Spring Art Labs in Kremenchuk: Creativity Meets Civic Education

June 15, 2026

What happens when you hand young people a camera, a piece of paper, or a stage — and ask them to talk about democracy, human rights, or what it means to belong? In Kremenchuk, the answer unfolded across ten creative-educational labs held between March and May 2026, as part of a local follow-up activity under Erasmus+ Youth.

The Spring Art Labs were born from a simple but powerful idea: that non-formal education works best when it engages not just the mind, but the hands and imagination too. Each session tackled a different social theme — identity, diversity, freedom of expression, active citizenship, social change, cohesion — and paired it with a creative practice. Participants made collages, performed theatre, built stop-motion animations, went on photo walks through the city, and explored artivism as a way to speak up about things that matter.

The format was deliberately chosen to be something between a workshop and a research space — not a lecture, not a repetition of skills, but genuine exploration. Young people learned to think critically, work in teams, voice their opinions, and find creative ways to engage with the world around them, including the urban environment they live in every day.

For many participants, the labs became something more than an educational programme. They described gaining confidence, improving communication skills, making new friends, and feeling more ready to take part in community life. In a city where wartime conditions have limited opportunities for in-person connection, this kind of space — open, non-judgmental, creative — carried real weight.

By the final session, a tangible sense of community had formed. For the young people of Kremenchuk, Spring Art Labs turned out to be exactly what the name suggests: a place to grow, create, and find each other.

 

 

Latest news

Promotion and dissemination of results

This block of activities is aimed at raising awareness of the role of art and artivism in the development of civic education, demonstrating successful examples of artivism, and inspiring the use of project products.

Networking meeting

The meeting will be aimed at formalizing the international CivicArt Alliance network. The event brings together representatives of the Consortium and their partners, including representatives of formal education institutions, artists, and youth NGOs that participated in the project activities. The total number of participants is 20 persons.

Local activities in Ukraine and Georgia

Local activities are scheduled for the first half of 2026. Participants of the study visit and training course will have the opportunity to practice the newly developed competencies in their communities.

Social media campaign

Estimated timeframe – April-June 2026. The campaign is part of the follow-up training activities. Participants will be invited to create digital artistic content that contains an educational component.

🔇