Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, or whatever time zone you’re reading this from! Today, we’re sharing the story of how Emma and Johanna from IntegrART 8 somehow swapped their summer holiday plans to volunteer at one of Europe’s biggest music festivals: Sziget Festival in Budapest. If you follow our social media, you might have seen that in early August, what was meant to be a relaxing break magically transformed into yet another full-on EU volunteer adventure for these two. But of course, there’s a backstory, because these things don’t just happen without a little chaos, a few spontaneous decisions, and maybe some questionable packing choices. So, grab a coffee (or something stronger), and let’s rewind to the beginning to see how it all unfolded.
Back in June, Johanna found herself in a sea of Polish. And by “sea,” we mean absolutely surrounded, every sign, every conversation, every announcement. The only problem? No matter how hard she tried, the language still sounded like an intricate code she couldn’t crack.
Instead of making an escape from the event she was attending, she decided to play it cool and scroll through her phone. Without even realizing it, she was wandering onto the IntegrART Instagram page.
And then, like a cosmic gift from the EU itself, a post appeared on her screen: “Want to make a change at Sziget Festival?”
Being a certified music festival fan, Johanna didn’t need to Google Sziget. She already knew the what, where, when, how much, and probably even the best food stalls. So when she saw that this volunteering opportunity came with the chance to make a change, meet new people, get free accommodation, and, oh yes: full festival access, she immediately messaged Emma with a very short but powerful text: We are applying. We are going. Emma didn’t even need to think about it. Sold. The only catch? They had just one week before applications closed… and a to-do list: come up with a social or environmental problem to solve, invent a showroom around it, describe both in detail, recruit a team of five, film a presentation video, edit it, and send it off. Easy, right? Somehow, they pulled it off. And just like that, the team was born: Erik from Kazakhstan, Emma from Hungary, Arben from Albania, Nikita from Ukraine, and Johanna from France. And thus… KHAUF! came to life.
After weeks of prep calls, online team meetings with the team in Budapest, endless brainstorming sessions, and enough showroom planning to qualify as a second full-time job, Emma and Johanna were finally at the packing stage. Suitcases? Ready. Snacks? Probably too many. Mental preparation for a 7-hour Flixbus ride? Questionable. They knew the next few days would involve minimal sleep, maximum walking, and an overload of music, but honestly, they were so here for it. After all, some adventures are worth trading your beauty sleep for.
After arriving in town late the night before, it was finally time… The whole team was together, ready to step into the festival for the very first time.
First stop: collecting their magical staff access bracelets (the kind you instantly put on and never want to take off). Then, they headed to the accreditation spot, the place where all the Changemakers teams gathered, and where faces they’d only ever seen on tiny video call screens suddenly became real.
With introductions out of the way, there was time for a first wander: exploring the stages, food stalls, and activity zones that would keep them busy, inspired, and probably slightly sleep-deprived for the next six days.
Let’s be honest, the festival was mind-blowing. Located on an island, it feels like stepping onto another space of the world. Here, people come to sing, dance, laugh, cry, accept, and just feel. And that’s exactly what we did. We soaked up performances from countless artists across every genre imaginable, ate enough food to fuel a small army (which we promptly burned off with a minimum of 40,000 steps per day), and had the most interesting conversations with strangers we’d probably never see again. But more than the music or the steps, we felt like we were part of something meaningful, something that actually made a difference. And isn’t that the whole point of this adventure? After all, it’s called Sziget Changemakers: a space for anyone ready to make a change through their own perspective and ideas.
So why are we sharing this adventure on the blog? First, because we’re genuinely proud of what Emma and Johanna accomplished. But more importantly, we want to show that volunteering isn’t something that just happens to you, it’s something you choose, both for yourself and for others.
Being part of a long-term ESC project gives you the rhythm of a “normal life” while still leaving room for new initiatives. You’re a volunteer, yes, but you’re also constantly learning, exploring, and grabbing opportunities to grow. For Emma and Johanna, this experience has already shaped the story of this year in ways that will stick with them forever. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the support of the IntegrART management team. Their guidance and encouragement didn’t just make the project happen, it made it part of our project family. And that’s why we’re so excited to share it with all of you.
We’re sharing this story in the hope that it sparks ideas and gives you a little push to create your own unforgettable experiences. Because if Emma and Johanna can turn a random Instagram scroll into a life-changing adventure, imagine what you could do!
Thank you to everyone who helped us to make this project come to life!
What an experience it was…:)
