“My-Musical (We-Musical)” is a vocal-participatory action that takes place based on the “Kitchen-Lviv” volunteer initiative and the “Pidsoma” shelter. With the outbreak of full-scale Russian aggression, the Soma.majsternia dance center turned into a shelter and a place to cook food for those in need. In 2023, the refugees of various ages continued to live within the walls of the old book factory. The arrangement of the shelter by the efforts of IDPs and activists was accompanied by the gradual making of the common household “more art-like”.
The culmination of this was an artistic residency-musical, made possible by the support of European institutions (Baltic Art Center, Milvus Artistic Research Center, and Swedish Institute). The “list of improvements” sung by the musical participants undermines the ratio of necessary and superfluous and the very dynamics of international solidarity. Whereas the self-defence skills that the refugee Volodymyr teaches in one of the stories serve as a lesson in productive aggression. IDPs and artists exchange dreams and memories, make wishes, and cook food in the midst of continuous uncertainty. Ultimately, the musical takes the form of a concert of greetings: a series of exchanging empathetic messages between various locations, generations, and types of experiences.
Team members: Dmytro Tkalenko, Tamara Tkalenko, Oleksandr Pylypeko, Olena Mordyk, Olha Marusyn (curator), Katya Libkind, Dimitriy Starkgard-Venier, Volodymyr Pylypenko, Myro Klochko (video director), Oleksii Minko, Iryna Loskot, Tomash Hazhlinski, Larion Lozovoy, Tonya Zelenina.
“My-Musical (We-Musical)” took place within the framework of the Kindling project from the Baltic Art Center, together with Milvus Artistic Research Center, Soma.majsternia, and Sorry No Rooms Available, with the support of the Swedish Institute.