Hot July in K.A.NE Photo reportage

Kalamata, August 2012

2

Content EVS volunteers……………………………………………………..…………3

EVS intercultural night…………………………………………………….4

The exchange bazaar……………………………………………………….5

Video art festival……………………………………………………………..6

Street festival’s promotion………………………………………………7

Yalova beach ………………………………………………………………….8

Second street festival’s promotion…………………………………...9

Youth exchange group…………………………………………….….….10

Youth exchange intercultural night………………………….….….11

Visiting Ancient Messinia……………………………………………....12

Street festival……….…………………………………………………….....13

Reviews………………………………………………………………………..17

3

EVS VOLUNTEERS

July is not only the hottest month of summer, but it was the most busy and active time for K. A. NE. On the 1st of July 16 EVS volunteers from different countries, Estonia, Italy, France and Georgia, arrived in Kalamata. The first week was dedicated to knowing each other and Kalamata better. To facilitate this, their coordinators prepared special

activities, such as name games and ice-breaking exercises.

They also prepared team building exercises, which required working in mixed groups with participants from different countries.They prepared short theatrical performances, discussed and found solutions for several problems, etc. An important aspect of these activities was that they had to learn to collaborate despite cultural and other differences.

One of the most interesting activities was an informational activity about the European“Youth in action” programme and an activity about youthpass, the “Youthpass island” task. This activity took them through the 8 key competences:communication in the mother tongue, communication in foreign languages, mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology, digital competence,learning to learn, social and civic competence, sense of initiative and entrepreneurship and cultural awareness and expression.

4

EVS INTERCULTURAL NIGHT The week was finished by the intercultural night, which was dedicated to the representation of different countries and cultures. During this night, volunteers and friends of the organization could show and share a part of their culture.France, Italy, Estonia, Morocco, Georgia, Lithuania, Poland, Spain and Greece were all represented during this

night. Participants chose these ways to show the life in their countries:

Dancing traditional dances was one of the ways. Italians danced according to melodious Italian songs. Everyone who wanted to try could dance or just look and enjoy. Also Georgians showed their very nice and difficult traditional dance, whichis danced only by men.. This dance was hard to repeat, but everybody had a lot of fun trying to do it.

Other participants decided to represent their countries by showing videos. There was possibility to see video about the amazing Estonian nature, old cities and castles. The presentation about Morocco very surprising, asit showed a traditionalMoroccan wedding ceremony and very modern cities, people and culture. One more country which showed video was Lithuania, who is proud of its basketball players, because this game is called the second Lithuania’s religion.

Themost delicious part of the night was the degustation of traditional dishes and drinks. The table was full of traditional Estonian chocolate and sweets, the Greeks prepared a delicious traditional Greek salad, you could taste polish pancakes made from potatoes and different pancakes from Austria. Georgians brought traditional sweets and cheese, also white wine and champagne which was just as good as French traditional drinks.

The exchange bazaar

5

The second week started with the exchange bazaar, which is organised once per month for all the people of Kalamata, and not only. They can bring clothes, shoes, food or other things, which they do not use any more and exchange them with more necessary or more interesting staff. The volunteers really enjoyed this event, because it was good opportunity for them to get to know better the local people and lifestyle.

The volunteers helped to set the place for the bazaar, communicated with the locals and gave them all necessary information related to exchange bazaar: exchange rules, tickets, and working hours. Also, they brought things, which they did not need anymore and postcards from their countries, so they could exchange these things with Greek books or unusual jewelry. The main point was to get closer to the local community and to get know better the Greek culture. They also had the opportunity to explain to people about the programme that brought them there, the Youth in Action Programme and, more specifically, EVS!

6

Miden Festival

One more event in which EVS volunteers participated and helped was the VIDEO ART FESTIVA, called Miden Festival. Traditionally this event attracts a lot of attention from citizens and visitors of the city. From the 5th to the 7thof July, in the historical centre of Kalamata, people had the opportunity to watch short video-art videos from all over the world. There is no language; no

cultural differences; just video art, which everyone understands in their own way.

Before the official beginning of the Miden Festival, volunteers and visitors had the opportunity to have a presentation in the Archeological museum of Kalamata. Here, the organisers of the video art festival explained the main idea of this event and what is video art. After, everybody could watch videos and enjoy the video art.

In the evening, the volunteers helped to prepare two different places for the festival, setting the screens, the projectors and the chairs. Also they helped in the info point, where they gave all important information to thevisitors of the festival. At the same time, other volunteers were spreading flyers with information about the festival and also invited people to the video art festival, to know more about this type of art or just enjoy the movies.

7

Promotion of the Street Festival The main task for the second week was to organize some promotional activities for the Street Festival, which would take place in the city’s park from the 27th to the 29thof July. Volunteers were divided in three groups: media, art and street theatre. Each of group, using different types of art, prepared short performances, video or workshops. Finally, they presented everything during an open even in the port of the city, which attracted a lot of attention.

The art group prepared posters, with the main information about festival. Also they organize a workshop for children, which was popular among adults too. They used body painting to express art. With special paints, they painted different small drawings on the body. It was possible to choose a drawing from the list or ask for something different.

Another group made a video about street art and street life. The video included pictures and movies about juggling, break-dance, skating, BMX bikes and roller sport. The video showed all

activities, which can be included in a street festival. Many people stopped to watch this short video, listen to rap music and to get more information about festival.

The biggest surprise was the street theatre performance. The volunteers presented short scenes without speaking, which were very funny and interesting. Mimes acted funny scenes in the bus, restaurant, at the beach or the disco. They used only music and their body language to tell the stories. People, who saw this performance, were impressed, because they saw that street art has many different sides and that a street festival includes many different activities.

8

Cleaning of Yalova beach

K.A.NE cooperates with many other different cultural and environmental organizations. One of them is the Hellenic Ornithological Society, which protects rare species of birds, and also runs a chameleons’ conservation programme and takes care of the beach of Yalova.

By their invitation, our volunteers went to Yalova to help clean the beach. Local volunteers met them and explained more about Yalova lagoon, showed them the information centre, presented birds and chameleon protecting programmes. They also showed them the beach and coordinated the work. 16 EVS volunteers with gloves and plastic bags cleaned the beach and with big enthusiasm filled those big bags with garbage. After, they could spend time at the beach and enjoy the amazing nature around.

9

Second promotional activity for the street festival

The second promotion for the street festival took place in a very crowed spot on the beach of Kalamata. This promotion got more attention than the first, because included the previous and many more new activities. The people passing-by could watch street theatre performances and enjoy a new video about street art.

One of the new activities was a juggling show with fire sticks. A lot of people stopped to watch the amazing show, which brightened the main street.

Another important part of street art was break-dance.That evening three break dancers performed a break dance battle. They showed their skills and the audience had to decide who was the best. The art group invited people to attend in painting a common painting, where everyone could paint how they imagined street art and street life. The promotion was finished with a flash mob dance, danced by all the volunteers. They wore T-shirts with letters from both sides. In one side was written 6TH street festival, in another the same but in Greek language. Throughout the performance, the volunteers that did not participate in the activities at this time, where giving out leaflets about the Street Festival and were explaining about EVS to the people that were asking questions about how and why they were there.

10

ArtiVistes – The Youth Exchange

On the last week of July, a group of 30 people from 6 different countries, Greece, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Turkey and Italy, arrived in Kalamata for K.A.NE’s Youth Exchange, ArtiVistes!. Young people with different knowledge in music, dance, theatre and others types of art came to exchange knowledge and experiences, work together and join their forces to prepare a final presentation, that they had the opportunity to present to the public during the Street Festival!

The first 2 days were dedicated in the getting to know each-other and learning to work together. After many ice-breaking and team building exercises, the members of the group felt more at ease with one another. During the next 2 days, they joined artistic workshops, facilitated by the leaders of the national groups and after a great visit to the archeological site of Ancient Messina, they were finally left to work together, have a brainstorming about what they wanted to do, divide the roles between them and prepare their final presentation!

11

ArtiVistes intercultural nights

The youth exchange group had their first intercultural night on the roof of the youth center, from where you have an amazing view of the city. They were very well prepared, bringing lots of foods, drinks and videos with which they presented to the others their culture.

The second intercultural evening was much more active, as it included dances, songs and games from all the countries. It took place in the railway park of Kalamata and all the local people were also invited to participate!.

12

Visit toAncient Messina

In the middle of the last week of July, the EVS volunteers and the Youth exchange group went together to visit Ancient Messina, whichis mentioned in one of the oldest works of European literature, the Iliad.It is a unique place where you can see the Ancient city of Messina, it’s theatre, the agora and the ancient stadium.

The trip to Ancient Messina was organized in order to give the opportunity to the participants to get know better the Greek culture, the ancient Greek architecture and history. Both the volunteers and the Youth Exchange group were inspired by this magnificent place and got memories which they will never forget.

During lunch time, theyoung people shared their impressions about Kalamata and the Greek culture and, being inspired by the place, discussed ideas about their activities.

13

Street festival

On the 27th of July in the railway park of Kalamata started the 6th street festival, which invited the people of Kalamata to join in and express themselves or just enjoy the performance and the different activities.

The festival offered a lot of different areas with interesting activities. One of them was a paintings and photo exhibition, organized the artistic club and the photography club of Kalamata. Also there was a bazaar, where people from Kalamata sold their hand-made creations. You could find amazing handmade jewelry or aromatic soap, add some interesting clothes to your closet or just buy some cute details for your house.

There was special area with facilities for skates, rollers and bicycles, which was very popular among local youth, who like extreme sport. There were a lot of participants, who showed their skills, which were really impressing. Moreover, they were ready to show simple moves and help to everybody who wanted to try.

14

One of the most active and attractive activities was the climbing wall, organized by the mountaineering club of Kalamata. Anyone could try it for free. Even children could do it, because with the special equipment and professional help provided, climbing was absolutely safe. A lot of adults and children tried this wall and competed about who would reach the peak faster.

The first day of the festival was dedicated to dance, for this reason a lot of dancing groups from Kalamata came to show their dances and their skills. Firstly, the Cheerleaders of Fame Dance Academy, showed their knowledge and their dance was like a big bomb of energy. After, the hip-hop group of Just Dance performed their great choreography, which

included a lot of difficult moves.

Later, break dancers invited people to see their dance battle. They presented an amazing show, where dancers showed their skills and all their complicated moves.

Theevening was concluded with Street Salsa. The youth centre’s own latin dance group showed us their moves in a lovely Rueda de Casino. After, a lot of people sitting around joined the salsa dancers and started to dance. Everybody could join the crazy dancers and try to dance or just move to the rhythmic salsa music.

15

Another way of expressing yourself by using art was graffiti. The Street festival offered a good opportunity for graffiti artists to show their art without fear. On the special big wooden pieces, artists created very interesting works, which had their own meanings.

Street theatre is an important part of the street art too. Local theatre groups presented their etudes and short performances, which the audience watched in completesilence.

Another theatrical surprise was a troupe from Brazil, which came specially for the street festival.Their funny performance made all people aroundlaugh. Their acrobatic tricks were really breathtaking and dangerous, but left a lot of positive emotions.

Another amazing show was prepared by jugglers, who all evening juggled with balls and fire. One of the jugglers was

one of our EVS volunteer, who had the opportunity to show his skills, during the Street Festival!

16

The Youth exchange group also had the opportunity to show the result of their work together in front of an audience, during the street festival. They had prepared a performance which included video, dances, dance theatre and music.

The 6thKalamata Street Festival ended with a rock concert, in which performed 6 music bands. A lot of people came to see the concert and listen to rock music. In the end many people in the park danced all together and shared their good emotions. The 6th street festival finished very loudly, positively and everybody is now waiting for the next one!

17

Reviews

My month in Greece in K.A.NE association was very intense and has gone by really quickly, but it was a fantastic experience that I would do it another 100 times. The people was always interesting and intrested to discover new things about other cultures. Greece is a country rich in history and beauty and Kalamata is really a wonderful city in which I hope one day to return.

Sara, participant in Group EVS, France

I feel so lucky beacause I've been, even only for one month, part of the youth center family, where I discovered that you can feel home everywhere, if you are with the right people. I'm gonna miss every minute, you have enriched me.

Elisa, participant in Group EVS, Italy

At first i did not know what do expect about the project and living in Kalamata at all. But I liked and I enjoyed it, becauseyou'll never get something good without bad. It was a good different experience to live abroad with people from differentcultures, who see things, act, and feel totally differently. Good luck and thank you for the opporunity to be in Greece! Kerli, participant in Group EVS,Estonia

18

It is not easy to explain in 2 sentences my experience. When all the groups came to Kalamata I think there was a connection among us!!! Kalamata became alive with all these young people from different countries and with the Street festival. It is something that happened for the first time and it was just PERFECT!!! Giwrgos, participant in the Youth Exchange ArtiVistes, Greece

The time I spent in Kalamata was very tiring, but wonderful. We worked a lot, but in harmony and with a cooperation that seemed to exist for years. I have known people who have left a mark in my heart and also helped me to grow up a little. I'd do it again, perhaps a hundred times! Ayumi, participant in the Youth Exchange ArtiVistes, Italy

19

Created by: Eleonora Blaževič

Kristė Baltrūnaitė

The Street Festival, Miden Festival and the Exchange Bazaar are private initiatives, initiated and financed by private organizations and individuals.

The Group EVS and the Youth Exchange “ArtiVistes” are both projects implemented within the framework of the Youth in Action Programme (action 2 and 1.1 respectively), funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein