A series of conversations with the Cultural Platform Zakarpattya NGO program mentors about conscious citizenship, creative economy, and Ukrainian youth
— Hello there! Please, introduce yourself. Who are you, how old are you, where are you from and where do you currently live? And everything else that is important to know about you 🙂
— Hola! My name is Danya Shulipa, I am an artist and designer, I am 25 years old. I come from the city of Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, but I have lived in Kyiv since I was a student.
— How and when did you join the team of mentors of the Cultural Platform? Why was that interesting to you?
— I was first asked in the summer of 2023 to try to talk and draw with children in Chernihiv. That’s how I became one of the mentors of the program.
First of all, I already had some experience working with children and teenagers in the “Friends” open space in Kostyantynivka, which my team and I have been working on since 2017. We organized many activities there. Secondly, it is important for me to establish a connection between generations, to give young people a sense of understanding and acceptance, to talk with them on par with adults, to exchange certain thoughts and skills—in a word, to give them whatever I myself would have liked to receive more of when I was a child.
— What is your motivation to be socially active? Do you see yourself as a social activist, do you see your influence on young people?
— The influence on the youth, it seems, can be seen only when the seeds in their consciousness begin to grow, and for this to happen years must pass. I think that if at least one child leaves the workshops with something new in their head, if they got an experience that changed them even a little for the better, then this can be considered a success.
Regarding public activism: every citizen should be active. This is what it means to live together, it is an opportunity to influence the bigger development processes. I don’t think that I am doing anything outstanding and incredible, especially if I compare myself with historical and modern figures who have put years (and even their whole lives) into public work. But I do not stand aside and try to do what is in my power entirely.
— How was your first mentoring experience? Your expectations/reality.
— In fact, it was very easy and casual. Of course, these are young people, and first and foremost, working with them requires patience and moderation. At the same time, these are children and teenagers who have a natural thirst for knowledge and a desire to learn about the world. You can perpetually keep learning from them.
— What is the most interesting part of this activism to you? What stays with you, what makes it meaningful?
— Meaning lies in the process, in communication, in the exchange of thoughts and energy. I really want what I and all of us are doing to encourage young people to make positive changes.
— What is your most vivid memory of this experience? It shouldn’t necessarily be a positive memory, but something that struck you. Maybe it’s something sad or painful.
— At the very first workshop in Chernihiv, there was an 11-year-old boy, an IDP from my hometown. I liked his picture, and when I saw the signature, my eyes watered a little. I am actually an empathetic and sentimental person, so I felt a lot of things after reading that the little one was from Kostiantynivka — worries for the child, homesickness, joyful memories of my life there, and, at the same time, pain from having seen the photos of the destruction.
— What do you think others need to know about social activism? How could more people join in building a conscious and active society of the future?
— It is easier and more accessible than it seems, it could be part-time. The main thing is to have a desire and understand how you can be useful. And in this sense, I was influenced by a quote, if I’m not mistaken, from the Odesa Museum: “Culture is what was left to us or what we will leave behind.”
I think that the future is our right and it’s our duty to participate in its creation.
— Do you have any big dreams? Perhaps within the framework of this activity, perhaps on the scale of the country or the world?
— I want to someday create a scholarship for young artists, a place with studio and exhibition spaces. I want to live a life where one neighbor does not try to kill another, and people perceive you as an equal. But first, we have a lot of work to do within our country.
— What about the Ukrainian youth? Can you describe them with five adjectives or phrases (or elaborate)?
— Cool, conscious, interesting, brave, but also tender.
Young people creating artworks at the contemporary art workshops by Danya Shulipa
— What else would you like to say? Maybe we forgot to ask about something important.
— Straighten your back, drink some water 🙂
Anastasiya Mishustina
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