It´s curious how a butterfly fluttering his wings can cause a hurricane on the other side of the world.

I was just focused on trying to make something entirely different with my life from what I´m doing right now in Poland, like start looking for a job, leave my parents’ house and basically start having an “adult” life with a long to do list. In that list there are things like sail around the world or learning Japanese, but one of them was to make an EVS.

I still remember my friend and I in the terrace of a bar, talking about how incredible could be to make an EVS sometime. Then, she found one, in Poland, with theatre and camera projects, festivals… and we fell in love. I have to admit that, although I was happy for her, I feel a little bit jealous when they decided to take her to be a volunteer, but few weeks later, she told me that she finally decided to refuse it and if I was interested on going to take her place, I could do it. She changed absolutely all my plans on that moment.

They made me the interview and, a little bit nervous, I answered with my poor English that I have studied Image and theatre because both of them are my passions, that I never made an exchange outside before (just one near my hometown with amazing people from different parts of Europe making theatre of the oppressed) and that I could have a flexible sleep phase if I set my mind to it. Despite of knowing that is a very cold place and the town that I´m going to live is very small, I decided with all my impulsiveness and enthusiasm (because I can never make up my mind) to go there. I think that now is the moment to do it.

Then, I realised I had a dream long time ago: I wanted to make a film related with Basque myths. So, I decided to take back that project, making it more theatre oriented and in polish, to bring Basque culture closer to the Polish people.

The only thing I know is that I know nothing, I just know that I really want to do things here, see what this one-in-life experience can provide me and how can I contribute for it. I don´t know what the present of my future will bring, it will be decided in due course but I hope it would be a good chapter in my life. In the end, I´m just a little big person looking for his path in this not so big world.

My name is Ibon, I´m coming from the Basque Country and I have been living in this life for 24 years.

Dziękuję za uwagę.

Hey! My name is Oksana, I’m from Ukraine and my mission is to connect people. I have worked as choir conductor and singer, theatre producer, film production administrator, event manager with the aim to unite people to be one team. So for me slogan of EVS project “DO IT TOGETHER” was as the sign that I should be there.

Art management for me is a big and deep process and thanks to that I can express myself and cherish an important idea and sense. I want to popularize culture, humanity and to inspire others. And I’m extremely happy to join this team and to collaborate with the mates who love what they do.

I will be here for 1 year and this time is not only about work and projects. I won’t tell you about different cultures, interesting people, skills developing. You already know about this. But for me it’s also time for knowledge and understanding of myself. Because we never have time for this, right? So I want to learn to feel the moment, to enjoy it, to be open to the world, to see all possibilities and to use them, to think positively, to learn a lot, to be useful, to create something inspiring. Our thoughts are material and we should just understand what actually we want. It may be the most difficult part, but we should give it a try!

We arrived one week ago and with Camille we already cooked two cakes and many dishes. So yes, I think we can say that we’re the cooks of the team! I know it’s very «cliché» because we’re French and we like to cook but for me it’s a passion, as embroidery or arts in general.

After highschool I didn’t know what direction I had to follow, so I experienced differents things: Studies, works, volunteering, a Service Civique in music… But I never found my way. However, thanks to a conference about cultural works one year ago I discovered what will drives me. I want to open a cultural coffee. In one way there will be cultural events, like concerts, exhibitions, workshops… And in an other, there will be FOOOOOD, a lot of cakes, sweets and also good teas! It’s a way for me to join my passions and to share it with people.

Since that time I do all my best to make this dream come true. That’s why I think the EVS could be interesting for my project. If at first, I thought the project of the train station will help me to have more experience with how to create events, now I think that I’ll spend the year to improve my skills in baking and cooking. Be that as it may I want to use this time to discover and to improve some of my abilities. I trully feel that the EVS with the Wertep festival can be a good experience for me, I feel confortable in the team, we create an amaizing synergie and a positive atmosphere from the begining. I think it will be really important for the next months to know that we’re sourrunded by caring people.

Hello! My name is Camille, I’m 24 years old and I’m an EVS volunteer a the Postcard Association in Hajnówka. I come from the eastern part of France but I’ve lived five years in the south for my studies.

I’ve studied art restoration, registration and documentation and I really want to explore other fields of art in another country. My experiences deal with exhibition set-up, art production, mediation and I worked on an artist performance as assistant before coming here.

I’m very glad to be part of the association’s activities like the Wertep Festival or the Hajnówka Centralna renovation works. This project is very exciting because the train station offers lots of possibilities for artists! I

would like to improve my manual skills with wood or fabric, for example, maybe for creating settings and costumes for performances. Also this experience is a wonderful opportunity to live with other volunteers from Ukraine, Spain and France and share our cultures, knowledge and songs!

Pryvit and hi! My name is Olia, I`m 22. I came to Hajnówka from Kyiv, Ukraine to create something impressive. I graduated from the Kyiv Theater, Cinema and Television University as theatre critic. Before that, I worked as a teacher of acting, copywriter and journalist. I studied Polish and I was looking for a way to apply my language skills in practice.

I felt, that eventually the EVS would appear in my life. Moreover, in one moment, I timely opened the Facebook page (without any ideas) and saw this post: «The Cultural Association „Pocztówka” plans to redevelop the Railway station and create new multi-culture center». Thirty seconds of thinking and I’m in.

Now I’m writing it from Hajnówka and around me are incredible people. I think I’m lucky to have this team, because these people make me laugh every minute. I live with another Ukrainian girl, funny curly guy from Basque Country, Spain and two nice girls from France.

EVS is something more than just volunteering. It’s a kind of challenge, where you can try what you was afraid of, what you would never dare to do and here you have no choice, you are just doing it. It is your chance.

I have many plans for this EVS. I want to try myself as an actress, director and organizer. I think I will be able to apply all my skills, even the most unexpected. I know that the A3 Theatre doesn’t work with classical art – it’s constant tests, new approaches and crazy experiments.

I think it will be great project and I’m happy to be one of the creators.