The “Horytsvit” art camp project was set up to help young people who have experienced traumatic events.

The young people in Ukraine are facing difficult challenges. Since 2020, children have been deprived of the opportunity for healthy development due to the long-lasting quarantine during the Covid19 pandemic. February 24, 2022 has turned the lives of millions of families who had to flee the war upside down even further. Many regions in the east and south of Ukraine are affected by fighting – and this has a significant impact on the development of young people.

At the camp, we use methods of creative therapy, which offers a wide range of tools for coping with stress. Whether through sculpture, painting, theater or singing; through dance, hikes or tea ceremonies – the teenagers are given the opportunity to let go and rethink difficult emotions.

The Horytsvit team aims to create a safe space in which the young people can strengthen themselves. Firstly, it is a physically safe place where there are no explosions or alarms and where they are surrounded by the beauty of nature. Secondly, it is a mentally safe environment where the emotional atmosphere, respect, awareness and sincere relationships between the camp participants are of great importance.

The aim of the Horytsvit project is to give the children a sense of security and confidence in the future and to create a space where they can realize their potential, where they feel they are needed by the world and where they find the strength to realize their dreams and develop as holistic human beings.