The Youth Exchange Soul Connection Estonia which held in 2016 in Narva, Estonia, blended folklore dances from different parts of Europe, (Baltic and Balkan countries). Participants taught each other traditional dances, shared culture, and learned new dancing steps as tools for intercultural learning. The youth exchange was designed to blend groups, so each participant was able to learn traditional dances from all countries. The aim of the project was very simple: unifying through diversity! Through folklore dances, participants were encouraged to feel as part of one Europe. The public performance for the grand finale of the youth exchange included the local community where they also had the chance to be part of the promotion of the unifying idea about Europe. The methods that had been established were intercultural and non-formal learning methods as part of the process of implementation of this youth exchange and set the participants in a position where they learned from each other and taught each other about their customs, traditions, everyday life and perception of Europe in general.
Each group had participants coming from socially excluded groups (Roma youth, disabled youth, minority youth) and the youth exchange gave them opportunity to feel as part of the mainstream culture and unifying Europe. With the inclusion of the youth with fewer opportunities, we had the opportunity to include them into the Erasmus + Programme as a programme for all young people of Europe. The participants of the Youth Exchange have promoted not only their national cultures, but the cultures of the minority groups as part of their society.
The main objective of this youth exchange was to focus on the presentation of the cultural diversity that is present in the countires that are participanting in the exchange. The idea was to focus not only on the diversity of country to country, but also the diversities that exist in the countries themselves.
Every European country nowadays consist of a multitutde of cultures living and co-existing together in the same society. This co-existance often leads to misinterpretations of each culture that exists in a country.
Final Concert was held in TARTU University in Narva.
Thanks for support for costumes of Bulgarian participants to our partner Ensemble CHINARCHE - Kazichene and personaly to Director Stefka Zvezdanova.