A moment from the Training Course, March 2023
Kaya:
”During the project, I was learning how to edit short videos and how to educate people through those videos. We mainly worked in groups which also helped me develop my communication skills with others.
We got an opportunity to go to Riga and make our video there. I decided to go with the group which was going to make a video about a bar called Skapis. We talked to the manager about what she would like us to see. Sunday was our shooting day. We got a chance to film brunch which was very fun. It was nice to actually do the video on something real like Skapis which is not just a bar but a community. The next day my team edited the video and in the evening all of us watched videos of each team. It was our small gala night.
I really enjoyed the whole process of making the video and the whole project. Even though I don’t have an expensive camera, tripod, microphone.. etc. I don’t need to. I followed the mantra:…Make it simple but significant.”
Miri:
”Curiosity and fear of something new prevailed in me, as it was my first experience with a project via Erasmus+ and with such an open topic. The very first days convinced me that this kind of space and time with people I was, were exactly what I was looking for.
I did the whole project from more of an observer and apprentice perspective, because everything was new to me and I had to open myself up to new creative avenues that I was not used to. But I’m so glad I found them. I learned a lot, thanks to the other participants and the organizers of the course, the frequent teamwork, the guidance, the inspiration from others.
What would I like to pass on? Look for it, go for it, even for what you think you are not very good at, even if you think you are good at it. Because you will always find something in this training that you will appreciate exactly: a safe space, learning, friends, kindness, openness, and maybe even creativity you thought you didn’t have.”
Áďa:
Participating in this project was a unique experience. Among the skills that I have gained during the training course are video making as such, video making in relation to social impact, team-work, detailed planning of a project and consistency while executing it. We worked in different teams, and got involved with a local NGO, which showed me ways to handle a creative process with independent parties involved. I have gained more confidence when working in a team, being reminded that everyone’s point of view is unique and important.
A key part of the experience were the people. Together we created a comfortable and safe space, where we could be ourselves and learn from each other.
As a queer person, I often struggle with finding a community, feeling seen or heard or understood. Not only did we build such a community for ourselves during the project, but through working together with the local NGOs, we also participated in creating such spaces for others. Being part of such a process, and sharing experiences with international participants from very diverse backgrounds, changed my view on social and especially queer activism. And while I might have been already involved in a local initiative, this project showed me many ways how to do more, in simple yet significant ways. As we learned, one doesn’t need to have a huge platform or expensive technology to make an impact.