Hey there! IntegrART 8 speaking!
After saying goodbye to our wonderful IntegrART 7 team, it’s time for a new adventure. You know what they say, when a door closes a window opens, so… IntegrART 8 here we come!
On the 1st of October we started a new adventure, the start of something new. During the last two weeks of ‘Integration Time’ so much was going on, and it allowed us to take over Krakow but also each other, because trust me when I say that this is truly a match out of nowhere. It was also the time to get to meet the team that makes this project exist. After visiting all the hosting organizations, we already know that the incoming year will be amazing. We can’t wait to share this experience with all of you!
But first you need to know who we are, of course. Well, you’ll get to know us better (probably alongside ourselves!), but for now here is our introduction and some fun facts that we think will already give quite a few hints! Also credits to Klaudia Kruupa for these amazing photos
Aile
21 | Espoo, Finland | Cultural Club Łokietek
- One thing I could never live without
I come from a cold climate and I would never survive the colder months without wool: sweaters, gloves, scarves, berets, socks…. I picked up knitting last year and I’m in the process of making a pair of fingerless gloves.
- One thing I am passionate about
Costuming, especially historical costumes. I really like to watch period dramas and look at all the details in the costumes and I want to become a costume designer myself in the future. My favourite period of fashion is the 1890s to the early 1900s. Sometimes I will take inspiration from a particular historical detail for a sewing project.
- One thing I am doing at least one time per week
Dance! I fell in love with dancing last year and now I do it at least once a week. I do either the warmup I learnt at a class or I simply have fun and improvise to my favourite songs. I love it because while it is a sport it’s also expressive.
- One thing that makes me smile
I come from Finland. We don’t smile.
- One thing I spend too much money on
If I had to name one it would be notebooks! I prefer writing on paper and I like to keep my notebooks organized by subject (ie. language, art project ideas, diary, work, miscellaneous…) and of course I have a backup notebook for when I have filled one with notes!
Celia
23 | Murcia, Spain | Cultural Club Przergorzaly
- One thing I could never live without:
Music! Every day I spend hours with my headphones on. Even if I always try to listen to new stuff, my comfort zone revolves around indie/alt-rock and I’m also getting more into electronic.
- One thing I am passionate about:
I wouldn’t say I’m much of an outdoors person in a way, but I really enjoy nature, and I love hiking or going for long walks around green areas. Therefore I’m also kind of obsessed with natural aesthetics. Seashells and stones with weird colors and shapes are like a treasure to me!
- One thing I am doing at least once per week:
Going to the movies, at least I would like to haha. I always enjoy a good discussion with a friend after the screening, but I also love to go alone, romanticize everything and get lost in my own thoughts.
- One thing that makes me smile:
Randomly bumping into cute dogs and cats on the street has to be one of the things that makes me smile more often.
- One thing I spend too much money on:
Books! I have a soft spot for second hand and vintage book stores, where I get attracted more by the smells and cover designs than my actual to-read list haha. Thank god libraries also exist! You should definitely check out the main public library and Arteteka, of course.
Claudia
22 | Milan, Italy | Cultural Club Mydlniki
- One thing I could never live without:
I simply couldn’t live without my camera! I only started photography less than a year ago, but I’m already hooked! I still have so much to learn, but I just can’t stop taking pictures! 
- One thing I am passionate about:
I absolutely love music! I love listening to all kinds of music, but my absolute favourites are metal, techno (and all its sub-genres) and jazz
Oh, and my favourite instrument is the bass! That instrument that nobody ever pays attention to – yes, that one!
- One thing I am doing at least once per week:
I must say, I can’t go a week without treating myself to a delicious apple pie or something sweet with apples and cinnamon in it! I just adore apple pie – I’m completely addicted to it (guilty as charged!)
- One thing that makes me smile:
I have to be honest with you, there is something that makes me happier than apple pie, and that’s graffiti on trains! I can’t hold back a smile when I see tags and murals on trains!
It makes me feel over the moon to see street art brightening up the city.
- One thing I spend too much money on:
Last but not least I have to admit that I spend a lot of money on clothes
After all, I come from Milan, where Fashion Week is hosted every year!
See you all at Mydlniki!
Your fav italian 💗🍝
Emma
20 | Germany | Cultural Club Wola
- One thing I could never live without
Music is something I can’t imagine my life without—it brings so much color and energy to life!
- One thing I am passionate about
I’m also really passionate about movies, I could talk for hours about my favourite ones (you just need to mention Fight Club and I won’t stop talking)
- One thing I am doing at least one time per week
I enjoy staying active and try to work out at least once a week, though I’m still looking for a gym here in Krakow.
- One thing that makes me smile
If I must say one thing that always makes me smile , it would probably be seeing my loved ones succeeding in life and just be happy, that always cheers me up.
- One thing I spend too much money on
I spend most of my money on makeup and clothes, but since I’m the friend who’s always up for anything, I also end up spending a lot on activities with my friends. You can always make more money, but the chance to create special memories with friends doesn’t come around all the time.
Johanna
24 | Marmande, France | Centrum Kultury Dworek Białoprądnicki
- One thing I could never live without
When I leave the house, there is one thing that I always take with me – My headphones. I spend my entire life with them. If you see me one day on the street, I am 100% sure that I will have them on.
- One thing I am passionate about
Resonating with what I could never live without. My main passion is Music. From Daft Punk to Fontaines D.C. going through Overmono. I enjoy more than anything what music makes you feel and what it creates for people.
- One thing I am doing at least one time per week
Being French, my relation between food and me is a love story. The minimum for me is baking at least one time per week. Easy to say the flatmates are happy about it!
- One thing that makes me smile
You see that moment when you are at a concert or a music festival. And for a second, you stop focusing on the band playing and turn your attention to the audience. You notice people enjoying themselves, dancing, singing and even more… This is what makes me smile. Because it fills me with pure happiness.
- One thing I spend too much money on
I have to admit that I do spend too much money on travels. I simply adore going to a new place to discover how it is there. However, when people say ‘Travelling is a drug’. It actually is. This year will be full of discoveries for us and maybe it will calm down my travel fever 🙂
I am beyond happy to have joined the Integrated project with this team. And simply can’t wait to create memories with everyone here. Let’s make our time full of fun and creativity!
Miguel
18 | Huelva, Spain | Liceum Ogólnokształcące nr XXVII im. dr. H. Jordana.
- One thing I could never live without
I could never ever live without olive oil. People who use butter to cook are crazy!!!
- One thing I am passionate about
I’m really passionate about philosophy and anthropology, well, understanding the human intellect in general.
- One thing I am doing at least one time per week
At least once A week I go for a walk to not go crazy. I really need to see trees and breathe clean air.
- One thing that makes me smile
Everything can make me smile, from a funny plastic bag to a spitting fire dragon, but what really makes me smile, is seeing happy people 😀
- One thing I spend too much money on
Do NOT give me money while hungry, because I will spend it all in street food.
So this is us! Get ready for our occasional oversharing and future projects because we’re already buzzing with ideas.
Nice to meet you all! Stay tuned! 😎
