IntegrART9 team went to Warsaw for their On-Arrival.
3 volunteers (Coraline Azalee, Aroa and Guilherme) spent their time there from November 17 to November 21 while the remaining 3 (Sara, Gloria and Mikkel) were there from November 24 to November 28.
☆ Guilherme ☆
The volunteer training week was important not only to learn about things that coordinators might not be so informed about, like the Hener insurance, but also because it was especially valuable to hear about other volunteers’ experiences and realities. Their daily rhythm, the types of tasks they have, their living conditions, and the relationships they build.
In my case, I met many people who work in kindergartens, so their possibilities to propose different activities are more limited, since their target group is only children. It made me realise that, compared to them, I am quite privileged in this project because I have more flexibility to propose and create activities that match my interests. I can put more of myself into the work I do here.
✧ Azalee ✧ A new collective aspect
When I arrived in Poland to start my ESC volunteering project, I was sure of why and what I wanted to learn. The On-Arrival Training was a new collective aspect of this new beginning. I came with Guilherme and Aroa and the seminar drove me to try to meet other volunteers and of course pass time with them. Even though the projects, organizations, and work schedules were completely different, we quickly formed a real group. Everyone talked about their tasks, motivation, and problems. It was inspiring to talk to people who were also new, but in very different contexts. I could take a step back and analyze my own position.
Can you describe us the political situation in Poland ?
The most memorable activity was the street interviews I did with Annaëlle, another volunteer from France. We chose an ambitious topic: the political situation in Poland. We interviewed 9 people in total : students, shop vendors, a bookseller, politic NGO staff members, and a few expats. The very contrasting opinions we gathered helped me understand the complexity of the country, its recent history, and the social and political tensions that still shape it today. It was concrete, useful and far from any clichés.
Vacations?
During training, I found some time to visit Warsaw: Pałac Kultury i Nauki, History Meeting House, Stare Miasto (Old Town) and my personal favorite: Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, with the immersive exhibition on AI and video games. The seminar wasn’t only about workshops because we had free time and I practiced yoga with Shorouq, which helped me slow down after the long sessions. I also shared a lot of introspective conversations with Mapril and Iza, about identity, motivation, art, life choices, and what brought each of us here. I hope we will see all the friends we made again! One of the most important outcomes of the seminar was that it helped me reflect on my personal motivations. In particular, it confirmed my focus on art and artistic mediation. Working in this field feels natural to me it’s a space where I can combine creativity, free right, and dialogue with others. The training felt like vacations and gave me the time and perspective to see how this path fits into the larger context of my ESC experience, with challenging moments as a life project.
☆ Mikkel ☆
This picture show an activity we did during the training! We did the “theatre” thing were we played characters who had to solve a problem together!
☆ Sara ☆
This picture, say I fell in love with the mermaid and I’m in a love triangle with her and the Krakow dragon.
Also that i love Polands commitment to john paul II.
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Bye, from the team IntergART9!
