King Danylo University has implemented a pilot collaboration project with the team behind Vytoky, a project by the Zagoriy Foundation dedicated to exploring and preserving Ukrainian traditions. Students of King Danylo University and King Danylo University Professional College had the opportunity to put their skills to the test by creating elements for the Vytoky brand book. The author of the best submission, Olesia Hlukhaniuk, was offered the opportunity to collaborate with the organisation’s team on a project basis.
In the summer, King Danylo University responded to a Vytoky announcement seeking illustrators and initiated a collaboration involving its students. The primary aim for the University was to provide students with practical experience. They were invited to complete a test assignment.
The task involved creating illustrations inspired by Ukrainian cultural heritage that could be used on social media, the project’s website, in presentations, printed materials, and other Vytoky communication materials. Students could choose one or several topics, including symbols and cultural phenomena, traditional everyday life, folk art and crafts, as well as traditional jewellery and handmade objects.
Five students from King Danylo University and King Danylo University Professional College submitted their work. The Vytoky team selected three finalists. The works of students Alina Lasiychuk and Anastasiia Popel will be published on the project’s social media channels with the authors’ names credited. Olesia Hlukhaniuk, meanwhile, was invited to create illustrations for the “Na Shliub” guide to Ukrainian wedding customs, developed by Vytoky in collaboration with the wedding dress brand Koreiko Corset House.
“I was interested in the test assignment, so I decided to take part. I am fascinated by our traditions and enjoy exploring archives. The news that my work had been selected was unexpected and a very pleasant surprise. I established good communication with the Vytoky team, and the collaboration went very well. It was an experience that allowed me to learn a lot of new things,” says Olesia Hlukhaniuk, a student at King Danylo University Professional College.
The Vytoky team highly appreciated the students’ work and praised their dedication.
“The students submitted high-quality work. That is why we offered Olesia Hlukhaniuk further commercial collaboration on our new project, the ‘Na Shliub’ guide. The work involved consultations and revisions based on feedback from ethnologists. Scientific accuracy is extremely important for our project, so, for example, some elements had to be redrawn, including the bread carried by newlyweds when inviting guests, the mother’s traditional headdress, and the embroidery on the sleeves. Olesia successfully handled these tasks. The guide is now ready and can be downloaded from our website,” said Kateryna Hurnevych, head of the Vytoky project.
All students who took part in the project received guides to Ukrainian customs as gifts from Vytoky. King Danylo University Rector Myroslav Lutskyi also presented the finalists with gifts from the University.
“Our collaboration with the Vytoky project is very important to us because it gives our students an opportunity to gain professional experience while they are still studying. All the works submitted by the students were of a high standard: they understood the test assignment well and completed it successfully. Interestingly, the collaboration began at the end of the previous academic year, and the students enthusiastically took on the work even during the summer break. For us, one of the best indicators of quality is when young people are genuinely interested in their chosen field and are eager to develop professionally,” says Nazarii Drozd, lecturer at King Danylo University Professional College and Design Project Manager at the Marketing and PR Department of King Danylo University.
“We highly value the opportunity to collaborate with the Vytoky team. We appreciate their work aimed at promoting Ukrainian customs and traditions. It is wonderful that our students can contribute to this work. The opportunity to work with a team of professionals while still at university is invaluable experience and a significant addition to a future professional portfolio. It also helps students develop communication skills, teamwork, and the discipline needed to complete assignments accurately and on time,” said Myroslav Lutskyi, Rector of King Danylo University.
