Giovanni's experience in Barcelona
09.12.2020
It wasn’t until I stepped out of Barcelona airport that I could truly realize I had embarked on this adventure—besides not knowing what to expect from the experience, it still felt almost unreal. The challenging health situation made the departure a brave mission, to the point that some people thought I was crazy when I mentioned traveling to Spain at the beginning of November. All of this added a fair amount of anxiety to both the preparations and the journey. But now I can say with satisfaction that it was absolutely worth it.
After a few days to settle in, understand how the hosting organization Tudanzas works, and organize the group tasks, we started producing. Our main role was to collaborate on organizing an Art and Dance Festival, which, of course, took place online. Unfortunately, what the festival would have been like in person remains only in my imagination, but actively contributing to the realization of such a cultural event—especially during such a unique period—was still an immense personal satisfaction.
We created working groups divided by tasks: some people handled the Digital Market, others managed social media sponsorship, some took care of logistics, others focused on technical aspects, and so on.
I prepared and conducted several online interviews with a colleague, who has now become a great friend. Meeting the artists and learning about their projects, improvising conversations in very basic Spanish, listening to opinions from people all over the world, and finally shaping it all into video interviews and podcasts—this was my main task. Working at the computer all the time was quite stressful, as it’s not my favorite tool, especially for many hours a day, every day. But gradually becoming more user-friendly with the computer was very useful: I learned how to edit audio and video, modify a website, understand streaming software, and, in general, gain more confidence with this tool.
Besides working, we participated in several hours of training on various topics, all very interesting, such as permaculture, gender issues, Dragon Dreaming, communication, and community art. We also took part in some talleres (practical workshops), where expressing ourselves through drawing, writing, discussion, and exchanging opinions was both stimulating and fun. I also practiced my English and started picking up some Spanish, which I found very rewarding.
Finally, I managed to carve out time to enjoy the sea air this city offers, explore its parks, and visit its museums, fully appreciating the fortunate opportunity to be away from home, in a new place where I could freely indulge my curiosity.
I met many special people whom I will remember forever, as a kind of decoration on this experience, which ended a week ago. But perhaps it’s never truly over, because the lessons it taught me and the experiences I lived will stay with me, helping me grow and adding something valuable to my life. I hope to take part in this kind of project again in the future, but now I won’t keep you any longer—I wish everyone the courage to embark on a volunteering experience. Buena suerte!
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