A journey to a village in Ukraine from a park in Brighton: videos and conversation about land, people, nature and belonging.
Last summer two of us, Vladyslava Bondar and Marek Kohn, travelled to the village in the middle of Ukraine that inspired out our Kupala Brighton project. It was a long, intense trip, filled with discoveries, insights, beauty, life and fun – as well as the constant presence of war. Going there was a tour, a trek, a pilgrimage and, for Vladyslava, a return home.
We’ll tell the story of our journey last summer in words and images that offer new ways to see Ukraine, to understand Ukrainians’ experiences, and to connect with Ukrainians here in Brighton.
Vladyslava was inspired by her memories of her grandparents’ village to organise the Kupala midsummer festival, in Preston Park, that helped bring Ukrainians together when they came here in 2022. It then inspired our project, which aims to bring Ukrainians and non-Ukrainians together around shared love of nature, land and folklore. Let’s get that started at the Rose Hill, just before midsummer comes around again!
Proceeds from Silence and Sirens will go to Stand for U, the local Ukrainian humanitarian charity that sends vehicles to evacuate civilians from frontline territories in Ukraine.