Musicians Played to an Appreciative Audience

16 July 2024

Last Sunday, we were immensely privileged to have Yaroslav Oliinyk play his original piano compositions and reinterpretations of famous music pieces across various genres. The concert took place at St Mary's Church, Northchurch. Yaroslav was joined by multi-instrumentalist Alex Smirnov, who brought an extra dimension to Yaroslav’s sound, creating a captivating environment and inviting  listeners to fully immerse themselves in the experience. The concert showed beyond a doubt the virtuosity of the performers and was well received by an appreciative audience.

A few words from attendees:

'This concert last night was super, and we didn’t want it to end! Thank you so much... and we are all looking forward to the next one!'

'Magnificent! What a special concert! Amazing musicians!'

Sunday Club for Ukrainian Children is Back!

9 June 2024

Thanks to the generous donations from our supporters, we’ve been able to start a new series of a Sunday Club for Ukrainian children taking place at Open Door weekly, at 1:00 pm.  

Our activities include arts and crafts integrated into ESL learning to help children develop their creativity and expand their vocabularies. We also use elements of drama to build team spirit, communication skills, and learners' confidence in their own English abilities.

For more details, please contact us on educartevent@gmail.com.

If you would like to support our activities, please visit our Donate page.

Thank you.

Music for Peace and Connecting Community

12 May 2024

On 11 May, we had a delightful afternoon of music and peace in the Parish Rooms, St. Mary's Northchurch. We talked about peace and what it means in our everyday lives; what peace feels like and what it sounds like. There was a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere, making everyone feel connected and emotionally engaged.

However, the real highlight of this event was, of course, the music, skilfully reinterpreted in a contemporary context by the talented composer and pianist Yaroslav Oliinyk. He demonstrated that music is more than just sound waves, inviting the audience to experience it immersively, on an entirely new level.

This event was a wonderful display of community spirit, generosity, and deeper human connections. All the funds raised at this concert will go into services that help displaced children and young adults nurture their talents and creativity.  Thank you to all who helped make this event happen! 

What does Peace Feel Like?

24 April 2024

This book is a collection of children’s ideas about peace, describing what peace is in our everyday lives; what peace feels like, what it sounds like, what it smells like, what it tastes like, and what it looks like. We asked Ukrainian children, displaced from their homes due to the war in their country, to share what they think of peace, and here is what they said. 

Request the book using the below  form:

An evening of craft and English learning

15 February 2024, Open Door: Community Café and Arts Space

We had a great evening of Valentine’s Day arts and crafts at the Open Door venue on Berkhamsted High Street, enjoying creative activities in a very inclusive atmosphere. It was an absolute delight to watch the children engage in beautiful interactions and thoroughly enjoy the experience. 

Tetiana, parent:

"Thank you very much for leading an entertaining event for our families. My daughters had so much fun, learning new skills together, and brushed up on their English too. The children enjoyed the workshop greatly, whereas the parents enjoyed socialising".

Music Brings People Together

20 January 2024, St. Mary's Northchurch

The Concert for a Better Future, that took place at St Mary’s Northchurch on 20 January 2024, brought talented artists and members of the community together to celebrate the power of music to change our lives for the better.

The concert programme featured a selection of beautiful music from various genres and cultures, including works by Ukrainian composers. It was a wonderful afternoon and a great opportunity to promote diversity, foster respect and open-mindedness for other cultures, and spread the idea of peace through music.

Lynne, attendee:

"A huge thank you to you, your team of helpers and the performers who gave so much of themselves in sharing their skill so beautifully. It was heartwarming, uplifting and transcendent   [...] the event was so thoughtfully planned to help us feel we have shared something special and meaningful together".