Carnaval de Nonformal – great Project – great Experience – Christina Starke

After weeks of preparation our Carnaval de Nonformal started on Monday the 7th of October. The weather was great, the sun was shining and it was very warm – it was a perfect day. We opened up the Info-Point in the old center and from 3 o’clock Street Animation, the method I was in charge of, started. Many Volunteers came, but what is even more important, local people came too. Especially kids. We twisted all day long balloons and gave them to children all around the old center. Even though Street Animation was scheduled from 3 to 4:30, we stayed until 7.

During the following days I  taught children and youngsters how to juggle, play the Diabolo or walk on the Slackline. I twisted hundreds of balloons, read a living book and participated in a Flashmob.

The Street Animation did not always happen as planned, one day we choose the wrong place another one we had rain, but in the end I am satisfied with my method.

Through my method, which took place every day in the afternoon, I cold not visit all the other activities, but the once I saw were very good, OK maybe except the Umbrella – Flashmob, which did not take place, because there was no rain. 🙂 But the Meditation – Flashmob was fun and many people stopped and watched.

On Saturday I visited together with Solvita the Living Library I was positively surprised how good that works. We read “The Roma” and I learned some really interesting things I did not know before. For example that they have an own language, and all the different groups in the different countries have again different languages.

The Photo Voice exhibition was impressive too, I really liked it and it was interesting to watch the people and their reaction when they looked at the pictures and read the text.

I did not see the other methods, but I have heard they have been very good too. I was a bit disappointed by the Impro – Games, usually they are a lot of fun, but there was a misunderstanding and some communication problems so the Impro – Games did not happen. Well, next time maybe…

As a conclusion I feel free to say that the Carnaval was a successful week which became even better in the weekend, it was exhausting and on Sunday evening I was a little bit sad that it was already over but the end was pretty good as well. I learned a lot about how to do it and how not. And I had a lot of fun.

Thank You and goodbye Carnaval de Nonformal – see you next year!

Christina Starke

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