News

  • Getting to know the girl that represents creativity filled with optimism and includes critique that encourages people to (re)think what is inspiring.

    Becoming familiar with Loesje and her writing methods became an important discovery for Pina, an association for Culture and Education from Slovenia, that enriched organizational activities and strengthen the belief in power of collective work through creative, cultural methodology.

    #1 Get to know Loesje

    We went to Berlin, read all Loesje publications, got to know the website of Loesje International, searched the poster archive for Slovenian posters and were meeting with former representatives.

    #2 Workshop in Gymnasium Koper

    In February we were invited to a gymnasium to participate in the Cultural day. Loesje creative text writing workshop was one of twenty workshops among which pupils from 15 to 16 years old could choose from.

    The Loesje workshop was prepared for 22 pupils and lead by Vid, the president of PiNA and Kaja, the project leader at Pina.

    It was the first time Loesje methods were put into practice and the results are encouraging. For PiNA it became clear that creative writing methods are going to join other organizational methods.

    #3 Editing

    Tamara Sokolovič was introduced to PiNA as editor and she played an important role in explaining the final editing of the text proposals. The final editing was a learning process for us and we are looking forward to gain new knowledge and experiences in this field.

    #4 International Loesje creative text writing workshop

    In April we organized the youth exchange 'Minute of inclusion', a Loesje workshop was also part of it that served as an introduction to the topic and enabled participants to (self)reflect important social issues. The result of it was an exhibition of the created poems and posters.

    #5 The future

    We may never truly know what the future will bring. But we will do our best and try to keep Loesje messages meaningful and visible.

    / Kaja Cunk

    Centro Multimediale e Giovanile //
    Multimedia and Youth Center PiNA

    http://www.pina.info

     

  • When did you fold a paper boat for the last time? Here's your chance to pick up on your old folding skills.

    In this pdf file you can find foldable Loesje boats. And they'd like to sail over your local fountain, park pound or rain pool. So they can make passers-by stand still, wonder and smile for a while. When you don't remember how exactly to fold a paper boat, here's the instructions for dummies.

    Make sure you fold the side with the Loesje texts inwards.

    The boats would appreciate some company of Loesje's water lilies. Cut them out and fold the leaves closed. As soon as you lay down the flower on the water, the leaves will unfold, like a real water lily, and show the message.

    In order to respect the environment, please take the paper boats and lilies out of the water at the end of the day.

    Please let us know the adventures of your boats and lilies by sending an e-mail. Please feel free to take pictures or movies and share them with Loesje through Facebook.

       
    (pictures taken from Loesje's Dutch naval forces)

  • Loesje International was once again awarded an administrative grant from the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe. This year we were allocated 4180 Euro to continue to do great activities European and world wide. The money will go to cover rent, wages and other necessary expenses to support the Loesje network. 

  • Missed the board meeting and assembly? Interested in the discussed topics? Do you want to know more about our plans? Would you like to share also your ideas about Loesje's future?

    We're happy to inform you that we are going to publish short summaries about the meeting, so you will have the chance to take part in it virtually and share your comments with us.

       

    On a sunny Saturday morning, on the second day of the assembly twenty friends of Loesje gathered together in the international office in Berlin to share their ideas about the improvement of Loesje International's web presence.

    The presentation was held by Artur and Petra, who started with the evaluation of Loesje International's web activities. They analysed the growth of the organisation on social media (facebook, twitter) and evaluated the activities of the website (online voting list, online bulletin).

    In 2010 there were 52.345 visits on www.loesje.org. Our facebook page was set up in September 2010 and since then has received 2188 lifetime "likes", 1695 of them are monthly active users. We observe a stable and constant growth of ca. 7% per week. In October 2010 we started our twitter profile and acquired 1647 followers since then. We are listed 30 times.

    The main part of the presentation was about new ideas and plans in order to improve the web presence of Loesje International. The basic idea is to make our website more interactive. We discussed our goals and opportunities about the interactive website and here are some of our plans:

    Goal: an interactive and playful website with more content.

    • New content on the website:

      • for example: a map highlighting the active Loesje countries with a short description and photos, contacts of the Loesje International office, introduction of Loesje on the front page etc.

      • getting rid of old and unused content and functionality.

    • New form of the online Bulletin - kind of as a “blog” on the website:

      • constantly publishing articles and summaries from the international network of Loesje on the website as news,

      • bulletin as a platform to interact and discuss,

      • Loesje International office updates monthly as an article,

      • monthly review of the news, articles and updates,

      • promotion of the new content on facebook and via our newsletter.

    • More photos and videos about our activities:

      • starting with a video about the assembly,

      • short films about text writing workshop, final editing, poster sticking etc.

      • video clip out of photos of Loesje posters from all around the world.

    The assembly is planning to have an evaluation of the the new website content in the summer camp of Loesje in Estonia (22nd July - 02nd August 2011).

    To be able to improve our website, we also need you, your ideas, comments, photos or articles on any topics what you think would be interesting for Loesje and her friends.

    Thanks for keeping Loesje's international network active!

       

  • All you ever needed to know (or at least, a good start) about how to start up your own Loesje group, how to make creative text writing, final editing and lay out, you can find here. Read it online or print it out below.

    If you want to translate the handbook into your language, just email us and she will give you more information! The handbook will soon be available in Polish, Spanish and Hebrew. Volunteers for translations into other languages very welcome!

  • The idea of the international training is to train 24 already experienced participants in arts, media and communication, using workshops to create a common understanding of the festival concepts and create the group work atmosphere, and practical »field work«, with an accent on peer to peer education and communication work. The training and its participants will at the same time be the media team of the Oddstream festival, creating synergies with it, and report from it, partly in collaboration with local media. Deadline for applying is 4th of April. 

    >>> ! please fill out the form ! <<<

    About the Oddstream Festival

    The Oddstream festival entails 4 music stages, exhibitions, an ‘inspiration day for art and communication’ with lectures, live art, an open participation area with interactive activities, workshops, and Club Oddstream with a night program by DJs and artists. It aims at 10.000 visitors during 4 days. (More information at www.oddstream.org)


    Where and When
    Nijmegen, the Netherlands / 29th of May - 7th of June 2011

    The project is looking for
    24 participants (no age limit) who has already experience in written media and/or video. Participants must be residents of an EU country and can travel from all EU countries.

    For the written media we are searching for these kinds of  participants:
    - Writers - Interviewers - Coordination / editing - Photographer - Layout / design - Proof reader (skill)
    For the video we are searching for these kinds of  participants:
    - Interviewers (journalists, speakers) - cameramen - editing - editor/ coordination - streaming / mixing

    Costs
    - travel cost reimbursement 70% (maximum total travel cost is Euro varies from country to country). For some participants there might be transport arranged (depending on country.)
    - free accommodation (breakfast, lunch, and dinner included)
    - free entry to the festival
    People will be hosted either at a hotel in nearby Nijmegen, or in huts with proper beds at the festival camping.
    The reimbursement of travel costs will be done via bank transfer. 

    Trainers Team
    Luca Cataldo (Inca Italia - Inca Network)
    Carola Ståhl (Loesje International)
    Editor in chief, Written media: Ruuta Vimba (Mašta)
    Editor in chief, Video: Rafael Ugarteche (VISIBLE - Inca Network) 

    Partners in the training are Inca Italia (IT), Pink Sweater (NL), PINA (SI), Loesje International (DE/INT) and Mašta (DE/INT).

    The project is funded by Youth in Action Programme of the European Commission.

  • En er werden nóg meer posters geschreven. Ditmaal was het Antwerpen dat in haar pen kroop, om volgende teksten te schrijven:

    • VERBODEN LIEFDE / ZIJ KWAM UIT EEN NVA-GEZIN / HIJ SPRAK FRANS
    • ZO'N BAKFIETS IS WEL HANDIG OM ILLEGALEN DE WIJK IN TE SMOKKELEN
    • ALS DIT LAND NOG MEER NAAR RECHTS VERSCHUIFT VALT HET OM
    • JE SUIS GAUCHE DE MES MAINS / JE SUIS DROIT  DANS MES BOTTES / MAIS JE VAIS OÙ BON ME SEMBLE

    Je vindt deze en andere posters in het posterarchief. Print uit, hang op, deel uit!

  • De schrijfbijeenkomst in Brussel had gevolgen: 5 nieuwe posters zagen het levenslicht en schreeuwen om adoptie.

    • EEN ECHTE FILOSOOF HEEFT ZIN IN HET LEVEN
    • PRIVATISERING POST / IS ER AL EEN BEDRIJF DAT ZICH SPECIALISEERT IN LIEFDESBRIEVEN
    • FACEBOOK / MIJN BROERTJE BLEEF MAAR KLIKKEN OP DAT MOOIE MEISJE MAAR ER GEBEURDE NIETS
    • LEVENSSNELHEID / ALS HET LEVEN TE SNEL GAAT DOE IK HET EVEN POOTJE LAP
    • DEMOCRATIE / ALS IEDEREEN EEN WOORD OPSTUURT MAAK IK ER EEN REGEERAKKOORD VAN

    Je vindt de posters in het posterarchief. Print uit, hang op, deel uit!

  •  

    Loesje International invites you to:

    Board meeting and assembly 25th to 26th of March, Berlin

    Do you also want to be part of forming the future of Loesje? Do you have ideas and plans that you want to share? Would you like to meet Loesje’s from other countries? Then the Assembly is the place to be!

    For a few days Loesje’s from all over Europe will meet at the international Loesje office and create future plans together, share experiences and evaluate past activities. If you have something you would like to share at the Assembly email Rola on rola@loesje.org and she will fit it into the agenda. On the agenda already are:

    • Oddstream June 2011
    • Future projects applied for
    • Summer camp 2011 in Estonia
    • Evaluation, new ideas and brain storm on ‘Web: further improving Loesje’s web presence’
    • Financial situation Loesje International and plans for the future
    • New international Loesje book 2012?
    • Evaluating the international series of the last 6 months
    • What is actually happening with the Masta project? Some Masta’s will tell.

     

    Practical stuff:

    You have to pay your own travel costs to the Assembly, but the Berlin Loesje’s will offer their sofas and mattresses so you can sleep for free. We will partly cook together at the office and partly go out to eat at some of the cheap and nice Berlin restaurants. So food will be cheap but at your own cost. Beer as well.

     

    Confirm your participation on Facebook Event Page

    See you in March!
    /Rola, Artur, Petra and Safaa

  • We are happy to annouce that Loesje International got the Administrative Grant in the amount of 35.000€, what is 51,86% of our yearly budget.

    Source