The Healing House is an innovative project enabling Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian people of all ages, to come together, explore their creativity, have fun and share their dreams and aspirations.

The Healing House is inspired by Ukrainian artist Polina Rayko. When she took up her paint brush aged 69 her only canvas was the walls of her village home in Ukraine. But in just six years, without training, access to books or even television she transformed her house into a national treasure, propelling her into an international icon of folk art.

Alone in her house, and inspired by the rich natural life of the river and floodplains that backed onto her garden, she began to paint the world around her. Soon the local flora of her region began to appear, followed by decorative birds, animals and insects.

Her new boundless enthusiasm to make art was infectious. It transformed her isolated home into a bright, safe, mural filled haven.

Polina sadly died in 2004 and in 2023, flood water from the collapsed Nova Kakhovka Dam in the Russian-occupied Kherson province destroyed seventy percent of the art work painted by Rayko.

However, inspired by her resilience, many people internationally are continuing to celebrate her work.

With The Healing House The Fetch reimagines her work and we will rebuild the house at the end of the performance with the creativity, colour and joy of our workshop participants.

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This is an engaging performance for families (all ages 6-96 years) suitable for indoor venues, schools, festivals and community events. The show and pre-show workshop can be delivered once in one day.  Running times: Workshop 90mins (this time can be a little bit flexible). 40mins approximately for the performance. We will normally offer a short talk-back after the performance.

 

The creative team delivering this project will be a mix of Ukrainian and British artists working together. Similarly our workshop participants and audience members will be both Ukrainian and British working, learning and watching together.  The project will be delivered bilingually throughout.