NEOsvitnii ArsenalEducational

NEOsvitnii Arsenal

The festival for kids and teenagers NEOsvitnii Arsenal is Mystetskyi Arsenal’s project which took place for the second time in 2021. For the previous five years, the festival was held under the name Arsenal of Ideas.

The prefix “NEO” in the title of the festival sends us to the joy of knowledge in a new way — for everyone, regardless of their age or needs (demands). NEOsvitnii Arsenal embodies our belief in the power of education through artistic practices, creative experience, interaction with cultural and historical material. The importance of game form and free choice, where the best result shows education in the field of culture, only reinforces the child’s innate crave for knowledge.

Within the Arsenal’s walls four days long the festival gathers the representatives of more than 50 organizations, who conduct their activities in the field of culture and creative industry, in particular museum educators, to represent their museums’ educational programs. All potential participants suggested for consideration to a group of curators a certain set of activities according to their main function and the festival’s focus. The festival of 2021 raised the topic of fascinating search and discovery through approaching, close-up examination, cognition under the microscope of the inner world — mental and emotional, — as well as the outside world, — social life (in historical and modern slice) and the world of nature. The process of cognitive approximation, thorough deepening and concentrated learning — simultaneously through the game and interaction — also is about acquaintance with something different, raising serious social questions, like inclusion, which was weaved into the fabric of the festival.

Integration of the arts, museums and cultural practices and education lies in the basis of activity of the festival’s participants — all the activities which promote development of creative thinking, research searchers, better understanding of themselves and the world through various museum, cultural and artistic experiences. In particular, for the museums-participants this activity was also complemented by using artifacts and experiences of museum heritage, which were in the focus of their educational programs during the festival.

Every year approximately 5 000 people visit NEOsvitnii Arsenal, mostly those are school aged children. During the existence of the festival, organizers made much effort to make it as accessible as possible for all groups of children, and also — in different ways strengthen the theme of inclusiveness and vulnerability.

NEOsvitnii Arsenal 2021

NEOsvitnii Arsenal 2020