In August 2024, in the heart of Kharkiv, the Pre-Texts protocol created a space where literature and creativity served as powerful tools for healing. Guided by facilitator Sara Uboldi and supported by the Rescue Team, the pilot workshop invited children and adolescents living with the trauma of war to rediscover their voices and their capacity to imagine a different future.
Through collective reading, questioning, and artistic creation, participants found a sense of agency and connection that war had threatened to erase. Each poem, each drawing, and each shared reflection stood as an act of resilience—a way to reclaim dignity and prove that culture can act as a lifeline in moments of profound uncertainty. This first Pre-Texts session in Ukraine nurtured creativity and reminded a wounded community that healing can begin with a shared story. It demonstrated that, even amid conflict, art and dialogue open spaces of hope, care, and strength.
