On June 4, the 11th season of Meganom Academy Summer Schools kicked off. The programme brought together 29 young musicians and designers from 9 countries. The World Youth Festival Directorate facilitated their participation. The contemporary and electronic music art school invited participants from Russia and Belarus. They teamed up to create joint tracks blending modern and traditional genres of both countries. The best works will be released under the Tavrida.ART music label as a symbol of cultural unity. On top of that, an international team of the Art.Molodost Design Laboratory designed merch for the World Youth Festival Forum scheduled to take place in Krasnoyarsk in 2026.
“This year, the World Youth Festival Directorate has been expanding cooperation with Year-Round Youth Educational Centers in Russia and implementing 7 international educational programmes, bringing together over 300 young people from abroad. The first one to launch is the Meganom Academy Summer School in Crimea at the Tavrida Art Cluster. It will unite 29 talented young people – musicians and designers from Belarus, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Benin, the Republic of the Congo, Iraq, and Serbia. Together with Russian colleagues, they will be working on creative projects, unlocking their potential, and sharing unique experience. Engaging foreign youth strengthens the status of Russia’s youth ecosystem globally, giving a new impetus to fostering professional ties among young people from different countries”, said Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate.
This year, nine schools will bring together thousands of young people – from both Russia and other countries. They will gather to develop their skills, implement ideas, and pitch their final projects. The season opened with a summer school marking the 110th anniversary of composer Georgy Sviridov, bringing together musicians, music managers and producer, dancers, choreographers, designers, and marketing specialists.
The first Summer School brought together 388 young creators aged 18-35 from 73 Russian regions and other countries. From June 4 to 10, they will enjoy a week-long cultural and educational programme featuring lectures, masterclasses, discussions, and practical work in studios. Experts in different fields will help participants develop skills necessary for creative and professional growth. The Summer School finale will feature presentations of creative projects.
“Summer schools participants have chosen art as their profession, and we support them om this path. For the 11th time, Tavrida is bringing together young creators – representatives from various industries worldwide. Together, we are creating a space of synergy and communication, experience exchange, and most importantly, intensive work on creative projects. We really hope that this season will bring new, bright, and interesting ‘graduation’ works from our participants”, said Ksenia Artemyeva, Head of Tavrida Art Cluster.
The Meganom Academy Summer Schools are a project, previously known as educational shifts for young professionals in culture, art, and creative industries. Each summer school includes multiple art schools across various tracks. The first one combined 4 art schools.
The art school of contemporary music offers guidance from experienced mentors to musicians, singers, songwriters, music producers to create new pieces. They will get a chance to express themselves by doing auditions and collaborating with partner labels. Also, the programme will feature intensive training in DJing and two off-site events: a kvartirnik (private home concert) and a DJ set at the art residence in Sudak, where participants can showcase their skills.
The music management and production art school will focus on professional training for music managers, PR managers, A&R managers, and music label specialists. During the programme finale, participants will pitch their works as part of the Architects of the Music Industry project. Dancers, choreographers, and dancing teachers will create their own dance performance or programme at the choreography art school. They will also form a ballet troupe to defend their project and work on its implementation in theatres and concert halls across the country.
The Art.Molodost Design Laboratory will offer the opportunity to develop practical skills in graphic and brand design, marketing, and copywriting. Senior students, young professionals and seasoned experts will create and present merch concepts for the World Youth Festival Forum, the Esenin Moscow State Museum, and the Alabuga Special Economic Zone. The best projects will be implemented together with the art school’s partners. Experts and mentors include accomplished industry professionals: Egor Shamanin, musician and music producer, DJ; Sasha Chest, musician, actor, producer, member of the Black Star and Gazgolder labels, contestant in a famous singing TV show; Andrey Glotov, one of the youngest DJs in the country, resident of renowned Moscow clubs and bars, sound designer; Elizaveta Shcherbinskaya, marketing specialist, creator, Vanya Dmitriyenko’s PR director; Valery Mifodovsky, producer, expert in creative industries and positioning strategies, owner of multiple music labels; Efim Arakelov, founder of the SLOY design studio; Viktoria Lamina, art director of the Otvet design studio; Olga Shuk, performer, choreographer, stage movement director, deputy dean of the choreography and stage movement faculty at the Kobzon Institute of Theatre Art, contemporary dance tutor; Claudio Luis, dancer, tutor, choreographer, winner of the Dancehall King and the Dancehall International contests, participant in famous dancing shows: Project 818, Hip-Hop International, founder of the Dancehall Army project.
Overview:
The World Youth Festival took place on March 1–7, 2024 in Sirius, according to the Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of international youth cooperation. The WYF-2024 brought together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries.
On the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, the WYF will be held in Russia on a regular basis – once in six years. Also, every six years 10,000 young people from all over the world will get together at the World Youth Festival Forum, and in between, international themed assemblies for 2,000 participants will be held under the auspices of the WYF. The first Assembly is scheduled to take place in September 2025 in Nizhny Novgorod. Festival events of various formats will be held in Russia annually.
According to the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation on the preservation and development of the Festival legacy, the World Youth Festival Directorate continues the work aimed at strengthening international youth cooperation.