"Florentyna Macioszczyk was participating in Study Visit "Art in Public Space" in Sofia, Bulgaria thanks to our colaboration with partner "Open Space" Foundation.Here is her note from the project and for sure we will heart about Flora more, because came back inspired and ready to change the world!!! Bravo Flora!
My jounrey with EVS started on October 17th when I went to Sofia in Bułgaria to take part in Project Open Spaces.
Project was organised by Pepa Penowa who is amazingly charismatic person and big heart leader. Shis always willing to helps all volunteers to take&give great experiances to one another. Project created by Pepa is amixbetween education and art.
First part of the project was to paint bunches in „St. Nicholas” park and on „Slavejkov” square located in front of Metropolitan Library in Centrum of Sofia. Bunches ware painted in a patern of children' books covers. Kids stories in thise books adress good values.
Second parts of Pepa's Project about painting walls In Children hospital and the hospital „ Pirogov”.
My visit in Sofia lasted 6 days - it was perfect occasion to met other volunteers from 4 another countries. Linda from Lithuania, Diana from Italy, Loslow from Hungary and Dadka from Slovakia. Everyone of us talked about where we come from, what organisation we work with. During my visit in Sofia we all (volunteers) met painters and and people who made this projekt come true. We talked to those people to learned how does the cooperation with fundation and hospital looks on daily basis. They lectured us about creative projects thay runand about children reaction on multicolor walls.During those 6 day we came up with new ideas how to promote more actions. We also gave feedback about how we unterstood the whole sense of project. At The last Day we made brain storm and each fundation presented her individual ideas about future cooperation. In my opinion this Project was very usefull, beautiful and educational. Pepa cares about children, their education and their proper development. Project Open Spaces encurages those children to read books by themselfs. I also realised another part of project which was setting bike racks (in shapes of letters) in public space. We renovated seats on the bus station to make them more public-friendly. We wanted to show to people that their are important to us as well as their feelings. To mepersonally, painting walls in hospital was very touching. Seeing them happy gives me the impression that they could forget for a moment about suffer and pain they go through. Every story told eighter by painters, volonturies Or Ms.Pepa was be very enriching.
I had pleasure to meet people from another countries and listened about how their life and culture are like. I was proudly reprezenting Poland. It was chance for me to break the ice on speaking english and I am very greatful for that opportunity. I learned a lot of about myself. I sightseen Sofia City and felt like parts Europe. Now when I'm back in Poland I really feel like I want to start up a simillar project here. I wish to continue working with same people I met and further in time go abroad again with EVS.I learned that language barrier existed only my head. It is no longer a barrier if one have open heart, is smily and wants to create. I appreciate a lot that I Could go to Sofia with EVS Projects.I realized that I Could do simmilar things here in my city and work on an international level while being in Poland."