Polina Kovalevska, a third-year student of the specialty "Sociology" of Mariupol State University, took part in the ARTEA training course. The events were held within the framework of the Erasmus+ program and brought together active young people interested in theatrical art in the Spanish city of Malaga.

Non – formal education is a new global trend and Mariupol State University students actively use it to gain additional knowledge and experience. Polina independently found an opportunity for herself by flipping through the social network feed. This is not the first participation of the girl in such projects, but the first – with a trip abroad. 

The course aims to teach you how to use drama for social transformation, in particular, to develop personal skills, the ability to act and adapt to different situations. Polina was interested in the project because it combined all the areas that she is interested in. The girl is studying to become a sociologist, works with young people and is engaged in the people's theater "Teatromania". 

During the trainings, participants worked with body expression techniques: dance, yoga, circus skills, art therapy. The exercises allowed young people to acquire interaction skills and get to know themselves, because it is possible to contribute to transformation in a city or country only by uniting and realizing who you are.
 

Most often, people have enough of everything except understanding themselves and being able to be in the moment. And the use of theatrical techniques just helps to improve this. In addition, most theater exercises are aimed at cohesion, at the feeling of a group. I think that qualitative social changes are possible only when people feel united and know how to work in a team. In the theater, we learn to live, not play.

In addition, the student noted that participation in the project allowed her to practice English and discover new cultures – she visited Spain for the first time and had the opportunity to communicate with representatives of different European countries. Also, participation in the course helped to look at the organization of projects in a different way-it is always interesting for a girl to observe the behavior of mentors in order to use her knowledge in the future. 
 

I would like to use the experience gained in the project for the development of our region. So far, there are plans to organize a similar event in Mariupol. All the exercises that I learned in the course will be useful to me when working at school with children, in camps, and even at meetings with friends.

Today, young people of Ukraine who know foreign languages have a wide range of opportunities to participate in international projects. The main thing is the desire to discover new things and self-confidence.
 

Try yourself in projects and different directions and never doubt anything! It's always better to try than miss an opportunity. Accept help from my family and teachers, and it was their support that helped me when I was in doubt whether to go or not. And stay yourself in any situation, then you have a better chance of getting what you need.