Hello and welcome to the May edition of our A4 fanzine In & Around. As EVS volunteers we have the great opportunity to meet other volunteers who are making their projects all around Slovakia and learn more about their program and experiences. This time we decided to tell you the story of Giorgi.
Giorgi heard about EVS from a friend of his who did a project in Portugal, and he really liked the idea of doing a gap year and giving himself some time to think about life and his personal way in it. As he was born in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, he aimed for a project in a small city where he can be near the nature and experience life in a smaller community. After a short research on a couple of Facebook groups (such as EVS vacancy) he applied for some projects and soon after got accepted in Banská Štiavnica. There he worked in an organization which’s main duties were to help with the restoration of a church and also help with the maintenance of the local scout camp.
After four months in Banska Štiavnica he got invited to do another project in Slovakia for the next eight months of his EVS year and therefore is currently living in Piestany. He is doing various things there – working with children, helping elderly people learn useful computer skills and helping with planting trees in the nearby fields.
As one of his hobbies is photography, he had a great opportunity to travel and experiment with his camera and take photos in a new environment. He loves collecting memories and plans to make a photo exhibition in the end of his project, which will represent the people he met and his one-year path in Slovakia.
Through his EVS Giorgi learned that the most important thing is to do something you really enjoy during your voluntary year. As EVS is about non-formal education and gathering useful skills, you have to be passionate about your tasks and duties. The second very important thing he learned is how to manage his free time after the daily responsibilities. Since all volunteers come alone from a foreign country into a foreign country, there is a period of integration, exploring and finding new friends. For Giorgi EVS is all about human relationships and interaction; he feels that this voluntary year is one of a kind chance to meet people from all around Europe and see the world around you differently.
If you also want to experience this kind of adventure and try to discover new cultures and new aspects of your personality, feel more than welcomed to contact our EVS coordinator Ľudovít at mobility@a4.sk. A4 is not just a receiving organization but also a sending one, so we can help you with tons of useful information.
Magdalena Tsaneva with Giorgi Bagrationi
4 reasons to watch Touch me Not
The next Sunday 12th of May we have a date in A4 to watch “Touch me not”, by Adina Pintilie. Let us give you 4 reasons why to come and share this cinema evening with us:
1. The Golden Bear
This movie won the Berlinale’s first price in 2018. Due to its experimental characteristics and uncomfortable topics as sexual frustration or sex scenes between disabled people, film critics and audience had divided opinions. Through an irregular structure and opened speech, this work tries to open boundaries beyond the preconceived ideas of romantic relationships.
2. Adina Pintilie
This is the first full-length film by the Romanian filmmaker Adina Pintilie. In it she mixes fiction and documentary as she searches for the meaning of love and intimacy through both genres. Even though sometimes it appears as if she was reinforcing her personal point of view in the movie, she is also trying to ask the audience questions. The three intertwined storylines are told through characters that try to overcome the limitations of expressing their feelings and have sexual relationships.
3. Soundtrack
The music by the German band Einstürzende Neubauten leads the main character Laura through her personal search. This way the highest points are scored by the song “Die Befindlichkeit des Landes”, which describes the mental wounds of Laura in a metaphorical way.
4. Revival
You won’t have the opportunity to watch this movie screened again because it’s not currently available in cinemas.
Interview with Gabriela Gažová
Can you tell us about yourself and how you decided to work with art?
I studied art for almost eight years and at some point it has become an inseparable part of my life. I always liked to think outside the box, and that’s kind of a definition of “working with art” for me. I also like to have an excuse to do anything and everything.
You are also the new Production Manager in A4, what do you think people definitely have to experience in the space?
Come to see everything that is too experimental to be found anywhere else, even if you don’t like the genre or don’t know the artist. A4’s program can really broaden your art views, especially the music events and experimental theatre. I personally also like to go to cinema here, because – again – you can find films that are not screened anywhere else in Bratislava here.
How do you create your works? What inspires you?
It depends. Many things inspire me to document them – daily still lifes, funny compositions of objects to photograph, faces of my friends and street views to draw… But creating an actual work with a vision and ambition often comes out of anger or irritation (often regarding sexism and gender issues).
What is the inspiration behind your work that we are showing in In&Around?
It’s just me and my friend Jakub dancing and moving around. I sketched it when I missed him during my exchange stay in Prague! In no time he was there visiting me though, and we were doing exactly what you see on the picture.
In the end of our interview we always ask this question: What did you want to be when you were a child?
I don’t remember formulating it but I remember doing it – bossing people around (in the kindergarten or my poor baby brother at home) to rehearse highly entertaining performances. I liked to organize everything and everybody (hoping for a fun and creative result!)
If you would also like to be featured in our last June edition of In & Around fanzine, send your submission to inandarounda4@gmail.com
This month in A4: English friendly program
3rd, Fr., 20:00 – tEóRia OtraSu (SK) concert (7€)
4th, Sat., 15:00 – Creative Recycling (free) three workshops
12th, Sun., 19:00 – Touch Me Not, movie (3€) RO/EN + CZ sub.
14th, Tue., 20:00 – Breaking the Waves, movie (free) Silent cinema
15th, Wed., 18:30 – Nae Pasaran, movie (free) EN sub.
27th, Mon., 20:00 – Niveau stable, dance (free)
30th, Thr., 20:00 – Helicopter String Quartet, movie (3€) EN sub.
31st, Fr., 21:00 – Dafna Naphtali, Edith Lettner (US, AT), Slávo Krekovič, concert (8€)