Narrative Presences
A traveling art project that brings together internally displaced Ukrainian communities in Ukraine, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
“Narrative Presences” aims to establish communication and artistic exchange between Ukrainians who were forced to leave their homes due to the war. The project is being implemented through performative workshops involving families and children in Ivano-Frankivsk (Ukraine), Olomouc (Czech Republic), and Vienna (Austria). Its goal is to support participants in difficult life circumstances, create a space for creativity, therapy, and a sense of community.
Project format
In each city, the series of workshops ends with a public performance.
The key element is the white cardboard boxes that travel between countries. They serve as a transformable architectural symbol that evokes reflections on home, safety, and adaptation to a new environment.
These boxes become a kind of archive – a carrier of stories, memories and emotions of the participants, which is revealed during each event.
Implementation in Ukraine
The first stage of the project took place in Ivano-Frankivsk, where the NGO “NE SAMI”, in partnership with the NGO “Metalab”, acted as organizers. The workshops were held in one of the CO-HATY’s houses.
For 6 days, the participants worked in different directions:
– Daria Lytvynenko: pantomime for children, the final result was the performance “Homeless Cat, Sofa and Person”.
– Maria Shurkhal: modern dance with elements of improvisation for teenagers and adults.
– Alina Pust: art therapy for adults aimed at finding dreams and values.
– Jasmine Scheitl: performances that activate positive memories.
Psychologist Victoria Zharykova from the Institute of Applied Psychology and Psychotherapy worked with the participants separately. She provided individual counseling and helped them overcome difficult emotional experiences.
The “NE SAMI” team conducted a survey, recording the emotional state of the participants before and after the workshops.
