“Yellow Bus 2026: WORD” in Kharkiv — a Film and Journalism Lab for Teenagers
With the support of the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation, Kharkiv will host the educational and artistic project “Yellow Bus 2026: WORD” from May 18 to 24, 2026 — a seven-day film and journalism laboratory for teenagers aged 14–17.
What is “Yellow Bus”
The project is run by the “Yellow Bus” team — a mobile educational platform that has been working with young people across Ukraine since 2016 through cinema, journalism, and new media. As we previously reported, last year’s “NEARBY” laboratory brought together participants from different parts of the country around a shared creative experience.
This year’s laboratory is dedicated to the Kharkiv “Slovo” House — the place where Ukrainian writers and artists lived and worked in the 1920s–30s, a generation that became part of what is known as the Executed Renaissance.
A Practical Space, Not a Lecture Course
“WORD 2026” is not a lecture course on history. It is a practical space in which teenagers explore the meaning of word, memory, culture, and personal voice in the context of today’s war — through their own experience.
Over seven days, participants will work alongside film and media professionals to create their own projects — from idea and script to shooting, editing, and a public screening. The laboratory combines two tracks: filmmaking and journalism.
As part of the programme, participants will have the opportunity to try different roles: directors, scriptwriters, cinematographers, journalists, actors, sound designers, and editors.
Collaboration with Local Initiatives
A dedicated part of the programme will involve collaboration with local cultural initiatives, media outlets, researchers, and lecturers working with the history of Kharkiv, the “Slovo” House, and contemporary Ukrainian cultural context.
What the Final Showcase Will Include
The laboratory’s final showcase will present:
- a short film
- journalistic materials
- videos and texts documenting participants’ working process
- an open public screening of all completed works
The “Yellow Bus 2026: WORD” project is being implemented with the support of the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation. Project partners include the National Union of Cinematographers of Ukraine, the Dovzhenko Film Studios, the “Nakypilo” Media Group, Radio Khartiia, the National Aerospace University “KhAI,” and other partners and local initiatives.
