During our stay in Gozdowo, right after the workshops started and we were slowly getting to know all the youngster better, it turned out that a group of girls has been really looking forward to dance classes. We had organised such classes the year before during our project Guide my Future that had also been based in Gozdowo. When the girls found out that Jacek and I knew a few basic steps and figures, they almost forced us to run a short salsa 101.

The class took place for 5 days, everyday right after capoeira workshops. At first we had a room at the firestation at our disposal, then we moved to a presbytery. It was quite a challenge: we had to start teaching something that we weren’t so good at to start with. Soon was the question asked: what is the purpose of this class, what would be their input to the project, what would they change for the girls and for ourselves? They turned out to be the space for individual expression, a space in which we could relieve the tension gathered from other activities. They also became a great meeting space where we could talk in a totally different way, on the margins of the project, asking for impressions and encouraging to try other activities.

Despite a very loose structure of the class we managed to present a short choreography at the final event, giving us the satisfaction of having an actual result. For Jacek and myself the experience became an inspiration for thinking of dance as a medium of cultural animation enabling people to meet and act together in a more informal way.  

[mygal=salsa] 

The group of the most proactive and responsible young people (by age 8-15) (with our small support, of course ☺) elaborated and prepared Field Game – In and About Gozdowo. We chose the most important and interesting places which were located around the village and prepared riddles, tasks and tips (mostly connected witch Gozdowo) – the complex and consistent plan of the whole game. We also made special maps and instructions for each player. The day before we started witch advert – posters and flyers were distributed by organizers. The game started at Friday sunny afternoon and finished after around an hour – because of really amazing involvement of all players who were running all the time! We had great fun – points were scored, tasks were made, no-one was missing, players and organizers were really proud and satisfied. Effects of the game (which were made by players as ‘tasks’ – pictures, logos, stories etc.) were presented as a mockup of Gozdowo on Sunday event.   

In Gozdowo we were trying to raise children’s interest in traditional – or even archaic – photographical methods.

On the first class we did so called "photograms": in the darkroom we had placed various objects on a photosensitive paper and then turned on the light for a moment. After developing the photos we got a photographic "imprint", a shadow, a trace of the objects on paper. At first every kid did his own little photogram in 9×13 format, moving to work in groups to work on bigger things.

The next day we showed them camera obscura – cameras made of cans which we had prepared beforehand. First we took a photo of our whole group standing on the stairs. The suspiction arose that we had hidden a digital camera inside the can, but when we opened the "camera" in the darkroom, the kids saw that there was only a piece of photosensitive paper inside. Then we gave out a few cameras to the children who could start exposing the films all by themselves.

All the photos were shown at the final presentation of the workshop but the two of us were no longer there. A pity.

The workshop has been led by Janek Mencwel and Tomek Kaczor with a great, unconditioned and thoroughly devoted help of Agnieszka Pajączkowska.

 For two days, group of the bravest animators collected rubbish of Gozdowo – mostly bottles (glazed and plastic), cans, plastic mugs and much more ☺. It was really interesting experience – what can be found in Gozdowo. Next step was preparing each piece of rubbish – washing and drying. Bottles and cans prepared this way were used as a material for making ‘something from nothing’ – I brought all this staff on the stage and met witch ‘young artists’ ☺. Children used glass-paints, sprays, foils, strings, tacks and made beautiful things – ‘vases’ (coloured bottles), pencil-mugs and… dumb-phone. We had great fun and colorful fingers ☺. Most of coloured bottles were presented on the Magic Island on Sunday.     

Kites

For our workshop we needed foil, miles of string and willow. When we were making first kite we were afraid that it wouldn’t fly. After all, it was our debut. But it flew high and Piotrek said that it’s better than scooter.  So during next few days we made lot of kites. Some of them flew great, some had little problems with it, but kids never gave up. Eventually they became better experts than we ever were.  The best fun was to fly our kites on the playing ground.

Apple full of dreams

Very short action entitled after an old-fashioned polish song. Instructions for use: write down your last dream, put it into a box, treat yourself with an apple. I didn’t expect that apple could be such a lure. Well, it has a long tradition… I gathered a little collection of dreams: beautiful and scary, strange and funny. They are waiting in boxes for continuation.

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