CulSolidArt (Culture, Solidarity and Art) – Erasmus+ Youth exchange
On the 14th of July we started our journey to participate in an Erasmus+ project called CulSolidArt. With five students of Poli we spent ten days near to the Hungarian border, in Hodoš and Murska Sobota.
The aim of the project was to spread tolerance towards different minorities, to bring young people closer to volunteering, to touch on the issues of inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community, the Roma community, the elderly population, homeless people, migrants, refugees, to talk about racial discrimination, religious discrimination, sex discrimination and cultural diversity.
We had our accomodation in a beautiful place, close to nature, in a large central building and in mobil homes.
Slovenian, Croatian, Estonian, Romanian and Hungarian participants had a given plan for each day, which the organisers sent us in advance. The timetable included icebreakers, energizers, group work, discussions, role playing, open space workshops, informal gatherings and local visits.
In the first few days we got to know more about the concept of discrimination and about vulnerable groups and also we shared the good practices of each country in voluntary work.
We’ve been to Muska Sobota several times, where we had the chance to participate in the everyday life of the retirement home, the homeless shelter and the youth crisis center. I had the impression that students were deeply impacted by these visits which will really encourage them to participate in volunteering and to be a more active part of the society.
During the creativity workshops, the participants could express their artistic freedom among dance, poetry, painting and music. The end result of the workshops was a show where everyone could present their work. Through video, photography, journalism and dissemination projects it was possible to spread the message of solidarity, free expression and the fight against discrimination through online propaganda.
We spend wonderful ten days with amazing Slovenian organizers who offered a programme for the participants that contributes greatly to their personal development. It was an unforgettable experience for all. I honestly hope that Poli has the opportunity to work together with the Slovenian organizers on a lot more projects in the future.
Szabó Nóra (teacher)
These few days in Hodos were one of the best things that happened to me during the summer. The people who participated in the program were genuinely nice and everyone made me feel welcome. Everyday we had a lot of things to do but we still had time to get to know each other. And the tasks made us socialise from the beginning. I’ve made a lot of great friendships and the memories will be with me for years. We did a lot of painting and work in Hodos, but we also explored Murska Sobota and Ljubljana. We had these workshops where everyone had a topic to cover than we talked about our opinion. But we had a lot of free time as well when we were able to get to know each other a lot more. This was a truly amazing experience.
Papp Dóra
From my point of view this first Erasmus was wonderful, I feel like the organizers and the whole team was great. In those ten days I met insanely good, nice people from all around the globe, for an example if I ever find myself in Porto, I have around four friends that could host me for a couple of days. Overall it was really good, but there were more things to do than days in the whole project, above that wonderful Erasmus, greatly thought about workshops. My favourites were that, I had a chance to paint on a wall of the local Youth Centre, and put a smile on the elderly people at a local retirement home, or when I had a chance to present about my country on a national evening. On the last day everyone got a little emotional, because the Portuguese team had to leave a day earlier than everyone.
Németh Barnabás
First of all, I was bit afraid, with the whole Erasmus, but on our way on the train I calmed down. I realized that I got a really good team and I will have a lot of fun with them. The accommodation was fine we only went there to sleep because usually we were with the other nations talking, trading experiences. To be honest I was a bit jealous of the ones who lived in the moving houses, they were more comfortable and cozy. The workshops were really good and creative, everyone enjoyed them, especially the city run. Personally, I usually chose the painting workshops, I can’t really draw but I wanted to leave my comfortzone as well. At the end of the week we got the information that the Portugese team have to leave a day earlier so we cried a lot, because we got the closest to those people.
Trieb Bence
This was the longest Erasmus I’ve participated in so far. It was ten wonderful days spent in Hodos, near to the Hungarian border, technically in the middle of nowhere, where even our phones were kinda useless sometimes. First, I was a bit afraid of the new situations I was presented with, and it took some time to get into the flow of the project, but soon enough I was enjoying every minute of it. And we always stayed productive while having fun. I’ve learnt so much about the other countries’ cultures, I had the chance to embrace my artistic side and participate in solidarity with my fellow team members. I think I can safely say, that even though it was the longest and most tiring Erasmus projects I’ve ever participated in, it was worth it, because at the end it was really hard to say good bye to all of it.
Bártfai Ida
This was my second Erasmus programme I ever went to. Nothing could have prepared me, mainly because the people and the whole project was FANTASTIC. I had the opportunity to meet eight other Poli students and befriend them, but the other, non-Hungarian speaking people, were so incredibly kind and friendly. The project itself was very packed, eventful and creative. From my perspective, the people make the worth anyones while. We were in a very secluded place, with no Wi-Fi or reception, but that forced us to make connections. I met so many amazing people, I wish to meet again. Some connections are meant to stay, some are meant to go, but the memories will always stay.
Finta Julianna
