🇪🇺 TEEN European Digital Community: Oak of Stories and Community from city of Dnipro, Ukraine

Oak of Stories and Community

Hi everyone! My name is Vika, I’m 16 and from Ukraine. I’m a creative soul who can’t live without books, art, and good stories. I’ve been a class leader for six years, but I’m not a strict boss — I’m more the person who makes sure everyone feels included and comfortable. I started my own book club (15+ members) to create a cozy space for sharing ideas. I also volunteer as an English teacher for kids, work on a research project, write poetry, and sketch. I’m a mix of dreamer and organizer: I love creative chaos, but I also love a good plan.

The soil / the need

When I first drew closer to theatre, I was looking for the physicality of stories. As a writer and poet, I spent years creating in solitude and felt a kind of creative isolation. I needed a bridge between private words and shared reality — a social laboratory where emotion and culture collide in real time. Theatre became the soil where my ideas could breathe with others.

The first seed

A parent / family.

Tell us about that first spark

My theatre journey began spontaneously when I was six or seven, when my father took me to Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka by Gogol. I still remember the magic: costumes, lighting, and actors transforming words into living energy. That night I realized stories don’t have to stay on a page — they can be felt and lived together in one room.

Roots (people & experiences that shaped your path)

A pivotal root was hearing a symphonic orchestra perform Harry Potter music at the Opera and Ballet Theatre — it taught me how culture can create joy and connect generations. My father planted the first seed of curiosity. My research mentor gives me the academic tools to understand art’s impact. And the members of my book club are my “living roots” — daily proof that stories can build a real and supportive community.

The trunk (what keeps you in theatre)

The live energy. Theatre is one of the only places where strangers breathe as one. It challenges my vulnerability and keeps my leadership grounded in human connection.

Branches (future / desire)

In the future, I see theatre as a tool for social bridge-building. I want to use theatrical tools to make my book club more interactive and my teaching more engaging. I imagine theatre becoming the “voice” of my research — turning data and stories into experiences that move people to action.

If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? Why?

An oak. To me, the oak represents wisdom, creativity, and shelter — the kind of tree writers and dreamers sit under. I want to be a strong and reliable “home” for others through leadership, community, and care.

Contact

Instagram: @vi._.killer
Email: okhaiviktoriia@gmail.com
Telegram: @yyaebl