A few months after the full-scale invasion began, cities in the conditional rear started to come back to life.
Damaged, battered, with scars etched into their urban fabric, yet still alive, these cities donned protective layers.
Sandbags shielded sculptures and monuments, while stacks of books or boards covered building windows. Gradually, alongside pharmacies, banks, coffee shops, stores, and other establishments, signs appeared bearing the message, “We Are Open.” This phrase signaled that, even amid constant danger, the city continued to live. It became a symbolic graphic representation of resilience and the determination to carry on despite everything.
“DCCC: We Are Open” is the title of DCCC’s 2024 program, dedicated to exploring Dnipro’s contexts and revitalizing cultural practices in the region. The program merges multiple formats: film screenings, lectures, residencies, podcasts, fellowship programs, art workshops for children, and exhibitions.
Through these events, we aim to support local communities and cultural practitioners who continue to work during the war, while also broadening the discourse around local cultural heritage and phenomena that have significantly shaped Ukrainian identity but remain unspoken or forgotten.
The “DCCC: We Are Open” program is implemented with the support of the USAID-funded UCBI project, “Strengthening Community Trust.”
