Ukrainian artists: ‘Screen our films’

In a call with European colleagues this week, arts workers from Ukraine were despondent. 

There's little to no cultural activity taking place in the besieged country, as artists are forced to flee or fight. Their focus has shifted instead to providing humanitarian aid.

Talk about how to support the arts felt futile. Anton Ovichinnikov, Founder of contemporary dance festival Zelyonka, likened it to the film Don't Look Up, in which an asteroid is headed for earth but everyone is too preoccupied to do much about it: "Since all of this started I never even had a wish to talk about the performing arts."

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He is staying near Boryspil International Airport, outside Kyiv, having reasoned that the country's largest airport will be heavily protected. He signed up for Ukraine's growing civilian army last week.

"I'm now actually in the situation where I'm ready to take a gun and go protect my country."

Veronika Skliarova, programme director for a performing and visual arts fesitval, echoed his sentiments: "It's very hard to structure and gather ourselves and think about next steps," she said from a family friend's house in Warsaw.

"But I hope you can colleagues in Ukraine as I am."

Here's what they say you can do to help.

Screen Ukranian films

Mykhailo Glubokyi, Development Director of cultural platform Izolyatsia, recommends showing Ukrainian films as fundraisers.

Doing so helps keep Ukrainian identity alive and counter Russian misinformation about the country. "We need humanitarian help but we also need informational support," Glubokyi said.

Takflix sells English subtitled films and gives 50% of profits to humanitarian organisations.

Protect Ukranian archives

Skliarova is working from Poland to secure Ukrainian art archives. Distinctive folk art from the 1920s is at particular risk after the Ivankiv museum was burned down.

"We need to save at least some of that in a space space," Skliarova said.

You can help build digital archives by visiting Saving Ukrainian Heritage Online.

Become a host

Artists at Risk is appealing for host organisations to provide temporary accommodation for Ukrainian refugee arts workers.

Up to 50 people are joining its waiting list every day. "We want to facilitate artists to come as artists and continue their profession," Co-Founder Marita Muukkonen said.

Registering your interest is easy. If you can't host, there is a visa and documentation that's helping gather the necessary paperwork and navigate immigration processes.

Stay connected

One of the longer-term challenges for Ukraine will be rebuilding its cultural infrastructure.

"We had this network and now we have nothing. It's not only institutions and buildings that are ruined; it's systems of being together," Skliarova said.

Izolyatsia, Glubokyi's organisation, was evicted from its building in Donetsk by Russian soldiers in 2014. "We were forced to start from scratch in Kyiv… now we need to run from the city and lose all these all these developments again."

Ovichinnikov urged cultural organisations to share opportunities for residencies through their European networks, saying they will be passed on where possible.

Continue the boycott

While views on this differ, Ovichinnikov was unequivocal: "Never share projects with Russia."

He and Skliarova called on international arts organisations to adopt the same stance.

"That's my position and it's not only my position," he said. "We will never participate in the same projects as Russian colleagues."