Three Ukrainian creatives displaced by the war, are appealing for funding to secure the future of a new children’s activity club they launched in Redditch.

Friends Tetiana Volikova, Yana Tyshyna and Svitlana Vasylieva established and run Creative Carousel with the support of Redditch and Kingfisher Rotary Club. But now the team need to replenish their depleted £9,900 grant from Redditch Borough Council which has only funded the first four months.

It is hoped a free Heritage Fun Day on September 13th will also help showcase the Club which, they say, offers a unique blend of UK and Ukrainian teaching methods and after-school care.

The event takes place at St Laurence Church and the Ark between 11am-2pm, when members of the team will be on hand to talk about the Club. There will also be a host of family fun on offer, including church and tower tours, prize draws, games, live performances, face painting and food stalls.

The three ladies all resettled in Redditch a few weeks after the outbreak of the aggression, being forced to flee with their children to Poland and Turkey, before finding sponsor families in Worcestershire.

After meeting through the BRWR (Bromsgrove and Redditch Welcome Refugee Group) they realised their passions and skills as a vocal coach, artist and choreographer aligned and so set about building Creative Carousel. Tetiana said:

“I felt there was a need for something like this in the area. We asked Rotary to help us organise this project and apply for grants as we didn’t know how to do it. Also, we would like “Creative Carousel” to become a business sometime in the future. So Rotary lent us a hand and bought us some materials to help get us up and running. We couldn’t have done this without them.”

For Tetiana, Svitlana and Yana, Creative Carousel marks a return to the work they love - but were forced to leave behind - in their homeland.

Tetiana has over 30 years of experience as a performer, vocal coach, and international competition judge and had been running her own successful vocal studio for 12 years before the war broke out. She said:

“Being in UK I previously contributed to projects funded by the National Lottery and the Arts Council, including the renowned Eurovision Refugee Choir project in Liverpool and the European Youth Music Refugee Choir. These experiences were deeply inspiring, instilling a desire to create another project that fosters international cultural exchange through music.”

“Through these initiatives, I witnessed the transformative impact that culturally diverse, inclusive arts projects can have on communities. It strengthened my commitment to making arts accessible and meaningful, especially for refugee and immigrant populations.”

It was only a few days after war broke out that Tetiana fled Khmelnytskyi with her two children aged 17 and 6. She recalls:

“I took some important stuff for me, such as my gadgets to stay connected, and minimal clothes. We had two travel bags between the three of us. My biggest aim was to stay calm, not to stress or scare my daughter”.

“I left my entire life behind. Suddenly you have no hopes, no aims, no decisions. You can’t plan anything. But I have shed all my tears and now am embracing life over here and trying to be positive.”

She added: “Life has to go on. I have responsibilities. I had my family and my community. I needed to do something, to make a change. I can't stop the war. I can't make decisions for other people, so I decided to try to focus on what I'm doing here, and that's why Creative Carousel came about. We decided to develop something here similar to what we all used to do.”

Yana Tyshyna is a choreographer and production ballet master and director of the Mriya dance ensemble in Birmingham, which includes over 50 dancers from various countries.

In Ukraine she worked at the Kyiv College of Culture and Arts in the Department of Choreographic Arts before fleeing to the UK with her seven-year-old twin sons, who are themselves, excellent dancers.

She said:

“Creative Carousel for me is not just an after-school club—it’s a fun, creative family where everyone feels needed and an irreplaceable element in a well-coordinated mechanism. Here, I teach children the art of dance with great pleasure. Movement is life… but it’s more fun with music.”

Professional artist Svitlana Vasylieva, resettled in Redditch after fleeing Dnipro with her two sons aged 2 and 11, and has since exhibited in the UK and won the Art in Redditch Graham Award in May 2025. She is highly regarded for her work with children - frequently invited by cultural centres, holiday clubs, and community organisations to lead art workshops for young audiences. She said:

“My experience working with children from different backgrounds aligns perfectly with the Creative Carousel mission to celebrate cultural diversity through the arts."

“I aim to bring a unique cultural perspective and create a welcoming, inspiring environment for young participants, encouraging them to express themselves confidently and authentically through art."

“We are looking for all possible ways to reduce the prices and make our lessons affordable to all children interested. We are open to collaboration with businesses, charity organisations and funds to cover price for families in need.”

From September the Club will run three classes a week:

Redditch ( The Bridge Church (former St Luke's Church), Headless Cross, B974JX)

Mondays: Group 1: Ages 6-8, 16:30-18:30

Wednesdays: Group 2: Ages 9-11, 16:30-18:30

Alvechurch: (St Laurence Church and The Ark, School Lane, Alvechurch, B48 7SB)

Thursdays: Joined Group: Ages 7-11, 16:00-18:00

The cost of each session is £10, including teatime, with a special offer of just £2 for the first session.

Sibling discounts are available and families enrolling with multiple children receive a 20% discount.

Further information is available here, or to pledge sponsorship, contact Tetiana and the team at: creativcarouseluk@gmail.com.