Galician Whispers: discovering diversity through myths and legends

Welcome once again to our blog! This time we want to share the extraordinary experience lived during the youth exchange Galician Whispers: fostering diversity through tales and legends. From October 8 to 17, 2023, 30 young people from Estonia, Greece, Italy and Croatia joined together by the enchanting lake of Carucedo to explore the rich world of legends and folktales, merging them in folkloric theatrical performances.

Organized by the Valdeorras Vive team, Ethos as a partner, with facilitators Lucas and Aleksandra, this exchange became a window into cultural diversity, immersing us in the roots of each country.

On this occasion, the activities focused on cultural exploration, with workshops, roll-playing, debates and theater performances, ranging from the mysterious Santa Compaña to Greek epics and medieval myths. Through these performances, we were able to explore and reflect on the similarities and connections between our cultures, finding common values that transcend geographical boundaries.

The visit to Las Médulas was, as always, impressive. Watching the fascination on the faces of young people from faraway places as they explored this unique site was thrilling. Through detailed narrations, we immersed them in the history of the Roman "ruina montium", sharing the magnitude of the gold mining that took place there.

The city of Ponferrada and the Palacio de Canedo also opened their doors to us, offering us a unique experience. Through a guided tour, we delved into the local wine culture, learning about the love for the land and quality products.

"It has been my first project and it has helped me a lot to connect with other realities and cultures. Despite living far away and having different beliefs, in the end, we are very similar inside," shares Concepción Muñoz, one of the participants.

Eva Sanchez, another participant, expressed her amazement at the rapid connection that was established between everyone: "This project has been magnificent, like living in a magical forest with people who at first were strangers, but who now feel like part of my family, as if I have known them all my life."

From Greece, Anastasios Alexandris tells us: "Exploring the stories and myths of different countries has been a wonderful adventure. It has allowed us to understand that, although our stories are different, the feelings they convey are universal."

And as in every good Erasmus+ exchange, the intercultural evenings were filled with magic and performances that transported everyone to distant worlds through their gastronomy, music and dances.

Farewell came, but the experiences lived here will remain engraved in our hearts. Thank you all for being part of this #erasmusplus experience!

"Galician Whispers: fostering diversity through tales and legends" is an Erasmus+ project co-funded by the European Union through the Spanish National Agency (INJUVE). It is organized by Valdeorras Vive in collaboration with Ethos MTÜ (Estonia), Brisa Intercultural Italia (Italy), GO Alive (Greece) and Ocean Znanja (Croatia). #galicianwhispers