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LOVE - Laboratory Of Visual Education

2025-1-PL01-KA152-YOU-0003040222025Mobility of young peopleongoing
Countries: PL|DE|UA · Grant: €62,485
Bridging intercultural, intergenerational and social divideCreativity, arts and cultureCultural heritage

Objectives

LOVE - Laboratory Of Visual Education is an initiative designed by young people from Germany, Poland and Ukraine - countries that share an extremely difficult history, but also numerous examples of positive coexistence, cooperation and reconciliation activities. Activities planned as part of the project will take place mainly in Warmia and Mazury - a unique area where developed social mechanisms for the peaceful coexistence of various cultural and ethnic minorities can be an important material for promoting intercultural dialogue in Europe. The main goal of the project will be to draw the attention of European audiences to the uniqueness of the multicultural history of Central and Eastern Europe and its rich historical, social and natural heritage. The young people set themselves the goal of proving that even the most difficult and painful historical relations can be transformed into dialogue and community building. This is possible thanks to a conscious approach to history, creating a civil society and respecting the cultural identity of individual social and national groups. Warmia and Mazury is a unique region which, despite the fact that it became a place where the extremely painful fates of the German, Polish and Ukrainian communities intersected, is now an area where all these national groups live in harmony, with mutual respect for tradition, religion and culture. The name of the project - LOVE - in the intention of the youth from Poland, Germany and Ukraine, who initiated the project, is to be a clear artistic counterweight and a voice of social opposition to the stereotypes still weighing on Central and Eastern Europe, antagonizing the neighboring nations. The intention of the young people is to create an initiative that will in a clear, direct and definitive way cut through all previous prejudices and - while maintaining respect for historical memory and tragic events from the past - will allow the young generation to start a new dialogue leading to rebuilding sincere social relations and creating a common future based on positive, European values. The main element of the project will be the implementation of innovative photography and film workshops in a unique environment that will allow for the creative use of the potential of undiscovered and unknown spaces of Warmia and Mazury among young people from countries whose fates are intertwined around the complicated history of this region (Germany, Poland, Ukraine) . One of the goals of the project will be to document and spread knowledge about the unique character of Warmia and Mazury as a place that is an excellent example of peaceful coexistence of cultural minorities and to remind the inhabitants of Europe about the disappearing tangible and intangible heritage of this area. Warmia and Mazury are a unique space with an autonomous cultural specificity and local identity. In this region, the identity threads are important because before World War II it was very diverse in terms of culture, and after the war - as a result of political decisions and changes in Poland's borders - significant demographic changes took place here. More than 70,000 people left their homes to emigrate to Germany. At the same time, settlers from central Poland, displaced people from the former Eastern Borderlands, forced Ukrainian settlers and smaller ethnic groups, such as Lithuanians, Belarusians and Lemkos, were arriving here. As a result of demographic changes, there was a rapid contact of the native population and post-migration communities from geographically and culturally distant areas. Nevertheless, with time, a coherent social structure was created in this area, devoid of antagonisms and national conflicts. As part of the project, young people will explore the unique history of this region and the social processes accompanying the turbulent historical events. Implementation of activities based on attractive audiovisual tools will arouse young people's interest in the multicultural history of Warmia and Mazury, will help save the valuable tradition of these areas from oblivion and integrate participants around the search for manifestations of national cultures in the universal heritage of the region. The project will contribute to presenting the specificity of Central and Eastern Europe to the people of Western Europe, will help to understand the complexity of local history and will indicate positive sources of inspiration. An important goal of the project will be to document the decaying heritage of Warmia and Mazury, which requires care and information and promotion activities. As a result of the project, photographic series and short film etudes will be created, the aim of which will be the artistic interpretation of selected threads from the history of Warmia and Mazury and the fate of the local community functioning at the junction

Project partners (3)