Meetings with celebrities, such as actors, musicians, and writers, which were quite a popular phenomenon a few decades ago and known as “creative meetings,” are to be restored as part of the Art Class project. Initiated by My Ukraine, an international charitable foundation, they will call for emotional contacts without formality or bombast.
The organizers promise that all master classes will be held in an absolutely “homey atmosphere.” Olha Sumska, Bohdan Stupka, Sviatoslav Vakarchuk, Oleksandr Ponomariov, Les Poderviansky, Diana Dorozhkina, Oleh Skrypka, Vlad Yama, and Irena Karpa — these stars, who differ so much in temperament and artistic manner, will be mingling with audiences and answering even the most ticklish questions, while musicians will add live sound to this free communication. The Art Class project coordinator Anna Zakletska emphasizes that all proceeds from the sale of masterclass tickets (to be sold at about 100 hryvnias) will be spent to meet the needs of art and culture institutions, including the Ivan Honchar Museum. The project is tentatively planned to run for 18 months. Besides, Art Class will also help young Ukrainian artists, writers, designers, and musicians by popularizing their oeuvre. For example, the Kyiv-based art club Babai recently opened an exhibit of the artist Yulia Poliakova.
The first master classes, to be held in the near future (the organizers are hesitating to fix the date due to a tense sociopolitical situation in this country), will present Nina Matvienko and the theatrical duet of Bohdan Beniuk and Anatolii Khostikoiev.
“The talented people of my generation have a need to speak out, share their views, ‘confess,’ and reveal something innermost. Ukraine is very rich in people of inimitable capabilities and talents. [Russian singer] Liudmila Zykina once said she was afraid to travel to Ukraine because here even roosters crow in a special way,” said Matvienko at the Art Class project launching ceremony. “Ukraine has not yet heard or seen these people. To make ourselves known, we will start in Kyiv and then move deep into the hinterland.”
The organizers claim that all the stars will participate on an unpaid basis in the project.
“I do not need money; I want to ‘sing my heart out,’ live and mingle with Ukrainians,” Matvienko says. “Do we really need to wait for political occasions and elections in order to be heard? Shame!”
A representative of the Kyiv Media Holding, the project’s main media partner, said at a press conference that viewers of the Kyiv TV municipal channel will very soon watch the recorded version of these meetings. Besides, this channel promises to introduce the culture and art program Young Literature, which is now being prepared in cooperation with Art Class. Naturally, by breaking free from the narrow circle of masterclasses and reaching broad audiences, the project would be of special value to Ukrainian society, because many of our contemporaries still remain “unconfessed” and unheard.
