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Every visitor to the Atelier is welcomed by our facilitators — accomplices and co-creators. They can suggest ideas for the Workshop and interesting games in the Forest. The facilitators take care of the visitors, introduce them to the space and its rules, fill the Atelier with creative provocations, devise its programmes, and explore teaching methods and approaches.
Alexandra Batrshina — studies to be a producer of cultural projects at the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS). She has taught acting and spoken language to children and adults. Passionate about experimental theatre, Sasha loves learning new things and having fun. If you see a provocative set of materials in the same colour on your desk, it’s probably her doing!
Olga Bezukh — studied pedagogy and psychology at the Moscow Social and Pedagogical Institute (MSPI). She has worked in children’s camps and run creative workshops for children and adults. At the Atelier, Olya particularly appreciates family interaction and helps moms, dads and children to join forces to create together.
Veronika Gefele — artist and educator, teaches painting and composition. She researches children’s creativity and finds their courage and spontaneity an inexhaustible source of inspiration. At the Atelier, Veronica especially enjoys teamwork, coming up with new programmes and workshops, and introducing visitors to new materials.
Vasilisa Glazistova — a graduate of the HSE School of Cultural Studies, a DJ, and a sound researcher. She has a keen interest in experimental music and enjoys dressing up and creating postcards. At the Atelier, Vasilisa values the chance to interact with children and discover their unique perspectives on the world. She finds it fulfilling to assist them in expressing themselves through various creative mediums.
Maria Grishchenkova — graduated from the School of Cultural Studies at the Higher School of Economics, her diploma focused on the fears of late-Soviet childhood. She teaches mathematics, and in her spare time she sews, plays video games and explores the world of cooking and baking. Masha believes that each everyday action is an act of creation.
Anastasia Dudkina — architect and interior designer. Studied at the British Higher School of Art and Design and the University of Hertfordshire. She has taught digital art and design at DingoStar video blogging school. Anastasia loves exploring new techniques, working with uncommon materials and coming up with unconventional ways of implementing ideas together with the visitors.
Nikita Karataysky — studies contemporary art at the Higher School of Economics. Mediator at the blazar young contemporary art fair, English-speaking youth group leader. Nikita is interested in bodily practices and appreciates an unconventional approach to creativity. At the Atelier, he likes to seek out new perspectives on familiar materials and new meanings in the visitors’ works.
Maria Kardash — anthropologist and artist. While studying at the History Department of the Moscow State University, she researched the collective experience of sociality in Moscow documentary theatre. At the Atelier, Masha enjoys exploring techniques of interaction with art materials, communicating with the visitors, observing their free flow of ideas, and helping to realise the latter.
Anastasia Kononchuk — graphic designer and Reggio teacher. In her last year of college, she started teaching kids gardening and led creative workshops at Zelyonaya Shkola (Green School). During the following 10 years, Nastya has been organising kids’ workshops at festivals and museums and working in summer camps in different countries.
Yulia Kosteneva — sign language teacher by training. She loves sewing and making up images. Julia is hearing impaired and loves everything related to deaf culture. At the Atelier she organises events with translation into Russian sign language and works with deaf and hard of hearing visitors. Thanks to Yulia, every facilitator now knows at least a couple of gestures in Russian sign language.
Valeria Maslovskaya — a linguist by education who enjoys working with diverse audiences in a cultural environment. During her childhood, she would frequently run barefoot and spend hours tinkering in her grandfather’s garage. Valeria has a penchant for people-watching, impulsive decision-making, and engaging in conversations with friends. Her goal at the Atelier is to demonstrate that the process can be more important than the end product.
Arina Ovchinnikova — studied at GITIS and the Russian State University for the Humanities. She researches street performances in 19th century France and is interested in art pedagogy. At the Atelier, Arina particularly appreciates the opportunity to combine artistic and game practices, and to learn new creative methods in an atmosphere of inspiration, mutual understanding and support.
Valeria Razuvaeva — worked as a defectologist and taught creative classes. Lera is fascinated by creative search, she enjoys watching how new objects are born in the hands of adults and children. She enjoys preparing creative provocations and asking absurd questions, and hopes that the Atelier helps guests to give a boost to their sense of inner freedom.
Masha Sinyavskaya — graduated from the Higher School of Economics with a degree in Translation. Worked as a tutor, English teacher and camp counsellor in summer creative camps. She likes music, sounds of the sea, and watching clouds. At the Atelier, Masha enjoys guiding visitors through the unfamiliar by listening and following their creative impulses.
Alina Taibulatova — culturologist and researcher of voice. For her, sound is the main medium of cognition of herself and the world, and she is interested in perceiving its boundaries. Alina likes to be close to nature, so she finds inspiration in natural materials — clay and wood. At the Atelier she appreciates the opportunity to communicate with people and show them new things.
Marya Subbotina — believes that universal variability should be accepted, loved and, most importantly, yielded to it. That is why she herself has been an editor, artist, designer, researcher and a couple of other sub-personalities during her student years. At the Atelier, Marya enjoys admiring the works of the guests and their smiles, as well as teaching and learning new things.
Curator
Katerina Bychkova — artist and curator. Film director and teacher by training. Co-founder of the pobegi art association. Since 2017, she has been creating educational programmes for kids and young adults, running workshops and organising art labs. Katerina loves walking in the woods and is passionate about making the world of contemporary art accessible and comprehensible to everyone.
The creators of Atelier
Sveta Shuvaeva — artist. In 2016, Sveta became the face of the Cosmoscow contemporary art fair and created the Changed Your Mind? That’s OK! project. In collaboration with SmartArt, she works on her solo project Last Flats with a Lake View, which was shortlisted for the Innovation Prize. In 2020, at the invitation of the
Play is a journey not only within a certain scenario, but also beyond it. By discovering and exploring new limits, we expand our knowledge of the world and renew ourselves. The goal of play is movement.
Olga Rokal — architect, educator. Winner of the Russian Union of Architects Perspektiva award (2008). Has worked as a leading architect at Wowhaus bureau, co-founded the UTRO bureau, which specialises in designing public spaces. Co-founder and curator of the MESTO educational project for children and teenagers and the RAYONNALE Festival, a socio-cultural project about communities and territories.
For me, Atelier is a place where a parent can have an amazing time with their child, an inclusive space for all ages.
Katya Porutchik — project curator. Curator of the Archstoyanie Kids Festival (2016, 2017). Co-curator of The Art of Action thread of the Cascade programme (2018-2020). She has been working with children and teenagers for 10 years, is good at it, and enjoys it.
