Instructor of the courses "Photography as a Way of Expression", "Digital Embroidery", "Computer Literacy", "CNC Machine Operator" and "Laser CNC Technologies" at the Adult Education Center
Synergy of creativity and technology
Pavle, you have an incredible range of courses: from digital embroidery and photography to CNC laser machines. What unites these, at first glance, such different directions? What is their common philosophy?
I am a supporter of the Bauhaus art school, a pre-war German school. Its essence was the maximum combination of art and craft. So I see creative, artistic inclinations in everything and try to approach everything from an artistic point of view. Even the first course I taught in adult education, “Photography as a Way of Expressing Yourself,” I came here to work primarily as an artist. Before, I was somehow ashamed to call myself that, but now I consider myself an artist, and there is no point in hiding it.
Who are your students? Are there people among them who came to learn "from scratch", having never held a camera in their hands or seen modern machines?
Yes, and this is probably the difficulty of teaching adults: the level of preparation is very different. Very often you have to find an individual approach to each one. There are people who come quite advanced, they just need to be “filled” with knowledge. And there are those who still need help to open the door to this business.
Technologies for life and profession
Programming CNC machines and laser technology sounds like a complex engineering task. How do you explain these processes in simple terms so that students don't get scared of "complex technology"?
Of course, as long as there is a lack of knowledge, there is fear, and a person will act very cautiously. But when a student has worked out the basics, studied carefully, and knows what and why he is doing, there is no magic. I tell my students from the first lesson: artificial intelligence does not exist either. Everything is done by people, and this is how we remove the random factor. If the machine behaves incomprehensibly, this is not a problem with the machine, it means that you made a mistake somewhere.
Are the courses "CNC Machine Operator" and "Laser Technologies" a direct bridge to employment or starting your own business? Are there any real examples of your graduates starting to earn money or create their own products for sale thanks to these skills?
As for CNC, laser and milling equipment, we started only a few months ago, so everything is still in progress. But there is already a telling example: among our graduates, for example, the owner of an advertising agency, who previously ordered work in Odessa or Mykolaiv and could not control the production process. Having delved into the topic on the course, he is now considering the possibility of his own expansion. And the course "Digital Embroidery", which we have been taking for several years, has provided more ready-made examples: there are people who have created their own business; there are those who have already worked at sewing enterprises with embroidery machines and improved their qualifications there; and there are those who do not plan to buy equipment at all, but simply create design files for digital embroidery and sell them on marketplaces. This is also a working way of earning money.
Cultural code and therapy
The course "Photography as a Way of Expression" has a very profound title. What are your students trying to "express" through the lens today? What are the main themes or emotions they capture in their shots?
Very differently, and at the same time there is something in common for all the works, all the projects that we showed at the graduation exhibitions. I would say that it is either a desire or an unwillingness to notice the war. Some want to convey it in their own vision, in their own way. Others, on the contrary, because of this very influence, try to ignore the war and turn to leisure themes, to the past. But there are also very direct works when people photograph buildings in our city that have suffered even from partial occupation.
Digital embroidery is an amazing combination of tradition and modern technology. What exactly do students create? Can we say that for many it has become art therapy and a way to escape from daily stress?
The first question I hear from students in the first class is always the same: “Are we going to learn to make cross-stitch designs?” Then they realize that it’s not that easy, just like it’s not easy to embroider cross-stitch and by hand. But in the last classes, we actually make cross-stitch designs, so this dream comes true.
Community impact and sustainability
How do your courses affect community cohesion? Do you see students forming teams, helping each other, or creating collaborative projects during their studies?
Of course, courses bring people together. I see that people make a lot of common acquaintances. Returning to photography: we even started a local photo club, a real artistic photo club, not just a meeting of amateur photographers. We meet about once a month, exchange ideas, do portfolio reviews for each other, which helps us grow. Master classes also bring people together very much: sometimes people come who didn't even meet during the courses, and after the master class they exchange contacts and start communicating.
Why, in your opinion, are investments by local community foundations in such educational spaces and courses not just about "learning," but about the strategic survival and development of Ukrainian communities right now?
We can talk about this topic for a very long time. Unfortunately, despite the existence of the Ministry of Culture, the state really does not pay attention to such things. But our partners who help us understand: it is culture, and not only culture as art, but also the culture of work, that forms a community. For me, this is some kind of mental level. Right now we are creating something that we did not have even before the war, the opportunity to build a community with an increased level of this mentality. This is probably the only truly positive moment in everything that is happening now. People are uniting around this mentality, we are moving forward and see a common goal before us.
Blitz questions
What is the most unusual product your students have created on a laser machine or during a digital embroidery class?
In fact, everything that people do seems unusual to someone else. But specifically: at the last issue on the laser machine, I was very impressed that people wanted to go "to the sea" en masse, and we cut palm trees with a laser. There is also a lot of sea, Ukraine, dolphins in the embroidery. And in a straight line to the sea from here it is about a hundred kilometers (laughs).
What is the biggest discovery you have made for yourself as a teacher while working with adult audiences in communities?
The main discovery: I have always been a person, let's say, somewhat closed. And now I understood the main thing: regardless of my background, I have something to convey to people and share with them. When I realized this, I began to treat it much more responsibly than I had originally planned. We are constantly in touch with many students: those who really "got hooked" on this business continue to ask for advice or share their achievements. I can't name the exact statistics of graduates, somewhere around a hundred. But the main thing here is not the number: for example, on the CNC course, I basically keep no more than four students in a group, sometimes we even divide them into subgroups due to different levels of training. I am always open and ready to share my experience.
The conversation was recorded by Olena Bilyk, Voznesensk Community Foundation