NEWS

ERASMUS+ YOUTH EXCHANGE

ArtDECO

Art Decoration and ECOlogy

06 – 13 May 2022

Căpățâneni, Romania

ArtDECO – A Youth Poetry

In the land of ArtDECO,

Where youth from far and near,

Gathered to learn and grow,

And bring new ideas here.

With Erasmus Plus as guide,

They embarked on a quest,

To better understand,

Ecology at its best.

They learned of recycling,

And up-cycling too,

Ways to reduce waste,

And protect what’s true.

They played with art,

Using materials found,

In nature’s bounty,

A beautiful sound.

They crafted new creations,

From old and cast aside,

Giving new life,

To things once denied.

Sustainability their goal,

A future bright and green,

Thanks to the ArtDECO youth,

And what they’ve seen.

So let us all take note,

Of the lessons they’ve imparted,

And strive to make a change,

With an open and kind heart.

Our ArtDECO Exhibition

(Make the image bigger by clicking on it)

Home

Sacred

Ecosystem

Graveyard of a planet

Joy

ArtDECO on words

Through this project, we wanted to promote among young people understanding of key concepts and principles related to sustainability materialized into “The art of upcycling / Upcycling into ART” approach.

Upcycling is the process of turning waste, often of the sort that is usually considered “unrecyclable”, into something that is useful or of value. A popular form of upcycling involves creating art with items of waste, and the results can be spectacular. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, fashions change with the wind and exceptional artists are few and far between. Many bits of junk simply get “upcycled” into a different form of junk that will find its way into landfills within a short space of time, so it’s worth asking the question, “What Makes For Good Upcycling?”

The specific objectives of our project were:

1. To develop young people’s knowledge of environmental and social issues at local and global level through Upcycling Art.

2. To encourage youth active participation for sustainability promotion, including art, upscaling and upcycling – on personal, local or global scale.

The activities we have implemented during the project can be split into 4 sections:

1. Workshops with art experts: Participants attended workshops with art experts where they learned to make sculptures out of ipsos and wood, and other materials found in nature. These workshops were designed to help participants understand the creative possibilities of upcycling and develop their skills in creating art.

2. Creative activities: Participants took part in a variety of creative activities, such as making art using materials found in nature, upcycling old items, and experimenting with different techniques for creating art from recycled materials. These activities were designed to help participants understand the importance of reducing waste, protecting the environment and finding creative ways to reuse materials.

3. Outdoor activities: Participants went on field trips, such as visiting the Golești Museum where they could learn about the local culture and traditional ways of life, and how they relate to sustainability and upcycling.

4. Group work: Participants worked in small groups to better understand the environmental issues, and how to reduce the impact of their actions. This was done using a variety of non-formal education methods, which were interactive and based on the learners’ experiences. This approach allowed the participants to learn in an informal and relaxed setting, and engage in activities that were tailored to their interests and needs.

And we… the participants

Testiomonials

I had such a great time during the youth exchange and I learned so much about upcycling and sustainability. The art workshops were fun and I was able to take home a piece of art that I made myself. The intercultural trips were also really interesting and I enjoyed learning about the traditional ways of life in Romania. I also made a lot of friends from different countries and that was a great experience for me.

Participating in the ArtDECO youth exchange was an incredibly eye-opening experience for me. I had never really thought about the impact of my actions on the environment before, but after this, I was able to realise that there is a lot I can do and to see just how much potential there is in upcycling and reducing waste. I’m grateful I was able to participate in this project and to gain so great knowledge and memories. 

I was really impressed with the art workshops we had during the youth exchange. I never thought I would be able to make something so beautiful out of recycled materials. It was so inspiring to see how we could be creative and help the environment at the same time.

Evaluation

The project “Act-Up – Art Decoration and ECOlogy” was financed with the support of European Commission through Erasmus+ Programme. This blog reflects only the author’s views, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.