Creative Voyage

Creative Voyage was an Erasmus+ Youth Exchange which gathered 57 adventurous and art-loving souls from 8 different countries: Portugal, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Romania and also Estonia, which was kindly welcomed as a new E29 partner country.

From 24th of March until 4th of April of 2024, we were led through a magical journey, where we dived deeply into the world of arts. Away from the city hustle and surrounded by the beautiful nature of the Serra da Arrábida, we got an amazing opportunity to explore different types of arts. Although the weather had taken a rainy turn for the time of our project, the room was always filled with smiles, energy, creativity and love.

On the first few days we were mostly focused on building a great team spirit and for that we played many different ice breaking games. These activities made it easier to get to know each other faster and open up to people. After learning each other's names, it was finally time to start with our sessions.

The main goal of our youth exchange was to bring young people back to arts and explore its positive impact on individual and community level. The project gave us an amazing opportunity to get out of our daily routines and explore various arts like painting, photography, dancing, music and acting. It was a perfect chance to get back to the arts and hobbies that we love, but also to step out of our comfort zones and try something we had never done before. On each day we focused on one specific field of art, which made every day different and kept things engaging.

-Painting-
Throughout the project we had many diverse and collaborative painting activities. From designing our cultural night invitation posters to creating portraits and storytelling posters, we worked together to produce a variety of artwork. All our activities culminated in a team effort and with so many creative people, the things always took interesting turns such as finishing our poster painting session with painting on each other. These experiences strengthened our bonds and provided great opportunities for creative expression.

-Photography-
Our photography day offered us a mix of freedom and structure. Participants split into the groups of choice and ventured to nearby cities like Sesimbra and Lisbon. The photography challenges organized by our coordinators that were given to us for that day added an element of excitement and friendly competition as we worked to complete them. Some of us had unique experiences like singing with a local school band or getting a tour at a local restaurant while interviewing its owner. In order to show our adventures and creativity, each group made an Instagram account. The results can be seen on following Instagram pages: @zakata_pedro; @portuguese_homies; @alaplaya2024; @8._monkeys_; @danzakuduroe29;
@czech__this_hungary_lithuanian.

-Dancing-
Our dancing day was a vibrant celebration of movement, learning and collaboration. We were fortunate to have sunny weather that day, allowing us to head outdoors for our first session. We started our morning with exploring the basics of Waacking, a dance style rooted in 1970s Los Angeles, thanks to the generosity and passion of a fellow participant. As the day unfolded, we headed back inside, where we worked in groups to learn various other dance styles (ballet, rumba, tango etc). Finally, we came together to present a performance showcasing our skills. Overall, it was a nice day that highlighted the joy of dance and teamwork.

-Music-
The music day was an enriching experience where we explored diverse music styles and collaborated to create informative posters. By making posters we also got to deepen our understanding of different genres (afrobeats, reggae, pop, techno etc). The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the opportunity to craft our own performances taking inspiration from the same music styles that were given to us earlier. With a wide choice of instruments ranging from regular spoons to electric guitars, we were able to show our creativity and musical talents.

-Acting and videography-
Over multiple days, we delved into various aspects of acting, from embodying stereotypes of our countries to engaging in improvised scenes centered around everyday objects like for example toilet paper and hangers. The culmination came in the form of a videography challenge, where we worked in groups to produce short films exploring the theme of demon art. For this task we had only one and a half days, which included coming up with an idea, filming and editing. Nonetheless, every group did an amazing job and in the end we got to enjoy different comedies and thrillers. This final project allowed us to apply our newfound acting skills in a cinematic context, weaving together storytelling, character development and visual aesthetics. As we reflect on this immersive experience, it is clear that it was a valuable learning experience that allowed us to apply our creativity in different contexts, develop our abilities as performers and also strengthen our teamwork skills once again.

-Evening programmes-
Apart from our daily sessions and workshops, we also had different activities in the evenings. One of the important parts of the evenings were cultural nights. With two countries presenting their cultures each day, we had the opportunity to learn more about each other’s countries, taste various cuisines and engage in activities like singing or dancing along to traditional music. These events created cross-cultural understanding and created a sense of camaraderie among participants.

Another memorable night of the project was our talent show, which provided us an opportunity to share our passions and talents with each other. The event featured a diverse range of performances including singing, dancing, reading poetry, playing instruments, juggling and parkour. It was a vibrant evening filled with creativity and enthusiasm, where we came together to celebrate and appreciate each other’s unique skills and abilities.

(Testimonial written by Triin Rummo - one of our participants from Estonia!)

As our mobility journey of nine days came to an end, saying goodbye was not easy and proved to be a bittersweet moment. Our project started with building a team, but little did we know that our bond would evolve beyond that and transform us into a culturally diverse close-kint family. We gathered in Portugal with open hearts and minds and departed with treasured knowledge, cherished memories and beautiful connections that we will be eternally grateful for.

Youth Exchanges similar to Creative Voyage give their participants an amazing opportunity to explore beyond their comfort zone, embark on a journey of self-discovery, learn from people of different nations and expand their knowledge on various topics, while making everlasting friendships and memories. If you are curious about all of the above then it’s your time to join us and follow E29 for more great opportunities like this.