The first international youth exchange of the International Youth Center – Burgas has passed. A main goal of the residency was to look into the similarities and differences between the two cultures and to record a podcast on the topic in the end. But, in order for authentic conversations to happen, there first need to be space for free self-expression that brings the group together.
Getting to know each other…
That is why the first day of the residency was set aside especially for bonding. Through various activities, participants had the opportunity to learn more about one another, relax and let their curiosity lead the process. As part of the Culture night event, the group visited the Hight school of Tourism “Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov”, where the young people prepared typical Bulgarian pastries. The Icelandic students learned how to make banitsa, pitka and apple strudel. The icing on the cake that day was the Dance Ensemble “Nikola Ginov”, who taught the Icelandic students (and the Bulgarian ones) some of the most popular Bulgarian folk dances.
Let’s get to work…
On the second day, we started with presentations of the two countries and the typical things in everyday life of Bulgarian and Icelanding students. The presentations opened a space for discussions between the participants related to school, free time, nature, traditions and challenges of the modern day. This day we also visited the PlanetUm Science Center, which turned out to be very interesting for everyone. The youngsters wasted no time and tried out all the interactive devices in the museum and once again realized the connection between the natural forces of air, water and electricity. This was followed by the recording of group podcasts where the participants practiced their conversational skills. The main topics were sports, free time and cultural characteristics of Bulgarian and Icelandic culture.
A visit to the Youth Centre of Sredets…
On the last day of the visit, the young people visited the Youth Center in the town of Sredets and learned about its activities. Did you know that in Iceland, every school has its own youth center? Here the participants had the opportunity to compare their youth center with the one in Sredets. There was free time for everyone to participate in workshops on various crafts: soap and candles making, weaving and pottery. There was also a great interest in beach tennis, which the students had the opportunity to try. The third and last day of the Creative Residency was a good time to also explore the “Chengene Skele” Fisherman’s Village and the city of Sozopol. It was very exciting and interesting for everyone to learn about the historical importance of these places, as well as to try a typical fish dish for our maritime latitudes – fried bonito.
Saying Goodbye…
No matter how good something is, it must have its end. Although short, this exchange formed new friendships between the Bulgarian and Icelandic youth, taught us to be more tolerant of differences in other people, helped us get to know Iceland and reminded us to love our homeland even more. But this is not the end! The Bulgarian and Icelandic participants promised to see each other again, this time perhaps on Icelandic land – at our next youth exchange.
Gratitude…
International Youth Centre-Burgas wants to thank its partners and participants, without which this exchange wouldn’t have been the same! Big thanks to Cultural Youth Centre, FTA”Nikola Ginov”, High School of Tourism “Prof. dr. Asen Zlatarov”, Youth Centre-Sredets, Regional Library “Peyo Yavorov”, Science centre “PlanetUm” and Burgas Municipality.
