Cultural wintering

Funding: MitOst e.V.

Partners: MitOst e.V. and SAP Ukraine

Duration: October 2022 – February 2023

Budget: EUR 45,000.00

Coordinator: Olga Logvynovska/Yulia Sinkevich

Contact: office@insha-osvita.org

People who, despite the war, remain in Ukraine and adapt to new living conditions, need marathon endurance and regular rest — including thanks to cultural events. This is already done by those public and private spaces that serve local communities as both a shelter and/or a bomb shelter, and a platform for artistic and educational events. It is to support such initiatives that MitOst, together with Insha Osvita and SAP Ukraine, launched the «Cultural wintering» program.

«Cultural wintering» aims to support spaces that are shelters and cultural platforms. We are talking about shelters or bomb shelters, where cultural events are held, as well as galleries, theaters and other cultural institutions converted into shelters. These locations can receive a grant for their projects. Financial assistance covers infrastructural support of locations and holding cultural/educational events.

Main priority of the project:

1. Infrastructural support of cultural institutions and spaces that also serve as shelters, shelters or storage facilities during the war.
2. Strengthening the cultural potential of the space and community as a whole
3. Creation of a network of public initiatives that help people affected by the war.

A total of 39 applicants from 12 regions applied for the grant competition. The jury selected 8 cultural spaces to receive infrastructure and event micro grants:

• Grey Cat Kyiv (Kyiv)
• Local Cultural Space (Zhytomyr)
• ProEnglish Theater of Ukraine (Kyiv) 
• ART AREA DC (Kharkiv)
• GARMIDER (Lutsk)
• Nakypilo.education (Kharkiv)
• Yermilov Center (Kharkiv)
• Dnipro Center for Contemporary Culture (Dnipro)

Spaces that have already implemented cultural initiatives:

•  ART AREA DC creates a safe environment for artists to continue their artistic practice. With the support of the Cultural Wintering, this space received a generator and organized several events: a medley of operas and musicals, and the concert programs «Touch of an Angel» and «Ukrainian Modern».
• In January and February, the Lutsk theater HARMIDER «CULTURAL WINTER IN THE INDOORS» organized a series of free trainings and theatrical performances. 
•  The Nakypilo.education press center reorganized a large space for art events and coworking in a semi-basement in the center of Kharkiv. It now hosts offline and online events.
• The Dnipro Center for Contemporary Culture in Dnipro purchased a generator and a power strip. The center plans to open a joint space with a library and a coworking space.
• Grey Cat Kyiv creative space is now working with constant light, heat, and internet. The studio is used for music writing, tailoring, and decorating, and on weekends it hosts acoustic concerts and rock parties. 
• The local Multicultural Space in Zhytomyr held an annual folklore festival of carols called «Angels Sing». In January, Zhytomyr residents and guests watched Christmas movies and got acquainted with the works of folk artists.

The implementation of the project is still ongoing, follow the news on the website or on our Facebook page.