Goals of the preparatory phase
The preparatory phase of ART FLOW was not just a logistical step — it was a creative and values-driven process that shaped the entire project. The key goals were:
🎯 To align the vision and methodology of partner organizations from Slovakia, Spain, and the Czech Republic
🎯 To co-create the program structure together with young facilitators and participants from the very beginning
🎯 To ensure inclusion and accessibility for all participants, including those with fewer opportunities and Ukrainian participants temporarily living in Slovakia and Czech Republic.
🎯 To prepare young facilitators for leading their own creative workshops using non-formal education methods
🎯 To motivate participants to choose green and sustainable travel options
🎯 To establish eco-friendly guidelines for the entire project — from food to materials and waste management
Activity Overview : Preparatory Phase
Advanced Planning Visit (APM) : "Art Flow Connections Building" — Zaježová, April 2025
Group leaders from Slovakia, Spain, and the Czech Republic gathered in person at the Vzdelávacie centrum Zaježová — the future venue of the youth exchange. Together, they explored the spaces, scouted outdoor locations for land-art and luminography workshops, and refined the daily schedule to ensure it was balanced, safe, and creatively rich.
As part of the APM, an online Zoom meeting was held with all participants from all three countries — broadcast live from Zaježová. This allowed the wider group to get a first glimpse of the venue, meet each other, and contribute their ideas to the program before arriving.
Young Facilitators — Online Preparation
A dedicated online preparation process was organized for the young facilitators leading the creative workshops. Together, we discussed the methodology of non-formal education, the structure of individual workshops (ceramics, linocut, chlorophyll printing, luminography, land-art), and how to make them interactive and accessible for international groups.
Young people from the OutSide Records solidarity project also participated in the preparatory phase, contributing directly to the design of the audiovisual and music production workshops.
Inclusion & Support Planning
Special attention was given to ensuring full participation for everyone. For Ukrainian participants temporarily living in Slovakia andd Czech Republic, we prepared a dedicated inclusion plan with a personal accompanying person — Anastasia Yovbak — who provided language and emotional support throughout both the preparatory phase and the exchange itself. Ukrainian participants also joined the online preparatory meeting, ensuring they felt connected and prepared before arriving.
Green Travel Initiative 🌿
During the online preparation sessions, group leaders actively motivated participants to choose sustainable travel options — trains and buses instead of flights. Thanks to this preparation and encouragement, several participants from Spain chose to travel by train despite the long distance. All Slovak and Czech participants traveled using green travel, and the project was officially registered under the Erasmus+ Green Travel scheme.
Eco-Friendly Framework
From the very beginning, the project was built around sustainability. We established guidelines for the entire exchange: vegetarian meals prepared from local and organic ingredients, use of natural and recycled materials in all workshops, responsible waste sorting, and respect for the ecological standards of the Vzdelávacie centrum Zaježová — which operates on solar energy and a biological water treatment system.
Results of the preparatory phase
Key achievements and impacts of our preparatory phase:
🤝 Strong partnership alignment — group leaders arrived at the exchange with a shared vision, clear roles, and a co-created program
🎓 Empowered young facilitators — thanks to dedicated online preparation, young lectors arrived confident and methodologically ready to lead their workshops
🌍 Inclusive participation from day one — Ukrainian participants felt welcomed and prepared thanks to the inclusion plan and online pre-meeting; Anastasia Yovbak's role as accompanying person proved essential
🌱 Green travel achieved — despite the long distance, 5 Spanish participants chose train travel; the project successfully met the Erasmus+ Green Travel criteria
🎨 Richer program through co-creation — the involvement of OutSide Records participants in the preparatory phase directly enriched the audiovisual workshop content
🏡 Eco-framework in place — sustainable guidelines were set and followed throughout the entire exchange, from meals to materials
The preparation phase proved that quality youth work begins long before the first day of the exchange
