held by Iryna Stepanova
Through art practices and playful elements, participants will explore how they are adapting to a new life and how their inner perception of the surrounding space is evolving. Each participant will create their own City Guide Map – a personal map of the city that reflects their experiences, emotions, and discoveries.
The workshop aims to create a safe space for self-expression, reflection, and a sense of belonging. These individual maps will become not only creative artifacts, but also symbols of new identity, inner strength, and the ability to build a connection with the city – grounded in personal experience and feeling.
Iryna Stepanova is a cultural practitioner, educator, and volunteer working with the Ukrainian refugee community in Bucharest.
Since 2023, she has led creative workshops and guided tours at the National Museum of Maps and Old Books in Bucharest, and collaborated on projects with Seneca AntiCafe, Asociatia ANAIS, UNICEF Romania, and multiple cultural organisations.
Her training includes the Erasmus+ Winter School “Cultural Heritage and the Well-Being of Refugees” in Ghent, and the “I ASK” course on adult guidance and inclusive communication at the Jewish Cultural Quarter in Amsterdam. She has also participated in workshops with the Prado Museum and other European initiatives focused on cultural mediation and museum education.
Iryna’s work centers on cultural mediation, emotional storytelling, and the empowerment of displaced women through art and heritage.
