Insha Osvita report 2023

2023 became the year of getting used to the marathon mode. “This rain is for a long time”, this war too. We need to find anchors that we can hold on to in any storm, and niches where we can be of service to others in that storm.

Supporting the cultural community and infrastructure has become both a pillar and a niche for us. First, for those who stayed and work in Ukraine. And this is also our contribution to the fact that the artistic life in Ukraine not only continues, but also becomes noticeable, iconic and different. And also – not peripheral and such that can overcome inferiority (own and imposed).

We need to support spaces for artistic reflection to make this happen — such as residencies and fellowships to create new artwork. This is how cooperation with Artist at risk regarding residencies and our USAID-supported project to help artistic communities from the south of Ukraine arose.

In addition to the cultural process within Ukraine, we strive to support colleagues and communities outside of Ukraine — to support their cultural integration projects for Ukrainian communities and to work together to ensure that professional and personal ties are preserved, transformed, and remain productive.

We need to support (cultural) projects for the integration of those who, from 2022, have the experience of migration inside and outside of Ukraine, as well as to have supporting models for those Ukrainian cultural figures who decide to return home. This is how the “Culture Helps / Культура допомагає” and Vidnova Fellowship Ukraine programs were born in 2022 and continue to work in 2023.

We enter 2024 with the feeling that we did not have time or could not do much. Still could not launch the Vidnova Veterans program for those returning to the arts and education professions from the front. It has still not been possible to launch an exchange project for artists and cultural figures who remained in Ukraine and live abroad. We will do our best to make it happen in 2024, but we cannot do it without your help and support.

Hold yourself and hold others!

The Board of Insha Osvita: Olga Diatel, Alona Karavai, Vasyl Kulevchuk.

And operational manager of Insha Osvita: Yuliia Alenina.