// Project summary
The youth exchange “Photo Talk” includes two different dimensions which interact: The first is the meaning of the image in our life, photo “evolution” from first black and white picture till digital photo today.
The second dimension is the image as important tool in every day communication and in research the other cultures. This Youth exchange will be hosted in South-Italia, Altamura, with participants from Italy, Latvia, Slovakia, France and the Netherlands from 16 until 25. The youngsters will create an intercultural dialogue in pictures without big necessarity to speak the same language.
// Final Evaluation (Training)
We are happy about the last evening, the exhibition was really great and also the After-Party was perfect. But anyway today is the last activity-day, that means we are talking about how the project went on, what the participants liked and what not. Also thinking always about the second part of the project: Photo Talk in Latvia, in June 2009
The evaluation was really positive, and at the end it was possible to see that everyone stayed good. The worst thing was, of course, the problem with the cold shower... but when the technique is not working, there is nothing to do... Still sorry people! :)
posted by Link on 07/05/2009
// Group Pictures (Event)
Here you can find some pictures of our beautiful group in different situations
posted by Link on 07/05/2009
// Exhibition (Training)
The whole day we were preparing, sticking, looking, cutting, hanging, running and waiting :)
After all the day preparing at 19 o´clock we opened the exhibition!
It was a really emotional evening, the see finally the whole work "hanging" at the wall. Many people came to see our pictures and filled some pages of our "visitor book" with nice comments.
We are really proud of this exhibition and of the participants!
posted by Link on 06/05/2009
// Promotion (Training)
The evening before our exhibition we went out in the city with the promotion material which we prepared the days before to make the people noticing about our presents.
The streets were full of people because it was a local holiday, so we had a lot of fun with talking to the people and promotion our own event.
posted by Link on 05/05/2009
// Real italian Pizza (Diner)
Tonight we decided to go together to a REAL ITALIAN PIZZARIA, because of course the participants can not go home without trying it! ... And yes, the expectations were absolutelly fullfilled. We had a nice evening with a tasty pizza.
posted by Link on 03/05/2009
// Working on the calendar (Training)
The sunday afternoon we dedicated on our Follow-Up, the calendar of 2010, which will showe pictures of people who are living in Altamura since short or long time, but coming actually from another country and culture.
We organized already during the preperation time the meetings of the participants and the seven “models”, and finally on sunday they met. We were in groups of 4 persons, and we had fun speaking with these people who decided to live their life in Altamura.
Moreover all of them have really interesting life-stories, and with "using" them in our calendar we want to show to everybody that many times people who live abroad choose it and they are not "poor immigrants" as they are often presented in the mass-media.
For this pictures we decided to choose the Black and White techniques, because like this we also had the chance to work on this topic. This calendare will be prepared in the Follow-Up periode.
posted by Link on 03/05/2009
// Free evening (Party)
To complete the "exchange" between the local people and all the participants of the Youth Exchange we could not miss out to go in a Pub on saturday night. We went together to a nice "in-bar" of Altamura and had a lot of fun. For having enough time to stay together also with the local community, the leaders decided to give a free morning on sunday!!! :D This was a really nice surprise.
posted by Link on 02/05/2009
// Matera - Architecture (Training)
The 1st of May is holiday in Italy, also therefor we decided to plan for this day something nice. In the morning we had first a small presentation of the topic of the day "Architecture and Landscape" and after we took the bus and the van and we went to MATERA.
This is a really special city 30 min far from Altamura, appart from the beautiful canyon on one side of the city it is also an UNESCO city and has a unice historical center.
The participants had a lot of fun to discover this typical italian city and to concentrate the first time really to make good pictures for the exhibition.
posted by Link on 01/05/2009
// Murgia - Landscape (Training)
After the trip to Matera we came back to Altamura and went directly into the nature, on the hills of the "Murgia". This is a part of a National Park which is around Altamura.
There we concentrated on the topic landscape, also for our exhibition. After a trip in small groups, or up on the hill, or down in the valley, we enjoyed together the sunset at the "pulo".
posted by Link on 01/05/2009
// 3. day (Training)
During the 3rd day we already went deeper in the topic of photography. We saw some old cameras of Antonio, to understand the differences and the developement from the year 1930 until today. Now in the afternoon the participants are doing the first exercise "Playing with the light".
Tonight will be the Intercultural Evening where the four hosted countries will present their culture, food, drinks and dances.
posted by Link on 30/04/2009
// Intercultural Evening (Party)
Here we have some pic´s about our "Intercultural Evening"! Every country brought things to eat and drink and also to see and touch. We saw presentations with pictures of the Netherlands, Slovakia, Latvia and France, they showed us traditional dances and songs and at the end we eat from the national buffets. We had a lot of fun this evening, and now we know more about the cultures of the other participants!
posted by Link on 30/04/2009
// Foto-CV (Training)
The first activity which was giving us the chance to get in touch with the topic of the exchange and additionally to present ourself was the "Foto-CV".
Everyone brought pictures from at home, portraits and pictures about our life, so for example pictures about the family, the friends, the favourit pub, the school... what ever we wanted. With this pictures and with pieces of newspapers everyone created his own CV on a big piece of white paper.
This was a really nice thing to see and understand more about the other persons around, and moreover to use the picutres and the newspaper "speaking".
posted by Link on 29/04/2009
// 2. day (Training)
Life without images? - This was the first workshop we had today in the morning. Antonio explained us how important actually pictures are in our lifes, and without it is just not possible :)
The next workshop was about to creat promotion material for our exhibition on the 6th of May. The participants came up with many strange, beautiful and just CREATIVE ideas which we will develope during these days and put in action the day before the exhibition.
In the afternoon we made a treasure hunt in the historical center of Altamura. Because of the rain we had to start 1 hour later, but at the end we had a lot of fun! The first and the second group arrived with 2 seconds of differenze so we organized that both group can receive the TREASURE, which was a delicious ice-cream of Yoghurtlandia. Thanks again for this nice sponsoring!
posted by Link on 29/04/2009
// Latvians are coming! (Event)
Latvians are coming.
See everybody today in the evening!
posted by Link on 28/04/2009
// START (Party)
After a first beautiful day with activities we are all happy to stay together in Altamura. During this day we played a lot of games to get to know each other, to understand which fears and expectations we have, and with the creation of a "Foto-CV" we had the first contact with pictures.
The latvian group arrived punctually at 22:00 with the airplane and we welcomed them with a big italian "Welcome Buffet".
Already early we went to sleep to be ready for the next 9 wonderfull Youth Exchange days!
posted by Link on 28/04/2009
// It´s starting! (Event)
Tonight arrive the first group. Buoncammino is ready to be occupied with our mission "PHOTO TALK".
Read here soon how it is going on.
posted by Link on 26/04/2009
// meteo (Party)
Good or bad news before?
First the bad: At the moment it´s raining, really really heavy rain.
But the good news: The www.meteo.it says that after sunday everything will become better!! And the will be more than 15°C!!! :D:D
So, let´s cross fingers, that it will really be like this.
The whole LINK-Team is waiting on YOU :D
posted by Link on 24/04/2009
// French arrivals (Event)
Yes, also french people will arrive in time for a energetic participation in our project!
They arrive with a flight from Paris to Bari the 27. April in the afternoon and they depart the 8. May at mid day.
Bon voyage!
posted by Link on 21/04/2009
// Arrivals (Event)
After the slovakian group we know now also the arrival times of the group from Holland and from Latvia.
The first group arrives from Amsterdam to Bari already the 26th at midnight, and will depart the 8. May in the afternoon. The latvian group instead arrives the 28 April in the evening, because unfortunately they did not find any conveniente flight before, and they will depart the 9. May in the night.
posted by Link on 20/04/2009
// Slovakian group arrives (Training)
We got the confirmation that we will welcome the slovakian group on the 27th of April at 17:00 at the airport of Bari!
They will start their travel really early in the morning from their hometown and flight then at 8 in the moring from Bratislava to Milan. After a break in Milan they fly at 15:30 to Bari and arrive so at 17:00. So we hope there will be no problem!
They also know already that the will flight home the 8th of May from Bari and after a stop in Rom they will arrive in Bratislava.
"STASTNU CESTU"
posted by Link on 17/04/2009
// Accomodation (Culture)
The whole group of the Youth Exchange will together in a house 15 min outside of Altamura called Buoncammino. This house was used before as a theological seminary, since one year LINK is using it for projects.
The rooms are for 4 or 5 people, and every room has it´s own bathroom with shower.
In front of the house is a big garden which we will use for the activities and maybe, if the weather is good, also for music-sessions and barbecue.
From the house you have the possiblity to reach the Murgia in 10 min. Murgia is the name of the hills and the National Park around Altamura.
The streets there are very famous for doing sport like speed-walking, running or cycling.
In the other direction you find by feed in 10 min the train-station or the city bus station and in 20 min the center of Altamura.
posted by Link on 16/04/2009
// Il tempo... (Culture)
When I woke up this morning I was really disappointed, because it seems the spring-time is already over and we are pushed forward to autumn. It is cloudy, raining and quite cold!
The weather prognoses are really bad.
So please do not forget to take your sleeping bag, comfortable and warm clothes!
But anyway, also this weather will not keep us off heaving a lot of FUN!
posted by Link on 16/04/2009
// Program (Training)
Here you can find the FINAL PROGRAM of the Youth Exchange.
posted by Link on 13/04/2009
// Latvian group meeting (Event)
On Monday 6 April 2009 Latvian group – Sintija (16), Santa (16), Laura (18), Elvijs (19) and Artis (top secret) had the first introduction and preparation meeting in cosy Double Coffee Riga, Latvia. In 1,5h they briefly went thought project programme and practical information. Still unclear but seems that Latvian group will arrive in the late evening of 28 April 2009, because of cheap Ryanair airlines tickets.
There were big discussions about international evening and Latvian food preparation, some participants preferred “peas with bacon”, some “Russian salad” but final decision was after group leader Artis, so be prepared for some “real and traditional” Latvian dishes.
posted by Link on 06/04/2009
// ready, set, GO (Event)
A table with some pieces of "foccaccia" on it and 6 people around - our meeting on the 4th of April.
It was not easy to bring all 4 participants, plus leader and co-leader around one table, but we did it, and it was a success. We discussed about the programm, the international evening, the whole process of an youth exchange and many other things.
It was a nice and funny meeting and all together we are curious to get to know the other participants!
posted by Link on 04/04/2009
// First Meeting of Italian Participants (Diner)
After a intesiv work to build the group of the italian participants tomorrow we will have the first "official" preperation meeting.
We, Antonio and Birgit, are really happy to get to know them now, after many e-mails, CV´s and motivation letters.
We will inform you soon about how our meeting was going on!
posted by Link on 03/04/2009
// APV (Training)
Advanced Planning Visit - complicated name, simple meeting.
We had from the 28. March until today the 31. March the so called APV, means Teun from Holland, Rodolfo from Slovakia, Artis from Latvia and Yann from France came to Italy, Altamura to meet Birgit and Antonio.
We had 2 days for discussing the programm, the rules, the actitivies and all the other stuff of the Youth Exchange. We saw together the hosting-accomondation, Matera where we will go for a shooting, they got to know the surroundings and of course we got to know each other.
It was a really fruit-full meeting and we had also some fun :)
Now the programm is fixed. The activies are discussed and can be prepared. Many questions are answered and many new questions came up be answered.
So now, let´s start WORKING!
Best comment:
"I have this feeling, that this Youth Exchange will be really good!" Teun
posted by Link on 31/03/2009
// !Change of Dates! (Event)
Because of accomondation problems we need to change the dates of the Youth Exchange.
Now it will happen from the 27th of April until the 8th of May.
We are sorry for this change, but it was not possible different.
posted by Link on 27/03/2009
// Preperation (Culture)
Hy people out there!
Our Youth Exchange is coming always nearer, and we are already in the preperation phase.
in 10 days we will have the APV - Advanced Planning Visit with all the 5 leaders of the countrys Slovakia, Holland, Latvia, France and Italy! There we will discuss about the programm, the activities, working methods and we will show them the place where everything will happen.
We are looking forward to see you soon.
posted by Link on 17/03/2009
// Photo Talk (Culture)
The idea of this Youth Exchange was once born by an EVS volunteer called Sintija. She really likes to take pictures and so she thought about how to connect youngsters and photography.... and PhotoTalk was born (there it was still called "Parliamo con le foto").
We applied for this Youth Exchange bilateral, but it was not approved in one country. So we tried it again multi-lateral with the countries: Italy, Slovakia, France, Holland and Latvia.
And - it has been approved!
After all the paperwork we are now thinking, planning, organizing everything.
You are all invited to write comments on this blog!
Have fun following our project on this blog!
posted by Link on 15/03/2009