Ludmyla Radyk and Tetiana Kyryliuk organize charity evenings, as well as English-language floral workshops and networking events.
We met on the summer terrace near the Museum of Contemporary Art MOCAK at lunchtime. Tania and Lyuda had little time for our conversation: they were preparing for a charity evening for Ukraine’s Independence Day. It was the first large-scale event for their community 'Ask Me Anything,’ which has been organizing integration events since June 2023. They say there are many events for Ukrainians in Poland, but there is a shortage of integration events. So, they set an ambitious goal – to address this deficit.
UAinKrakow.pl tells about events organized by Ukrainian women and who might be interested in joining them.
Networking for Expats
Lyudmyla is a photographer who has been living in Krakow for 9 years. She claims to feel like a fish in the art scene. However, the beginning of her life in Krakow was not easy. For two years, the language barrier hindered Lyudmyla’s development.
A pivotal moment in her life in Poland was volunteering at the „Month of Photography in Krakow” festival. It provided the photographer with the opportunity to meet interesting people and find opportunities for professional development. This is how networking works. Lyudmyla decided to use her integration experience to help others.
Twice a month, on Saturdays, „Ask Me Anything” hosts meetings for Krakow expats called „Talks & Friends.” People of various nationalities and professions come here to meet, introduce themselves, make friends, or establish professional contacts. In a cozy atmosphere, they can have a relaxed conversation and practice foreign languages. Lyudmyla usually sets the topics for discussion.
„On these meetings, I am the host. I observe how people communicate. If the conversation is going well, I don’t intervene; I assess the situation. I always have an event program, but I might not strictly follow it. If I see that someone among the participants finds it challenging to get to know others and engage in conversation, I assist by suggesting a topic, direction, or providing theatrical tasks to get people moving. I can also introduce various games and interactions, but only if the participants feel the need for them,” says Lyudmyla.
„The 'Talks & Friends’ format helps people find those with something in common in terms of their profession and life views. Therefore, the 'official part’ of the event doesn’t necessarily end for everyone. After the meeting, all interested individuals go somewhere for cocktails, karaoke, exchange contacts, continue conversations, and explore interesting places in Krakow together.
Floral Workshops with Live Music
Tetiana came to Krakow after the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine. In Kyiv, she organized large educational conferences and informal meetings for professionals. However, in Krakow, the girl initially lacked a community where she could spend time interestingly and profitably.
„At first, due to COVID, then due to the war, many people locked themselves at home as if in their own cocoon. And the further it went, the harder it was to get out of it. I understood how difficult it is. I wanted to break free from this cocoon in Krakow. I started looking for events but couldn’t find ones that interested me. I met Ludmyla in an art space, and, like me, she has countless ideas. We thought, why not create such events ourselves?”
This is the description of the „Blooms & Melodies” project, where floral masterclasses are combined with musical themes. All events are accompanied by live acoustic performances, and the first event in this series was a masterclass on creating wreaths for Ivan Kupala Day.
Charity Evening for Ukraine’s Independence Day
The „Ask Me Anything Community” managed to raise 36,000 hryvnias for the organization „Blood Agents” during the charity evening for Ukraine’s Independence Day. Almost 100 guests attended the event, where young cover bands performed well-known Ukrainian songs. The evening also featured the screening of the film „Ukraїner. The Movie.”
Now, Tetiana and Liudmyla are actively seeking opportunities to expand their activities, taking into account the interests and needs of community members.
You can follow the events organized by „Ask Me Anything” on their Facebook page. Liudmyla and Tetiana invite everyone who needs good company for pleasant communication, networking, and the realization of creative ideas to join them.
This publication was prepared with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of UAinKrakow.pl and cannot be considered as reflecting the views of UNHCR. For more information about UNHCR and the assistance available in Poland, visit: https://help.unhcr.org/poland/en/
You can also read this article in Ukrainian or Polish
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Tekst: Liuda Lutytska
Photo provided by Ask Me Anything
