=52.51437995 602075%2C13.338953256896957&z=11

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2. WARM UP Parkour is after all a physical discipline and warm up should be part of each session. Make circles with all your joints, play some tag, hide and seek, balance on everything you can find, do some push-ups. We played “Pretty Darn Quick” (PDQ). http://movementlibrary.com/game/pdq-prettydarn-quick/ 3. GAMES Parkour can potentially be practiced by everyone.

It can be overwhelming and confusing to find an entry point though. Games seem to be an accessible entry point into interacting with public space in novel, playful and potentially challenging ways.

For the first game we found a bike rack, but pretty much every obstacle works. The goal was to find as many possibilities to get from one side to the other.

Then we started building our own game. We started with a basic framework of symbols representing body parts. A line, marked with chalk, means that one foot has to placed there. A cross means both feet. From there we start to add symbols, rules, goals, challenges etc. It is a very open process, which allows everyone to contribute and to alter the game so it is safe, fun and challenging for everyone. We played in total for an hour and then left.

Parkour can have exclusive tendencies of spectacular performance and masculine stereotypes of physical powers. Being aware of this and making Parkour as inclusive as possible should be a high priority. It is not about jumping buildings but playing with the environment in new ways.

4. FEEDBACK We ended with a round of feedback, which was very positive. If one person leads the group, it is important to check in if everyone felt save and included.

OUTCOME A photographer approached us to take our pictures.

He was very happy to find people doing something creative in public space. Other than that, we got some confused looks, and a handful of smiles from people passing by. Together we created a tiny experimental utopia, in which public space regained

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some of its civic qualities it loses in neoliberal capitalism.

If people want to get involved in Parkour, they can get in touch with their local Parkour community.

They usually have regular open meet ups. Participation is free, no equipment is needed. It is beneficial to get in touch with experienced practitioners to get insights into the underlying philosophy, values and training methodologies.

Also see this website: http://movementlibrary.com for parkour inspired games

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H O M E I S E V E R Y W H E R E – RECLAIMING PUBLIC T R A N S P O R TAT I O N Crew: The Reclaim the Hometown team, comprised of Ukrainian and German residents, worked together to plan and enact this occupation, involving all other train-goers who became part of the collective action. We gathered together at our closest train station, entering the same train wagon, but at different entrances. We aimed to appear not as one mass or group of people, but instead a collection of individuals or smaller groups as to make people feel welcome to join and enjoy.

Stash (Materials): By creating a ‘living room’ in the S-Bahn, we broke down the individualized experience of travelling with public transport, to connect and experience the power of play and collectivity. We played live music and card games, drank tea together and a whole range of other unexpected activities.

We brought furniture and objects with us that one would not usually find in a train to destabilize the status quo: everything from curtains and wall hangings to rugs, coffee tables, and macramé plant hangers.

STARTING POINT We wanted to employ playful tactics and methods to occupy the S-Bahn and draw attention to the increasing atomization we face under the current capitalist system, as well as the increasing privatization of public spaces and services. We also saw a need to dismantle the stigma of riding public transport, to get people out of their cars and put a stop to the rapid destruction of the environment.

APPROACH The action was about more than protest and resistance: it was about creating the alternatives we wish to see - on the ground, in the streets, and in the train wagons. Moving beyond negation, we were able to create a small glimpse of the sort of world we want to inhabit through collective action and play.

down the stigmas of riding public transport. Even if only for an hour - the feeling was unanimous - it was the most fun we had ever had on a train journey and such an enjoyable way to move around the city!

Can be repeated if you simply have fun in public transport and challenge behavioral norms and controls! Even an individual action could spark a question, raise awareness, or bring a smile to someone’s face. But, better yet, get a group together and experience the joy of doing it with others. Find items from your home, in the streets; play musical instruments and games; bring drinks and food; and most important, try to include others and spread the action beyond your initial group!

EFFECT & OUTCOMES It made people stop, pause, and question. It encouraged some to join, others to watch and enjoy. It challenged the rules that govern the spaces in our cities and, more generally, the meaning of ‘public’ spaces and services. We travelled the entire circuit of the Ringbahn and watched the flux of people coming and going, and the surprise on their faces when they stepped through the doors to find a group of people seated on a rug on the floor, playing cards on a table, decorated with a plant.

Most of all, it was fun - far more fun than sitting in a car, all alone, stuck in traffic. And, in that way, this type of action achieved the intention of breaking

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FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE

YO U R N E I G H B O U R H O O D – Y O U R P L AY G R O U N D

Goal: Exploration and creative use of public spaces

Time: 45 min-2 hours

Material: One chair or object to sit on per person

Crew: several groups of four-six people

Tip: Choose safe locations. Try playing seek and hide. Try to use urban space creatively. The best chair is a light chair.

Stash: paper and pen

Target group: People interested in urban games, exploration, and public space usage Group size: 10-?

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STEP BY STEP DESCRIPTION • Select a starting point and a duration of the game.

• Sit in a circle and remember the person on your right. This is your reference person whom you should always keep in sight. This will allow the group to move in coordination.

• Several people set an alarm e.g. for after 45 minutes. As soon as the game starts, everyone will keep silent until the alarms ring.

• Now people can start silently moving with their chairs. Be creative – go to the street, the park, your corner and sit in places that you would usually not sit in. Remember to always keep your reference person in sight. This will often force you to move when they move, which again may force the next person to move, etc.

• When the time is over, the people who had set alarms will signal the end of the action to the people around them. Meet back where you had started in a circle and debrief: How did the game go? How was the group dynamic? How did it feel? How did people react?

It all started because we wanted to explore the different ways in which we can experience the same neighbourhood in a playful way.

We wanted to say that the streets are not only a place of transit but can be our playground as well!

Can be repeated if you take time to go out and play!

ACTION Each group went out into the streets with the quest of creating a game that can later also be played by others. The games included tasks such as finding hidden secrets, reaching something that needed some creativity in movement to reach, climb on something, find a certain information, leave a message somewhere, etc. It was great fun and we interacted a lot with the local people in the process!

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M ES SAG E TH E STR ANG E RS Crew: 1-6 people is the most comfortable.

Kids, adults or seniors - its open for all the target groups Stash: Chalk (jumbo), can be substituted with stones that leave traces, or chalk spray

It all started because we where a mixed group of agents of change that wanted to explore and test interactions with different neighbourhoods in Berlin to get the slight taste of urban & creative activism.

Choosing text was challenging for most of us, as the group did not speak German, neither Turkish, Arabic or Serbian, that are amongst the most spoken languages in Berlin.

We wanted to say that streets are dynamic instead of static entities, that could be bent according to the needs and wishes of its users. That we can interact, hack, play with the concept.

Some of us chose drawings, pictograms or symbols.

Can be repeated, if you just take a minute.

It takes a little bit of courage to retrieve the ability to wonder, to question and to play within adults. For some reason it is still accepted online, but in real public spaces there is often lack of interaction and real social contact. We were a mixed group, participants of the seminar RECLAIM THE HOMETOWN, people from Berlin and Eastern Ukraine, with a quest to get to know each other better and make the first steps to explore Berlin as a playground.

JUST TO HELP, 3 WAYS WAY 1 Divide in groups, hand out material Just Do It! WAY 2 Divide in groups, hand out material Or Observe the neighbourhood, discuss the topics & tactics. Test it!

WAY 3 Start to play with chalk on the street, leave pieces in places accessible to bypassers, inviting them to interact.

We received pieces of chalk, a metro ticket and a quest to “leave a message on the street”, and were sent to randomly chosen neighbourhoods where most of us had never been before. A little bit shy, doubting the purpose of this activity and honestly being a bit afraid of breaking the norms, acting a little bit different than socially accepted.

Where to go, what to write? It was yet unclear to us, but we started to discuss in the group, sharing our observations about the neighbourhood, choosing the language and message.

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PA R KO U R I N K H A R K I V “Being out in the streets is basic research on being in the world. What’s it like to live out here in reality. If I step into the street, I step into… the world?” - Jens Erdman Rasmussen I arrived in Kharkiv after a long day of travelling.

Parkour as a discipline of moving through the urban environment only using your own body gives me a unique perspective to get to know a city.

The street is the place to get a glimpse of the atmospheres a city is made of. The street is a mode of being rather than a place I am in. For some it is only a sublime pause between doing something and doing something else, others sleep, live, drink and die here. I occupy a middle ground. The streets are my home too, my blood and sweat is on these brick walls, a sense of accomplishment and frustration is etched into them. I walk through the street with a childlike curiosity. The street is something I am. Far from the grey normality the street is the colourful adventure of the expedition. The banality of the everyday turns into the sublime unforgeability of the festivity. I’m nothing but a little piece of the maelstrom of life. The street is a place to immerse yourself in humanity.

I practice Parkour almost everyday for nine years as part of the collective Metropolis Parkour. Each session is different and not all could be described as an action of creative activism. There are organised jams to attract new people into this activity C

and to get them to experience urban space in new and wondrous ways. But there are also days, where it is more like a fitness workout, which has little in common with activism.

This particular day felt like a very personal exploration of the city but also of some questions I have been pondering over. One overarching question for me has been what makes people feel at home and connected to a place. The urban arts like Graffiti, Skateboarding or Parkour have a unique power to connect people deeply to the places they inhabit.

Kharkiv has a lot of the megalomaniac urban development of formerly soviet countries and it reminds me of places in East Berlin, like the Karl Marx Allee. Vast, concrete plazas and impressive facades were to convey the power of the socialist utopia.

Now these places feel cold, alienating at times. Ironically they are not build at the level of the people, they tower over them, dwarf them. One feels small and insignificant, alone and isolated.

The question to what extend Parkour can be used or understood as creative activism has been on my mind for some time now and I have not come to a satisfying answer. It certainly gives me the ability to get to know a place from a unique perspective, to connect to these rough, concrete walls, to make them speak in the most wonderful tongues.

We are engaged in a dialogue of constant answer and question. Does this work? Can I do this? How does this wall feel, what is the grip like? Even when I just walk down the street I constantly seek for opportunities to play and challenge myself. If it’s not my body, my mind is on the lookout all the time. And when was the last time you looked up towards the roofs of your city, towards the sky and towards all the possibilities that lie there?

Parkour possesses a transformative, even empowering power for the individual. I also wanted to share this power, so I did a short video and posted it to our facebook page, together with a description of this power. https://www.facebook.com/MetropolisParkour/videos/276894096142855/ There were a couple of curious onlookers, but it is rare (except for children) to join in Parkour actions.

An action like this can be repeated if you have a curious mind. If you wonder how to start check out the Beginner‘s Guide for Parkour in the methods sections for a step by step introduction.

By Paul van Kaldenkerken (Metropolis Parkour)

No spray cans, no equipment. Just me and the environment.

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GUERILLA EMBROIDERY Crew: Open for all target groups, at least 2-3 people are nice, so you can help each other, or check out for unwanted viewers Stash: • Fence – it’s possible to adjust to any pattern of fence, best is fence with dense square holes.

If there is no fence, but good places to attach strings, it is possible to also stretch ropes or thread to make the base of the grid.

Cutter, scissors.

• Thread - the best option to make a visual impact are long strips of elastic fabric (environmentally friendly thinking, we would have loved to use old T-Shirts or elastic bed sheets, cut in 1.5/2cm wide strips, the longer without knots, the better). It is possible to also use rope or yarn, better bright, contrasting colours.

• Drawing for embroidery pattern, technique

It all started, because an old lady somewhere on this the world did some guerilla embroidery and it became viral in the creative activism community.

Cheers for action grandmas!

We wanted to say that streets are an open domain, that belong to gansta guys with spray cans, but also poets, toy makers, gardeners and some crafty freaks. That it is possible to combine traditional techniques with urban and guerilla activism. That even a hobby of embroidering cats can become Your own very personal political statement, if You put it in the right context.

Can be repeated, if you find a fence and have a grandma to advice best embroidering techniques as well as a couple of old T-Shirts or any kind of colourful strips.

Urban embroidery is the amusing combination of urban interventions, ideas of community, commons, reclaiming public spaces, voicing the opinion of those not heard, mixing street art and traditional techniques. Yet it can be a powerful message in a technique that can be more acceptable to some who are not used to the laws of the concrete jungle and the intentions of the reclaim movement.

THE ACTION REQUIRES A BIT OF PREPARATION: • Defining the message • Finding the perfect fence • Making the pattern drawing for the embroidering • Practicing on textile, paper, or real fence, testing the materials available

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• Scoring the right material in decent amounts During the Reclaim The Hometown project part 2, we tried out several interventions, using urban embroidery as a method. Our observations are that the bypassers usually are kind and less critical than in cases when spray paint is used. Another conclusion is that the pattern definitely needs to be tested before applied in the field. For us it turned out pretty much learning by doing - to figure out the best technique of how to secure the thread on the fence so that the pattern does not flip, to try out the best ways to fill the drawing in a short time with least amount of knots and check if anyone can actually recognize the drawing.

WE TRIED OUT URBAN EMBROIDERY IN 3 CONTEXTS: • Late night street action, Kharkiv.

Materials used: rough synthetic rope Pattern: star shape from Ukrainian traditional embroidery, smiley

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Lessons learned: thread in a big role is difficult to apply and tends to get messed up in knots, nobody will notice thin white rope on a grey fence on the background of a grey house (despite of time and material spent, we decided to remake the motive with wide strips of bright blue and yellow colour).

• Daytime action on the fence of skatepark, Dobropilya. Materials used: bright yellow and turquoise strips of elastic textile Motives: “делай добро” (eng. - do good), smileys and traditional Ukrainian embroidery. Success: we stared spontaneously and after half an hour had a bunch of kids around, willing to try!

# U G _ U R B A N F E S T I VA L #UG_urban this was a major public event organized in the city Novohrodivka (which is located in 40 kilometers from the fighting zone in eastern Ukraine) by the activists of the NGO Platform of Initiatives „MOVE“ and participants of the project „MEET UP! German-Ukrainian Youth Summit„ which was implemented with the support of the EVZ Foundation, the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Robert Bosch Founda-

tion. The festival was an open area with many locations. The purpose of the festival was to create a positive attitude of residents towards the urban environment, to implement urban initiatives, to create conditions for creative cooperation, to stimulate young people and older people, to establish cooperation between the authorities and the public, etc.

• Daytime action on the structure of an abandoned open air cinema, Dobropilya Motives: letters “КИНО” (eng. - cinema) Idea: to name the seemingly trashed and abandoned space CINEMA and invite people to imagine, how it could be revived and used again Technique: base of black thread, that makes the bright letters seem to “float” in the air.

QUESTIONS WE DISCUSSED: Why would you embroider fences that seem to be in a good condition? Is the main meaning of urban embroidery to beautify the space? Doesn’t urban embroidery, being the “soft and gentle” sister of other, more radical techniques of the street art, somewhat carry the risk to discredit the ideas of reclaiming?

What is the impact of the urban embroidery, are the resources used wisely?

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During the festival many locations were organized such as a children‘s zone with animators, urban quests and games, a sports area with arm wrestling tournaments and pull-ups on the bar, an exhibition-fair of various handmade products and workshops from local craftsmen and women, a shop for the manufacturing of street furniture, an English-club, a photo-zone, street barbers, a photo-exhibition about the life of German-Mennonites from the surrounding villages, a workshop on „The interaction of power and community“, interesting locations from foreign participants were the manufacturing of street lights, a graffiti art-zone, a parkour space. Moreover, a field kitchen was organized by the border guards who treated everyone with delicious meals and tea.

The musical arrangement of the event were teachers and pupils of the Musical School (Novogrodivka), author and singer Bohdan Chernyshov (Avdeyivka), a team of guitarists „While the Trio“ (Selidov), the collective „Crane style“ (Ternivka, Dnipropetrovsk region), and the collective „Lunar Beats“ (Selidovoe). In our opinion, the musical program turned out to be very good.

time and arrived at the festival from different parts of Ukraine. These are youth from Berlin, very creative, active, funny people who are willing to share their knowledge, skills and talents. The fact that they were not afraid to come to the Donetsk region during such a difficult time speaks of their motivation to do their best. In addition to the youth from Berlin, activists and representatives of the public sector from Kharkiv, Severodonetsk, Dobropillya and even Ufa (Bashkortostan, Russia) were visiting us. The presence of young people from so many countries and cities created a truly unique atmosphere for the event. We are happy that #UG_urban was able to unite so many people.

Who has funded the project? The festival was held in our city, thanks to the project „Kyiv Dialogue“ with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany. In the summer, a mini-grant competition was held within the framework of this project.

We went with the idea of the festival and won! We were very fortunate, since almost 200 applications were submitted from all over Ukraine. By the way, 15% of the festival budget was our own contribution and with the support of the EVZ Foundation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany and the Robert Bosch Foundation.

To organize an event of this magnitude requires a team, because the most valuable resource are humans. We would have nothing to do without those who are burning with a desire to act, change, and help. Many thanks to all the participants, volunteers, activists, businessmen, residents who have joined, sympathized and supported. I mentally remember everyone. Many thanks to our guests who found

The success of the festival can be seen by the number of people who visited it. About 300 people attended the festival. Also an article about the festival was written in the newspaper „Our Dawn“. And the news company „IA“ Vchasno „- news of Donbass“ as well as the television channel „Orbita“ filmed interviews about #UG_urban.

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TRIP TO POTS DAM

During the week in Berlin, our Reclaim the Hometown team made a day trip to Potsdam. When we arrived, we were greeted by Anton, a local resident and member of both Stadtmitte für Alle and Kulturlobby.

Stadtmitte für Alle is a comprised of local Potsdam initiatives and associations, groups and individuals, advocating for public participation in the further development of the Potsdam Center. Since gaining UNESCO world heritage listing in 1990, Potsdam has faced a constant threat of becoming an open-air museum; a city that is more concerned with its standing as a tourist destination than as a home to the many residents that live there. Many of the city’s buildings that were built during the modernist era are under threat of demolition, as the city administration aims to make way for the (very costly) rebuilding of long gone churches and cultural monuments with no consideration for the residents hopes for the future of their city.

The Kulturlobby in Potsdam is committed to the interests of independent cultural and creative actors in Potsdam and the preservation and promotion of the free cultural scene in the city.

They have created an online network for creative initiatives in the city (kulturlobby.de), alongside initiating and implementing their own actions in the public sphere. As they highlight, It is not just a matter of pointing out problems, but, above all, about offering the city’s diverse creatives a platform to exchange among themselves to create fruitful acti-

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on. They address the persistent problem of a lack of space for cultural and creative activities in Potsdam.

In dialogue with politicians, administrators and private actors, the cultural lobbies seek to find not only transitional solutions but also durable long-term outcomes.

After our tour through the city with Anton, we stopped in at Madia for lunch. Madia is a non-profit, volunteer run vegan cafe in the heart of potsdam and, the food was absolutely delicious, the service wonderful, and the space delightful. We then moved on after our hearty and healthy meal to meet Achim from the grassroots cultural centre Freiland which is comprised of over 50 social, creative and political projects in the generous 12,000 m² space. They state that their coexistence is characterized by openness and diversity, equal rights and critical thinking; and that they strive for sustainability, self-realization, emancipation, freedom and solidarity. The centre include the Spartacus Club, the Café hausZwei, a youth club, an independent radio station, a band room, an open studio, a theater, a sports room, alongside various offices, studios, and seminar rooms.

Then... back to Berlin we went!

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N O N - FO RMAL E D U CATI O N M ETH O D S ZIP Z AP ZONG WALKING INTERVIE W BLIND GUIDING

Our two meet-ups were facilitated through various methods of non-formal education which allowed us to explore new ways of learning, sharing knowledge and guiding the many processes a group can go through.

THE POWER OF MANY ARM CORRID OR ENERGY BALL

You can again find more examples on www.mastazine.net.

THE BLIND PL ANK SAY WHAT I SAY AND D O WHAT I D O HELLO STR ANGER SO CIOMETRY NAME AND MOVEMENT SPIDERWEB E XPECTATION TREE RULES SUN AFFINIT Y GROUP S SILENT BR AIN STORM VI SIONING BR AIN STORMING: NO, BECAUSE . .

YES , BUT. . . YES , AND. . .

MUSICAL CHAIRS

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ZIP ZAP ZONG Goal: Energizer Time: 15 minutes Group size: 8-100 Material: just a space big enough for everyone to stand in a circle

STEP BY STEP DESCRIPTION Stand in a circle. One person starts by turning to their left neighbour, clapping once and saying ZIP! The next person needs to pass it on: turn to their left neighbour, clap once and say ZIP! Practice for one round and try to be fast.

Now add ZAP! If one participant receives the ZIP! they can now choose to either pass it on in the same direction (ZIP!) or to give it back to the person on their right (and say ZAP!) and hence change the direction. The person who received it now has the same choice. If they pass it on in the same direction (now to the right!) they say ZIP! Try for another minute, be fast and don’t get confused!

Now add ZONG! The last piece is that when one receives the clap, they can not only pass it on to one of their neighbours but also to any person in the circle by looking at them, clapping in their direction and saying ZONG! The receiver then passes on to either of their neighbours (ZIP!) or to another person across the circle (ZONG!).

Now play around, be super fast and whoever makes a mistake will be excluded from the circle until only few are left.

WA LK I N G I NTE RV I E W Goal: team building and getting to know each other Time: 30 minutes Target group: any group that has just come together (again)

STEP BY STEP DESCRIPTION The people stick an A4 sheet of paper to everyone’s back. The facilitator then gives the participants the following tasks, one after another.

Always allow a few minutes for each task.

Material: as many sheets of A4 paper as there are participants, same amount of colourful felt pens, masking tape

• Find a person and write their name on the paper on their back.

• Find another person and draw the shape of their face on their paper.

• Find another person and ask them how they perceive themselves (short, powerful, elegant, like a Koala?). Draw it on their back.

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Group size: 7-99

• Find another person and ask them what their favorite thing is. The one thing they would take with them on a deserted island. Draw it on their back.

• Find another person and ask them what their dream is. Draw it on their back.

After the little artworks are finished, count to three and let everyone take their paper off their backs and look at it. Stick them all to a wall and enjoy the exhibition.

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BLIND GUIDING Goal: trust building in a group; reuniting a group Time: 15 minutes Target group: anyone wanting to work together in a group Group size: any even number of people Material: none

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STEP BY STEP DESCRIPTION: Version 1 - Standing in a circle, the participants make eye contact with a person whom they haven’t interacted much with yet. When everyone has found a partner, the pairs get together. One closes their eyes and the second one guides them around.

Switch roles after approx. 5 minutes. In this version, people can talk and maybe make wishes about where they would like to be taken to.

Version 2 - Half of the participants stand in a line and close their eyes. From the other half, everyone

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chooses one ‘blind’ person and silently starts guiding them around. After a 5-10 minutes, blind participants are brought back to a certain place and the other half gathers again.

Everyone opens their eyes. Now, people can guess who guided them and why they think it was that person.

Tip: It’s nice to do this outside, somewhere in a park, forest, etc.

A Quote: ‘I would like you to guide me to some trash and help me bring it to a bin.’

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THE POWER OF MANY Goal: visualizing the power of a group; trust building

STEP BY STEP DESCRIPTION Version 1 - One person lies down on their back with their arms crossed over their chest. Counting to three, the rest of the group lifts the person up above everyone’s heads. Slowly and carefully put the person down again. Of course, only people who want to will go into the middle and let the others lift them up.

Time: 10-15 minutes Target group: anyone working together in a team Group size: 8-18 Material: none

Version 2 (for kids) - one child lies down on its back on a table with its arms crossed over its chest. The other children stand around the table and try lifting the person with only their two index fingers, one child at a time. Then, counting to three, all kids simultaneously lift the one in the middle with only their index fingers. In version 2, the child in the middle will only be lifted up 10-20cm off the table and then be carefully put back down.

ARM CORRIDOR Goal: trust building in a group; energizer Time: 15 minutes Target group: anyone working together in a group Group size: 10-40 people Material: none

STEP BY STEP DESCRIPTION The participants stand in two rows, facing each other. The distance is two arm lengths. Participants stretch their arms forward, just so touching the fingertips of the person in front of them. One participant stands a few meters away from one end of the ‘corridor of arms’ that has hence been created. The person should run along the corridor between the two rows of people. The others therefore need to quickly lift their arms just before the person reaches them, thereby opening a corridor for the runner. This demands a great deal of trust from the runner towards the group. The runner then joins one of the lines at the other end.

Tip: Leave some space between the ‘pairs’ of people facing each other, so that also a small group of people can create a nice corridor.

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E N E RGY BALL Goal: The goal of this short game is to get a group together, let them show and release some of their emotions and start a session or meeting.

Time: 5-10 minutes Target Group: Every group, especially with affinity for acting and play.

Group size: 3-20

DESCRIPTION The trainer/facilitator opens the game by saying that the group will pass an energy ball around. More introduction can be given like “you can grow or shrink the ball” “let your imagination run wild” etc. or the game can just proceed. The facilitator then forms a ball in her empty hands (or picks it from a backpack) and pretends to put it in the hands of her neighbor. That person then modifies it in some way or plays with it a bit and then passes it on.

Tip: Play multiple rounds as the game might take some time to gain momentum. If the ball only gets passed along suggest making it bigger or smaller, lighter and heavier.

Material: Imagination

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THE BLIND PLANK Goal: trust building, energizer Time: 10-15 minutes Target group: any group of people (aged 15+) Group size: 8-20

STEP BY STEP DESCRIPTION Participants stand in a circle, with one person in the middle. The one in the middle crosses their arms across their chest, stands firm like a plank and closes their eyes. The group now starts shifting the ‘blind plank’ around, handing them to each other along the circle. You can also push them over to across the circle but remember to be gentle and careful.

Material: none

S AY W H AT I S AY A N D D O W H AT I D O Goal: This game is an energizer for the beginning of a session or meeting.

The goal is to have fun, bring people together and move around a bit and ready to start to work in a good mood.

Time: 5-10 minutes Target group: Groups that already worked together a bit. Maybe not as a first team builder.

Group size: 5-15 Material: A big enough space to stand in a circle and jump forwards and backwards.

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DESCRIPTION The group stands in a circle and holds hands.

The facilitator then describes the rules. There are four basic moves: Jump in, jump back, jump left, jump right. Every round starts with the facilitator saying some version of “say what I say and do what I do”. She can vary this sentence to add some challenge. “Say what I say, do the opposite what I do” “Say the opposite what I say, do what I do” “Say the opposite what I say, do the opposite what I do”. Then she performs AND announces one of the four moves.

Or she says “Say what I say, do the opposite what I do” and jumps left and announces “jump right”.

Everyone has to jump right and say “jump right”.

The game can either be played for fun or with elimination of the ones that don’t do it right.

Tip: Play a couple of warm up rounds. It takes some time to get used to it. Don’t play elimination right away but only introduce it once everyone understood the game.

EXAMPLE “Say what I say, do what I do” She says “jump back” but jumps in so everyone has to jump in and say “jump back”.

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HELLO STRANGER Goal: Ice breaker Time: 5 min Target group: any group of people that is just starting to work together Group size: 10 - 10.000 Materials: Speakers and uplifting music to play (depending on group size also a microphone)

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STEP BY STEP DESCRIPTION People are spread throughout the room or outdoor space and move around to the music. Each time the music stops the facilitator gives one of the following instructions: Turn to someone and greet them... … as if you just met a stranger on the street … as if you just met your work colleague … as if you just met someone you went to school or university with … as if you just met an old friend … as if you just met another participant of this workshop/ event/ seminar/ … … etc.

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Participants keep exchanging greetings to people around them until the music starts again.

Tip: Be aware of big cultural differences and the respective levels of physical contact that are deemed appropriate to different people. Make sure that personal borders are not crossed. Maybe announce before.

A Quote: ‘Whaaa heeeeeeyyy!!

I’m so happy to see you!’

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NAM E AN D MOVE M E NT Goal: learn each other’s names Time: depending on group size (20 people ~ 20 minutes) Target group: any group of strangers who just got together and want to get to know each other Group size: any

STEP BY STEP DESCRIPTION Stand in a circle. One person says their name and simultaneously does a short move. Then the whole circle repeats the name and movement. Do one round like this. Then do it again more quickly. Then ask a volunteer to repeat everybody’s name and movement from their memory.

Tip: The combination of sound and movement helps people to remember. Repeat it the next day to remind.

Material: none

E X P E C TAT I O N T R E E Goal: This method allows participants to independently formulate their expectations for a given project or seminar, as well as to learn about the expectations of the other participants. It also serves for evaluation in the end.

Time: 15-30 min Target group: Program or training participants.

Group size: 10-unlimited amount of people Material: Flip Chart or other large sheet of paper, markers, Post-its

SPIDERWEB Goal: Get to know each other’s names, team building Time: Depending on group size (20 people ~ 30 minutes) Target group: Any group of people who just came together and want to work as a group Group size: ~8 - 50 Material: Colourful yarn

STEP BY STEP DESCRIPTION Stand in a circle. One person holds a ball of yarn and says their name (+ any other info you want to add to the game, e.g. Why am I here?). They keep the end of the yarn and throw the ball to another person, so that a line is created between them. The next person says: “Thank you (name).

My name is… and I am here because…”. They again, hold on to the yarn and throw the ball of yarn to the next person. Slowly, a ‘spiderweb’ is created throughout the circle that connects the whole group. When everybody has spoken and thus holds on to the yarn, the facilitator can give a short speech i.e. ‘This net will hold us together throughout the training course etc.’

STEP BY STEP DESCRIPTION • Draw a big tree on a flip chart • Give post its to the participants • Everyone writes their expectations on the post its.

• Stick them on the roots of the tree.

• In the end of the project put satisfied expectations on the crown of the tree.

Tip: Optionally pass the yarn back and repeat each other’s names D

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RULES SUN Goal: Find the common expectations of a group that is going to stay and work together for a few days or longer Time: 30-45 minutes Target group: s.a.

Group size: any Material: A large poster, colourful paper or Post-Its, adhesive tape, markers

STEP BY STEP DESCRIPTION Draws a big circle in the center of the poster. They then ask the participants to think of rules that they would like to establish for the time spent together. What is important for them so that they can all enjoy the work in a group? (example topics: language and dialogue culture, cleanliness, punctuality, etc) Collect the ideas and see if the group is supporting them (e.g. one person suggests a rule and others who like it walk up to him/her, or wave their arms). Write down the rules one rule per piece of paper and stick them on the poster around the circle.

Draw ‘sunrays’ from the circle to the rules and explain that this is the rules sun and that we should all always stick to these common rules in order for the sun to shine and everyone to be happy.

When evaluating the project in the end, take out the poster again and let the group talk about whether or not this has worked well and the sun had been shining throughout the time spent together.

AFFINITY GROUPS Goal: To create a safe space to reflect and share thoughts and emotions Time: 1h per day Target group: any group that goes through a process together over more than a day

STEP BY STEP DESCRIPTION Everyday the affinity groups meet after the program is finished and take time to check in with each other. Everybody gets time to just speak about how they feel, what is on their mind, what they liked during the day and what they didn’t.

Others listen. This can be a space to share personal emotions about what is going on in our life as well as to further discuss topics of the program.

Group size: ideally 4-8 people per affinity group Material: none

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SILENT BRAINSTORM Goal: To get to know the topic better.

To get to know how diverse the opinions in a group are. To find crucial points for the group on a topic Time: 1.5 hours Target group: Any group interested in a discussion of predefined topic openly.

STEP BY STEP DESCRIPTION • Define the topic of discussion • Gather a group and divide into clusters of five people • Distribute the paper and note time • In silence, people write their ideas connected to the predefined topic and comment on other people‘s notes in written form. People can agree or disagree on each other‘s comments.

Tip: Respect each other’s comments, don‘t take them personally. This is a method to speak with everybody about anything in a safe environment.

A Quote: “A splendid method to reduce the amount of verbal communication. Trip advisor recommended”

Group size: 5-20 people Material: Pen and paper

VISIONING Time: 45-60 min Goal: build a bridge between personal memories and activism, extract methods on how to engage people with creative activism Target group: socially engaged people, suitable for mixed groups, age - any Group size: 10-20 people Material: tape, or chalk (to make a line on the street), tiny papers (3x amount of participants), poster, marker *optional-beamer, internet, laptop

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STEP BY STEP DESCRIPTION Draw or tape a line on the ground that is a few meters long. The facilitator asks the participants to take a few minutes to think about certain events in their lives (e.g. When was the first time that you encountered activism in your life? When did you engage in your first activism?

What was is that inspired you?) Participants write down key words for each answer on one small paper. The line will be presented as a time line that is not further defined. It can have a different scale for everyone (e.g. start at your own birth or even before, reach until today or even further). Participants then place their papers on the timeline and step back again. Individual participants and share and explain what they have put where and why.

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BR AINSTORMING : NO, BECAUSE . . .

Y E S , B U T. . . Y E S , A N D . . .

Goal: 360-degree brainstorming exploration of a given subject, including possible challenges, best possible outcomes, and further idea development.

Time: 15-30min Target group: Any group that works on the idea development.

Group size: 3-20 people Material: Paper, pen

STEP BY STEP DESCRIPTION • Define topic(s).

• Divide into groups of 3-5 people.

• There are three rounds: (1)“No, because”, (2)“Yes, but”, (3)“Yes, and”.

• Duration of each round is 5-10 minutes or as needed and it should be defined in advance.

• “No, because”: each person produces the idea for a given topic, and neighbor to the right blocks the idea and gives a reason why idea will not work.

• “Yes, but”: each neighbour to the right in the second round should not block the given idea, however it shout remain under doubt and should explain his doubts.

MUSICAL CHAIRS

Goal: Can be used for many different ones.

In this case: reflection.

Time: 30min Target group: any Group size: an even number, probably at least 12 Material: as many chairs as people

• “Yes, and”: each neighbour to the right in the third round support the idea and reinforces it with new ideas. In this round, ideas are noted down.

• The outcome is the whole network of various ideas on the topic.

Tip: Start small and then let the idea grow.

Don’t start extended polemic on the ideas.

A Quote: “Agreement, disagreements, and doubts are all contributing to the same cause”.

STEP BY STEP DESCRIPTION Put down always two chairs to face each other. Spread the pairs of chairs around the room with space between them to move around.

Play funky music. While the music is playing participants freely move or dance around the room. When the music stops, everybody sits down on the chair closest to them. This way, they will always find themselves facing a new partner. The facilitator asks a question, e.g.

What did we do in day one and how did you like it? Participants get 1-2 minutes to talk about it. Then the music starts again and people move. Continue the same pattern for 5-1 questions.

Tip: Can be used also as a first getting to know each other. Just adapt the questions, e.g. What projects are you currently working on?

What are your expectations for this course? Etc.

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P A R T N E R O R G A N I S AT I O N S

KULTURLABOR TRIAL&ERROR E.V. , BERLIN, GERMANY www.trial-error.org Emerging from a non-formal youth initiative, the organisation was officially founded in May 2010.

The nature of Trial&Error e. V. is to work in inclusive and horizontal structure, facilitating sharing and exchanging the skills, knowledge and goods, encouraging the creativity through hands on practice and non-formal education. The team of Kulturlabor Trial&Error brings together social workers and activists, artists and designers, project managers, builders and other open people, bringing together locals and people with migration background, people with very diverse educational, social and economical backgrounds and lifestyle choices. We impact and reach young people with information about global issues, by using creative means, participative activities and new media. We aim to share knowledge between different networks and individuals, and provide information that encourages an active approach to life. Check out: www.trial-error.org YOUTH PLATFORM MOVE, NOVOGRODOVKA, DONETSK REGION, UKRAINE www.facebook.com/move.novogrodivka/ The non-governmental organization “Platform of Initiatives “MOVE” was founded in December 2015.

The management of the organization is located in the city of Novogrodivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine.

10-12 people are actively and continuously enga-

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ging in the organization. The number of volunteers who are ready to help is up to 20 people.

The goal of the organization is to create conditions for the development and implementation of public initiatives and to involve residents in active public life. Our activities can be divided into cultural, educational, sports events, as well as urban planning, youth support, assistance and control over the activities of the local government. During 2015-2017 the organization implemented several projects with the support of donors and independently: 1) the opening of the youth platform MOVE, 2) the creation and improvement of the public garden in the centre of the city, 3) a grant for an educational trip to Western Ukraine, 4) creating a workout site, 5) holding the Festival of Youth Initiatives, 6) holding Day of Street Music.

YOUTH CENTER DOBRO, DOBROPILLYA, DONETSK REGION, UKRAINE http://dobro4u.org/ Organization mission: we are creating improved conditions for life, work and creative activity for the youth of Dobropolye.

Our community organization was created for the support of young people in their creative initiatives, but over time in our work we have come to understand that there is an opportunity to develop our

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community as a whole through the advancement of culture. For this reason we began working together on a project for economic and social development of Greater Dobropolye. An initial strategy has already been developed, which we created with city residents in a “World Café” format, which was the best way to build a dialogue.

We also conduct video conferences with our partners in other countries: Bulgaria, Georgia, Lithuania, Poland, USA, Sweden and others. Thanks to our participation in the 2013 Global Power Shift international conference in Istanbul, we have partners in a majority of the countries in the world. In our past four years of work we have organized: 7 music concerts, 5 artistic expositions, 4 city cleanup days, 21 film screenings, more than 20 other events and more than 30 trainings for members of the community.

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The time we spent together in Germany and Ukraine was intense. We had ups and downs and each one of us was challenged in many different ways. We played, danced, painted, sculpted, improvised, created, discussed, travelled and learned a lot together and are looking forward to continuing with more projects in the future! We hope that this documentation will serve as an inspiration for others, as well as a memory for all the people who were involved in the Reclaim The City project. Thank you all so much!

OUTRO

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