Project Implementation – Myths and Facts

The youth exchange "Myths and Facts" brought together young people from Cyprus, Bulgaria, Lebanon, Georgia, Armenia, and Czechia to explore how myths shape our cultures and influence our perceptions of truth.
Hosted in Pissouri, Cyprus, the project combined creative workshops, theatre, debates, outdoor activities, and intercultural nights to foster critical thinking, teamwork, and cultural understanding.

Throughout seven unforgettable days, participants turned ancient stories into modern reflections—challenging stereotypes, embracing diversity, and discovering the power of storytelling in shaping a more inclusive Europe. Explore our daily journey, photos, and videos below to relive the experience and see how myths became facts through connection, creativity, and collaboration.

Day 1 – Monday October 20, 2025 

Written by the facilitators team 🇪🇺

The first day of the project, which means lots of icebreakers, name games and getting to know each other! After a brief introduction by the project manager of the project, Nikolas Nikolaou telling us the rules, all of us meeting the sleepy Bulgarians (due to their delayed flight, thanks Ryanair) we then met the 3 facilitators of the project.

  • Boghos Avetikian an Armenian Cypriot short king from Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus.
  • Erma Georgiou – a life coach expert from the city of Limassol, which we will visit on Day 4!
  • Rana Ghaban – author of this project, and a Lebanese youth worker.

We started our activities outside with the hangman name game, where each participant got a piece of duct tape, placed it on themselves and then made lines according to the letters of their name. For example, for Erma it would be _ _ _ _ ! We fished for letters from each other, we could only get one and give only one, ultimately making a colorful name tag for ourselves.

After this we had a portrait drawing game, where we passed around a paper with the shape of our face, and every time the music stopped, we filled in a different part of the body, such as one eye, an ear or the mouth!

Afterwards, , we also took part in a group speed dating game in mixed groups. For this, we had a central v.s topic such as "coffee vs tea" which we used to discuss and meet each other. To finish off right before coffee break, we went over our responsibilities, as well as rules for the project. After coffee break, we did the contributions, expectations and challenges backpack. We thought and wrote down what we brought to our project, what we expect from it, and challenges we may face.

Right before lunch, we played a game called Youthpass passport islands. Once again in mixed groups, we had to solve mini challenges for each competency. For example, for the mathematical competency, we had to solve an equation, while for the multilingual one, we had to learn greetings in different languages.

In the afternoon, we were in the square of Pissouri, the village we are being hosted in for a treasure hunt. In mixed groups, we were given a task list, and explored Pissouri, solving riddles and answering them by taking answers.

Check out the tasks in Pissouri here! https://mythsfacts.webnode.page/task-in-pissouri/ 

At night we had traditional dinner in Pissouri, which ultimately turned into a party, as we were playing and dancing right in the square!

Day 2 - Tuesday October 21, 2025

Co-written by the Czech Team 🇨🇿

After waking up on the second day of the project, everyone went to have breakfast, and then we gathered outside for our first energizer, prepared by the Armenian team. This energizer was called find the leader, where, while everyone was dancing in a circle, they were following a one person who was leading the dance. The goal was to figure out who was the one leading the song.

After the energizer we had a presentation that helps us dive deeper into the topic, thus understanding the difference between myth and fact, which led us to the first activity.

With a piece of paper folded into 4, we had to pick a fictional character we love. In different sections we

  • Section 1 - Write the character's name.
  • Section 2 - Describe the character's appearance
  • Section 3 - Describe their world, personality, values, and the place they lived.
  • Section 4 - Favorite memory of the character

With a pair, we shared the morals of the characters.

After the coffee break, we did a group activity called "I'm a Legend." In each group, we were supposed to come up with our own fictional country, its flag, and a legendary superhero. This legendary hero was the important part of the activity, as the country's traditions are built around it. It helps us see that myths actually cause facts.

Then we had our lunch break, which was followed by another Armenian energizer and an activity called "Creating Your Mythical Animal." Each of us could create their own animal by combining different parts of different animals, by cutting up pieces of printed animals. Then we had to come up with its name, backstory, and superpower.

After that, we all presented our homework/preparation activities, which showed us what issues other countries are facing and what solutions they have.

In the evening, we finally had the first cultural night. We got to experience Czech and Georgian culture, food, dances, and much more.

Day 3 - Wednesday October 22, 2025

Co-written by the Bulgarian team 🇧🇬

We started the day at 8 am this time around with a hike above Pissouri, with a trail that begins right after the end of the beach. The group had a lot of fun, had the opportunity to break the ice more and enjoy the beautiful and amazing sight. They work together as one helped each other with obstacles. After getting some much-needed rest, with some participants at the beach, while others at the pool, the activities continued at 11:30 am.

Therefore, the second activity was Guided Sensory Journey where the group was divided into pairs of two. Each pair had to take a walk around the complex while one of the pair is blindfolded and the other acting as the guide. At a given time, the roles were switched, so both the original guide and follower could switch roles. The target of this activity was not only to build trust and confidence, but also to take the follower through a sensory journey as the guide had to tell a story, whether fictional or not. This also increased their responsibility for each other. Everyone enjoyed and had fun!

The next activity was Embody a Mythical Character where the group was divided into groups of eight people and they had to recreate a Mythical animal and perform and act to express how the animals commutate, move and act with each other. This first started with an energizer by Erma, where they had to interact with each other differently, and then participants had to select from images of strange yet interesting mythical creatures. With given make up and other tools to create objects attached to ourselves.

In our groups, we presented sort of a theatre showcasing how these different characters can interact with each other.

​The last activity for the day was Persephone's Myth. The group was intrigued by the story, and they had to place themselves in the shoes of one of the Gods using meditation techniques, as well as figuring out which character they identified most with the story. These included

Persephone - The Maiden, The Reborn Queen

  • Represents purity, curiosity, and the part of us that trust life.
  • Represents transformation empowerment and the ability to embrace both light and the dark

Demetra – The Mother, Nurturer

  • The Caregiver Mother: Symbol of unconditional love, nurturing and creation
  • The Earth Mother - Connection to fertility, cycles and the natural flow of life and death.

Hades- The Shadow

  • The Shadow king - ruler of the unseen, the unconscious and the truth we avoid. The one who call us to take our fears and find color in the colorless

The day finished with an amazing cultural presentation, dances and tasting of Armenian and Bulgarian groups. It was just another amazing day for the group from Myth and Facts.

Day 4 - Thursday October 23, 2025

Written by the Georgian team 🇬🇪

Today's activities were among the most engaging and dynamic of the exchange so far. Participants took part in 2 major activities that encouraged discussion, creativity and reflection. By the end of the day, everyone agreed that this was the best day yet, due to the variety of themes and the active involvement of all participants.

The first activity was the World Cafe. Lead by leaders in each station, with five of them, these were -

  • Health, Wellbeing & Medicine – exploring cultural beliefs, natural remedies, and the impact of misinformation on health.
  • Food & Agriculture – discussing myths around healthy eating, GMOs, and the influence of media.
  • Old Practices & Traditions – reflecting on the meaning and origins of traditional customs and how to respect them while identifying myths.
  • Environment & Climate – uncovering misconceptions about climate change and environmental issues.
  • Technology & Media – analyzing myths surrounding AI, privacy, and fake news.

In the second session, Bobbie presented the role of social media and media biographies. They analyzed real-life examples and reflected on how different ways/ styles of speaking and interpreting information influence understanding. The activity promoted awareness and attention to diverse perspectives. This also included Bobbie's own "Media Biography" who showcased his own experience with the now defuct platform "Vine", which he argues is the reason he even chose to study English as a degree to begin with. Vine, with its 6 (then 9) second time limit had video content which had to be swift, clever and witty, and usually played with language.

The final activity, Mythical Theatre of the Oppressed which was a forum theatre was the highlight of the day. Each country group performed a short play based on a traditional myth which was mainly sad and tragic. Afterwards, participants were invited to switch roles or alter the storyline to create alternative, happier endings. This means that each play was played twice. Once with a bad ending (usually some characters death), and the second time where the audience, meaning other cultures fought to prevent the band ending. This creative and interactive approach allowed everyone to connect emotionally and recognize similarities between myths from different cultures

Overall, today successfully combined learning, reflection, and creativity. Participants deepened their understanding of myths, traditions, and information sources while building stronger bonds within the group.

Day 5 - Friday October 24, 2025

Co-written by Armenia 🇦🇲

Our team was very excited when we went to Limassol! At first, we visited the Ancient Kourion, a theatre which was once a city-state. Curiously, this area is in the UK zone of Cyprus, and it was fascinating to realize that we were technically in the UK while still on the island of Cyprus.

After that, we continued our journey to Limassol — the best city in Cyprus (yes, Bobbie, definitely the best one!). Producer Edit:No it isn't. We enjoyed a city tour, some shopping, and a delicious lunch. Limassol truly felt like the city of the future for us.

As we were in Limassol, we also interviewed people, both citizens of Cyprus as well as tourists, about myths that may exist with Cyprus. For tourists we asked about myths they believed about Cyprus before visiting, while for Cypriots we asked about what believes others may have about Cyprus. You can check out the interviews in each of the videos under Day 6! 

Later, we returned to Hylatio, where we enjoyed an amazing intercultural evening with participants from Lebanon and Cyprus. We also learned a lot more about ACPELIA, the organization that is hosting us here.

Day 6 – Saturday October 25, 2025

Co-written by Cyprus 🇨🇾

The energizers by the Bulgarian team were a great way to wake us up and get us ready for the first activity of the day. First, we split into two teams— each to a different energizer. The first was Duck Duck Goose (which got a bit competitive 😅), and the second was similar to Red Light, Green Light, where the group was supplied with a set of items, and had to deliver at least one towards the line, without being outed as the one holding an item. It was incredibly fun!

Debate is such an interesting topic, because, even if a topic is supposedly wrong or right, each participant had a different view on why a topic was wrong or right, and it was intriguing to hear everyone's interpretations on each topic. The topics included but weren't limited to; do cravings during pregnancy have an effect on the future child's birthmark? Are men naturally better leaders than women? Does spicy food cause acne? Do zodiac signs have an effect on personality?

Participants decided on if they agreed or disagreed and stood by their points against one another, with opening statements and a rebuttal from either party. Some got a bit more time than others (and maybe a bit louder and heated), but in the end, that's what debate is about! Everyone has their own opinions, and it was so interesting to hear everyone's stance on certain topics.

After a brief energizer of Hot Potato by the Bulgarian team, we moved onto our next activity.

We also went through what else Erasmus+ has to offer, outside of our current program, such as semesters that can be taken abroad, studying your major of choice in countries such as Spain, Portugal, etc, along with a program called DiscoveryEU, encouraging youth to explore— giving them the opportunity to travel through the EU at a discounted cost— especially regarding travel fees.

Erasmus+ by itself is an exhilarating set of programs— but the activity was extremely eye opening, allowing us to explore which opportunities were available for us and youth as a whole, and the ways it can benefit us for the future.

Each national team was given the task to create a video; their experience and how the program benefitted them. Spoken in their national language and subtitled in English so that every participant can understand them— and also so that it can be shown regarding the advertisement of Erasmus+; spreading awareness of the opportunities it can provide to youth within the EU. You can read watch them all below!

Day 7 - Sunday October 26, 2025

Written by the Lebanese Team 🇱🇧♥️

Today marked the closing day of our Youth Exchange program in Pissouri, and it was filled with reflection, celebration, and appreciation for everything we experienced during the past week.

We began the day with the evaluation of the project. Each participant filled out a Google Form to assess the entire exchange — from the preparation phase to every activity we participated in. This let us, what could be improved, and how the program impacted us both personally and professionally. It felt meaningful to look back on our journey and realize how much we have learned and grown together.

After that, we moved to the follow-up session. Nickolas explained that each national team will have to conduct follow-up activities once we return home. These will include sharing photos, writing short reports about the results, and posting about our experience on social media. We also discussed how to prepare a proper follow-up report to send back to the organizers. In addition, we received important information about the reimbursement process.

Next came a very special moment — the Youthpass Ceremony. Each participant from Lebanon, Cyprus, Armenia, Georgia, Czech and Bulgaria received their official Youthpass certificates, recognizing the skills and competences developed throughout the exchange. It was a proud and emotional moment for everyone, especially when we took a big group photo with all the country flags. The energy was joyful and full of gratitude.

Finally, we ended the day with our Watch Party, where we watch the videos created by each team. Every group had prepared a short film summarizing their experience in the Youth Exchange, the activities they enjoyed most, and the skills they gained. The videos also included interviews conducted in Limassol during our visit. Watching them together was both emotional and inspiring — it reminded us of how much effort, creativity, and teamwork each group invested in this journey.

As the program ended, we felt proud, connected, and thankful — not only for what we learned but also for the friendships and memories we created across cultures. This experience will stay with all of us for a very long time. 🇱🇧🇨🇾🇦🇲🇨🇿🇧🇬🇬🇪