Author:
Yuliia Didenko
On November 19, the Rose Hall of the Ivan Franko National Theater in Kyiv brought together those who believe in the power of words and the voices of children. Writer and war veteran Artur Dron, the Voices of Children Foundation, and The Old Lion Publishing House hosted a charity literary evening titled The Most Important Spice of Life, featuring a stage performance, poetry, and talks about childhood during wartime.
The evening united participants around a shared goal: raising funds for winter gifts for children affected by the war.
The evening united participants around a shared goal: raising funds for winter gifts for children affected by the war.
The Most Important Spice on Stage
Students of Lviv School No. 91, together with their mentor Iryna Vyshniakova, presented the performance The Most Important Spice of Life, based on the books by Artur Dron (Here We Were) and Andrii Hudyma (69 Spices for the Heart). The voices of children brought to life poetic texts written by adults, making the words sound sharper and more honest.
The atmosphere in the hall was both warm and deeply moving. Some of the children came dressed in military uniforms. For them, it is a way to feel closer to their parents who are currently defending the country on the front lines. Details like these speak to how closely war is woven into the childhood of every Ukrainian child.
Creativity as a Source of Support
After the performance, graduates of the Voices of Children poetry lab took the stage—Mariia Barzhanska, Mariia Kostera, Kateryna Skorokhod, Mariia Akhmetkhanova, and Yosafata Syrotych. They read their own poems alongside Artur Dron, a writer who volunteered to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion and has since returned to writing after being wounded.
The poetry lab is part of the Foundation’s Art Labs program, created for teenagers who have experienced occupation, the loss of loved ones or their homes, who are waiting for family members to return from the front line, or who continue to live under shelling in frontline regions. Through writing, poetry, and filmmaking courses with elements of art therapy, participants learn to express their concerns through creativity. Psychologists and mentors are always present alongside them.
A Conversation About Childhood During War
The evening concluded with a discussion featuring Artur Dron and Voices of Children co-founders Olena Rozvadovska and Azad Safarov. They spoke about how to protect children’s rights during wartime, how to help children process traumatic experiences, and how to preserve their trust in the world.
Each participant brought their own experience of war, including evacuation, life under occupation, loss, and waiting for loved ones to return from the front line. Each found their own way to translate that experience into the language of images and poetry. During the literary evening, the voices of children were heard alongside those of adults, and their poems became a bridge between pain and hope.
Perhaps, for some, the most important spice of life is knowing that you are heard and that the people around you are a source of support. In writing, poetry, and filmmaking courses with elements of art therapy, teenagers create and develop something of their own, while also finding a community of trust and support among peers with similar interests and experiences.
Graduates of these courses have already produced several documentary films (What Have We Lost, Generation) and published a poetry collection titled Oxygen. Books Must See Their Poets, created with the support of the Audiostories platform and producer Volodymyr Olshanskyi.
Perhaps, for some, the most important spice of life is knowing that you are heard and that the people around you are a source of support. In writing, poetry, and filmmaking courses with elements of art therapy, teenagers create and develop something of their own, while also finding a community of trust and support among peers with similar interests and experiences.
Graduates of these courses have already produced several documentary films (What Have We Lost, Generation) and published a poetry collection titled Oxygen. Books Must See Their Poets, created with the support of the Audiostories platform and producer Volodymyr Olshanskyi.
Our goal is to preserve this new generation and ensure that they are not left alone with the war.
The initiative was supported by writer and veteran Artur Dron, the Audiostories platform, IT company InVerita, and The Old Lion Publishing House. Together, we want to give children a bit of warmth and care during the holiday season. You can also support the fundraiser by making a donation.
The initiative was supported by writer and veteran Artur Dron, the Audiostories platform, IT company InVerita, and The Old Lion Publishing House. Together, we want to give children a bit of warmth and care during the holiday season. You can also support the fundraiser by making a donation.
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