Who are you ?

I’m Quentin, a french volunteer in Narva. I’m 25 years old and I’m from Caen, in the South-Normandy. It’s a rainy region in the north of France, known for its apples, its cows and for the D-Day. I like to say that I speak English like a French, so I’m sorry for that.

What were you doing before your EVS project ?

I have studied the cinema in the universities of Caen and Paris for 3 years. I wanted to become an editor for the cinema or the television. The universities in France proposate just theoretical courses, I tried to practice editing with some amateur short films and interships.

I’m also drummer in a post-rock band, « The Hectic Dull Sound », with wich I played in several cities in France.

Why an EVS ?

During my last year, I was totally lost in my professionnal expectations. When the university refused my interships, I lose my motivation. I tried to step back and to question me about what I would like to do. The editing interested me, but did I ready to work for the real-TV or the television programs that I hate ? Talking with my friends, it seemed to me more natural than I search something about the sharing of knowledge, the cultural mediation,education in the visual image. Something between my studies, my knowledges, and my experiences with other people like when I’m youth leader during the holidays. Finally, I love to create, but I think now I prefer to share and discuss about it.

I know the EVS program since I was 18. I always wanted go to discover another countries, another cultures. But I never tried because my studies, and probably my fear of the unknown. This year, during a white night in my bed, I thought about this possibility to leave, to try a new experience, and maybe to find in a project something about my expectations. On the spur of the moment I was in my computer, searching a lot of EVS projects.

What will you doing exactly during your EVS project ? And why ?

VitaTiim is my host organization. Its goal is to inspire young people by different activities (langage café, film projections, games…) and by the interculturality (intercultural evenings, youth exchange…). I will assist VitaTiim for their different activities (for example a french langage café), to support the Erasmus+ programme, but also to try an audiovisual form (video-blog, possibility to make short-movies, documentaries, communication…). On the other hand VitaTiim helps me to create a link between me and other organizations in Narva (Youth Centers, Cultural Centers, schools…) in order to propose audiovisual forms to the young people.

This project fit very well what I was looking for, culturally, geographically and professionally, so it seemed me natural to participate.

Why choose Estonia, and Narva ?

Originally, my researchs aimed the Scandinavian Countries. I was attracted by their education aspects, the non-formal learning and the important place given to the culture. Moreover, I felt more attracted by a cold and hivernal climat. Discussing with friends, some talked me about the Baltic States, especially Estonia. In France, although this is changing, the Baltic states are unjustly ignored. There are unfortunately still considerate like smalls and inoffensives countries. Listening and reading a lot of very good testimonies, why not to extend my researchs ?

VitaTiim was one of the first to answer me, explaining that Narva is a boarder city between Estonia and Russia, where live almost exclusively russians speakers. Having studied Russian in school, and with a project so interesting, it was possible for me to leave, to speak three langages, to link the social, the cultural and the artistic, to live between 5 passionant countries and, with a certain hindsight, to discover the curious but interesting situation of Narva. So, why not choose it ?

What are your expectations, your fears ?

If I had to keep just one fear, it would not be the climat, the winter, the obscurity, the incommunicability or the loneliness like many people could have said to me. I'm someone who puts himself a lot of pressure, especially when I know that some people didn't have chance like me to find a project. My only fear would be just the fear to do the wrong thing. As a human and a volunteer, but also as a European citizen.

Quentin

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