During the last week of July, the Foundation’s creative writers—young and old, returning and new members alike—moved to Szentes once again to create together. The theme of the camp this time is solarpunk, which envisions a peaceful, positive future where humanity, technology, and nature exist in harmony with one another. We, too, will draw inspiration for our writing from this concept over the coming days as we imagine and build such a world in our works. To aid us in this, we will draw upon a wide range of genres during the morning sessions, writing argumentative essays and idylls, among other things. Writing will also be complemented by drama pedagogy exercises to help us immerse ourselves even deeper into solarpunk. The afternoons will primarily be spent relaxing and taking excursions around the area. This week, for example, we will visit Szarvas to do straw crafts, Gyula to go swimming, and Szeged to enjoy a boat trip. We are looking forward to a rich week ahead, where both growth and relaxation play equally important roles.
Izabella Patyi, Szeged Group 3
The second day of the camp started energetically at the community house in Szentes. Following the morning exercise, participants tuned into the central theme of the week—the world of solarpunk—with the help of a visualization exercise combined with meditation. Images of the imagined future inspired the morning’s creative work, during which a variety of writing tasks awaited the youth.
In the first task, everyone was free to give shape to the thoughts and feelings that emerged. This was followed by an argumentative essay in which they had to convince an imaginary city council about the future of the town’s last parking garage, and then a diary entry set in 2156 was written. The creative process was assisted by Dixit cards, which enriched the creations with new ideas and perspectives.
During the afternoon, the team took a trip to Szarvas, where they visited the folk art exhibition of the Sárarany Szalmaporta. The unique creations made of straw and beads by the Maczkó family offered insight into the values of tradition preservation and the world of folk craftsmanship. The campers could not only admire the collection, but also make their own straw hearts as keepsakes.
Enikő Szőke Pécs 3 and Sarolta Kovács-Nagy Kaposvár 2
The following day began once again with a short meditation, which helped participants immerse themselves. This time, the morning writing tasks were built on self-reflection and processing personal experiences. In the afternoon, the team visited Gyula, where they spent a few pleasant hours at the Castle Spa (Várfürdő). The shared relaxation was crowned by a visit to the famous Centenary Confectionery (Százéves Cukrászda), which was a fitting conclusion to an experience-filled day.
Boróka Süle Szentes 2, Martina Vincze Nagybajom 1
On the fourth day of the camp, work started with the usual visualization exercise: participants imagined a flowery meadow before them, and then wrote a poem about the flower they found most beautiful. Exciting creative tasks followed for the rest of the morning. The young people worked on the story of a granary robbery, then created a description of a future invention related to it, and finally wrote a dialogue with a robot in verse form. Afternoon relaxation was provided this time by bowling organized at the Chicago Pub in Szentes. The cheerful group game was followed by ice cream, and upon returning to the community house, free time concluded the day. In recent days, creative work, community experiences, and cultural programs were in excellent balance; participants not only developed their writing skills, but were also enriched with new experiences, inspiration, and lasting memories.
Tibor Árpád Kovács Pécs 1, András Kékegyi-Kovács
On the final day of the camp, we traveled to Szeged, where in the morning we said goodbye to our time spent together with an atmospheric boat ride on the Tisza. Although signs of drying up were unfortunately visible on the river, the waterfront landscape still provided a perfect backdrop for the short boat trip. On this morning, no earth-shattering events of grand significance took place, but there is not always a need for them, as its magic lay precisely in its simplicity. We had the opportunity to quietly admire nature while connecting with one another through conversations on deck. This kind of community experience and closeness to nature recharged us all, and we could hardly wait for the camp-closing campfire cookout. We commemorated the best works of the week as part of a reading evening, and then everyone wrote down the character flaws and bad habits they wished to let go of, which we symbolically threw into the fire to let burn away. After this, endless conversation and an emotional, tearful farewell began, and we prepared for tomorrow’s departure. I would like to thank Márti néni for her dedicated work and Bella for her tireless energy, which made the camp run smoothly, creating a safe and magical atmosphere throughout the week.
András Dömölki, Pécs 2
