‘The Dream for Youth’

“People told us it was impossible to play basketball or skate on the stage of the Lviv Opera House,” says Ivan Volyanski. But Ivan made it happen, and filmed a documentary about displaced children who traded the trauma of war for breakdancing and street football. 

Ivan grew up in Zaporizhzhia and spent years immersed in street culture, performing freestyle football across Ukraine and Europe. However, after the full-scale invasion, his world shifted. 

While navigating the war, he also lost his mother to cancer and found himself searching for a way to process that loss.

In 2024, Ivan arrived in Lviv for what was meant to be a short stay. Instead, he stayed and joined Urban Camp, a large youth hub set up in what had been an abandoned building. 

What started as helping with daily activities grew into a deeper commitment; today, Ivan is a project manager developing programmes for young people who have been forced to flee their homes.

Urban Camp offers them a chance to experiment with new skills and connect with others sharing similar experiences. For many, it is a vital outlet for processing what they have lived through. “Some of these kids have stories that make you want to cry,” Ivan says. “We give them a place to express that.”

Through partnerships, including initiatives supported by the United Nations Development Programme and the governments of Denmark and Japan, the team has expanded their activities, creating inclusive and accessible spaces for artists while promoting universal design principles in youth work.

Ivan also focuses on helping teenagers reconnect with life beyond their smartphone screens – a task that is not always easy, but one that is consistently rewarding. 

“They start to open up,” he observes.

For Ivan, working with young people is a two-way street. While he provides support, the work also gives him a sense of direction. He knows firsthand how important it is to have a place where you belong, especially after a major loss. 

Sometimes, that belonging starts with something as simple as a ball, a dance floor, or the sound of a skateboard.