Arts Lab 6.0: Katrīna Elizabete Kiršfelde - Month 1

During this month, I participated in various activities and events that contributed to my personal and our team's growth. We organized various workshops, visited the Jewish cemetery in Tărgu Frumos, traveled to Iași, Todirești, Tătăruși and more. A lot happened in this one month of being here, but the highlights would definitely be getting to know my team and managing a 5 day workshop in the special highschool “Moldova”. 

Before coming here, I was concerned about my colleagues. I was scared that I wouldn't fit in or feel like a part of the team. After all, we would spend 7 months together. But in the first few days I already felt like I could feel safe around everyone in my team, the concerns were gone and we already did so many things together. It is a blessing to have such considerate people with me in this project, getting to know each other's cultures and forming friendships has been so interesting. 

The workshop, on the other hand, wasn't so effortless. We worked with children with visual impairments, which was very challenging, also considering the language barrier. It took a lot of courage and energy, but it felt very rewarding after the workshop had finished. These kids made me think of life differently and made me appreciate the gifts given to me that others may not have. 

 Another memorable day was the night of galleries in Iași, where half of our team went to get some insights and inspiration. We spent almost the entire night there, three of us also went to the cinema, got some food and came back to Tărgu Frumos by the earliest train at 5:00. It was a memorable time with my amazing teammates.

This month was filled with a range of emotions. At the beginning, I felt nervous, insecure, and shy as I adjusted to the new environment. As I participated in the events, I felt more confident, engaged, and challenged in a good way. The changes of the environment and moving to a different country were exciting but also overwhelming at times, particularly when I’m living together with 13 other people and sometimes crave a bit of privacy, and I find myself completely alone in the “big world”. However, I’ve started to feel more comfortable, and getting to know my teammates and bonding with them over certain activities boosted my confidence. 

I think the most important thing I’ve learned so far is independence. I’ve never been away from home for this long and I've never had to buy all the groceries and cook for myself every single day. It was very exciting for me to do all of this and learn how to become more self-reliant. 

In the coming months, I plan to continue focusing on improving myself and my growth. I’m looking forward to advancing my ceramics and pottery skills and, of course, growing closer with my lovely team members. Overall, I’m excited for the months ahead and look forward to making the most of this incredible experience!

Report written by Katrīna Elizabete Kiršfelde, she's from Latvia and she's one of the 14 volunteers participating in Arts Lab 6.0, a project co-funded by the European Union through the European Solidarity Corps program.