The Lastivka Fellowship supports emerging Ukrainian artists at a pivotal moment — when talent is real but the path to a sustainable creative career isn't yet clear. It opens with free professional development seminars covering the practical side of building a creative life. From there, Fellows can enter the Lastivka Competition. The ten finalists receive mentorship, support to develop their work further, and the chance to win the flagship Kandinsky "Inner Necessity" Prize — culminating in a public exhibition of their work. The inaugural year focuses on visual art and museum-based practice; future cycles will open to music, dance, and other disciplines.
For many young artists, this is also a first introduction to how museums, cultural institutions, and audiences work — not because the Fellowship asks them to become educators, but because that exposure, and the mentorship that comes with it, is often what turns raw talent into a real career.
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Online Seminars: professional development sessions for participating young creatives:
Creative resilience and professional wellbeing
Portfolio development and career planning
Artist Statement and Grant applications
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Utilizing skills that they learned during the free professional development seminars participants submit their portfolio including: their artwork, an artist resume, an artist statement, and a proposal for a Master Class based on one of the Odesa museums. The submissions will be evaluated by a group of international judges, resulting with a selection of best 10 candidates.
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Selected finalists will receive mentoring, professional development, and help in cultivating their Master Class proposals.
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Weekly sessions held in partnering museums and schools. Each session is facilitated under supervision of a professional educator.
Session curriculum (indicative):
• Drawing and observational art inspired by museum collections
• Collage, textile and decorative arts
• Storytelling and narrative illustration
• Collaborative murals and group projects with Odesa/Ukraine cultural themes
• Movement, play, and imagination-based creative activities
Safety Protocol
All sessions are designed with trauma-informed facilitation principles. A qualified educator or social worker will be available as an advisor. Sessions can be adapted or paused in the event of air raid alerts or security incidents, with a clear continuity plan.
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The pilot concludes with a public exhibition showcasing participants’ portfolios and children's artwork. The event is open to families, school partners, institutional stakeholders, and local press.