Balagan Creative Camp in Georgia
Multipotential camp:
a place where anything is possible
Balagan Creative Camp in Georgia
Multipotential camp:
a place where anything is possible
A summer camp dedicated to unlocking your potential
A cozy family hotel in Telavi, Georgia
Creating a world we’d love to live in
A team of educators, psychologists and creative professionals
For dreamers aged 10 to 17
August 5 – 15
A summer camp dedicated to unlocking your potential
A cozy family hotel in Telavi, Georgia
Creating a world we’d love to live in
A team of educators, psychologists and creative professionals
For dreamers aged 10 to 17
August 5 – 15
What is Balagan?
Balagan is a multipotential camp for those who aspire to become the authors of their own lives. It offers a wide range of creative workshops that participants can choose based on their interests.

At Balagan, kids also learn how to take charge of their lives: they design their own rules to live by, lead workshops, and create collaborative projects.
The goal of Balagan is to help participants gain a deeper understanding of themselves, try new things, and learn to live in harmony with both themselves and others.
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Summer 2025
This new session of Balagan focuses on exploring the diverse cultures of our world. Our team will include members from different countries and cultures across Asia, Africa, and Europe:
  • An alternative school principal from Nepal
  • A political science professor from Sri Lanka
  • A farmer and teacher from Kenya
  • A co-founder of a creative children’s camp from Ukraine
  • Representatives from Germany, Israel, Russia, and Georgia
The goal of the multicultural session is to get to know each other, make friends from faraway places, and expand our understanding of the world. Each day, we will dive into the traditions of the countries our mentors come from, learn how to interact with each other while embracing our differences, and collaborate on group projects.
Multicultural Сamp in English
5 — 15 August 2025 года
$1300
The session will be conducted in English, making it a great fit for kids who are comfortable understanding and expressing themselves in English, as well as their English-speaking friends.

A list of workshops for the session will be coming soon.
Apply now
Daily Schedule
Except for the first two days and the last one
1
08:30
Wake-up
2
09:00
Breakfast
3
10:00
General Meeting
4
11:00
First workshop (choose your own)
5
12:30
Second workshop (choose your own)
6
13:30
Lunch
7
14:30
Free time
8
16:30
Полдник
9
17:00
Group work / walk
10
19:00
Dinner
11
20:00
Evening activity
12
22:00
Tea and cookies
13
23:00
Lights out
Workshops
Each session features 8-10 workshops across various fields.
For example: music, dance, crafts, philosophy, circus, theater, woodworking, photography — every time, we create a unique list of workshops.
We always curate a diverse selection of workshops so that people with completely different interests can find something that excites them.
Free Time
Free time is an essential part of our educational philosophy. In order for participants to happily come up with their own projects and attend workshops, it’s important they have time to rest, swim in the pool, and simply hang out with friends.
There’s always something to do during free time. For example, playing soccer, picking berries on a walk, fishing imaginary fish in the pool, or writing poetry.
Collaborative Projects
In 2025, we will invite participants to come up with and implement collaborative projects of various scales. We believe that in a world full of conflicts, it’s crucial to learn how to negotiate, co-create ideas, and find solutions together. Some of the projects will be carried out on the streets of Telavi.
Camp Location
We have rented the entire Hillside Resort Telavi, a small family hotel with comfortable rooms for 2-3 people, a pool, and a conference hall for our evening activities and active workshops. During the sessions, only our group and the hotel staff will be staying at the hotel.

Our hotel is located on the edge of Telavi, just a five-minute walk from the forest, where we’ll go for walks, and twenty minutes from the historic city center.
The price includes five meals a day, served buffet-style. Our menu will feature fresh fruits and vegetables from the hotel’s farm, as well as fresh-baked goods.

As part of the team, we will have a highly qualified pediatrician with 30 years of experience working at the Telavi city hospital.
Who Is Our Camp For:
  • Creative individuals aged 10 to 17
  • Those who want to explore their interests and try something new
  • Those who have many ideas but lack the time or resources to bring them to life
  • Those who don’t have ideas yet but are eager to do something interesting: here, they’ll find like-minded peers and come up with amazing projects together
  • Those who are tired after the school year and want to have a truly relaxing break
Reviews
Previous Sessions:
July 10 — 23, 2024
This session focused on developing creative and critical thinking.

Workshops of the session:
  • Shadow Theater
  • Carpentry
  • Drawing
  • Music
  • Theater
  • Trying a new type of art every day
  • Psychology
  • Creating Soundtracks

Our team

  • Katya Melikhova
    Co-founder and Project Director
    I have been working with children and teenagers for 17 years (time flies!). I have a background in psychology, and I am constantly learning something new—not only in the fields of psychology and pedagogy but also in art and entrepreneurship. I absolutely love working with children and teenagers: every year, I choose a new theme for my workshop and am always amazed at what the kids can do. For instance, two years ago I led a songwriting workshop, and many of the participants wrote their own songs, and last year we had a philosophy workshop, where we discussed numerous complex dilemmas.
    In addition to working with children, I am a coach for leaders and teams, helping people realize their potential.
    We launched Balagan Creative Camp after leaving Russia, and this year will mark its third year. Our creative art residency "Kavardak" in Russia has been successfully operating for ten years.
    My family (husband and son) and I have been living in Tel Aviv, Israel, for three years. Children and teenagers from all over the world come to Balagan for the camps, which inspires me—I'm passionate about international projects.
  • Nika Vaksenburg
    Project Manager
    I’ve been working with children and teenagers for many years, designing and running camps, festivals, and various events.
    In my role, I organize the processes, direct the camps, create concepts, and train instructors.
    I have a background in theater, music, journalism and pedagogy. Outside of my work in education, I’ve always loved music, and it's been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Lately, I’ve been focusing on choral labs and improvisation, and I truly believe that singing together is a powerful experience.
    At Balagan, we sing with the kids in different languages and write songs together. I also lead workshops on free movement, performance, and event management.
    Over the past three years, I’ve spent a lot of time in Tbilisi, I’ve grown fond of the city and discovered some of my favorite spots in Georgia—it’s become a second home for me.
    Balagan Creative Camp is a project close to my heart. It’s such a joy to connect with people from different countries in a safe, creative space where we can exchange ideas and collaborate.
Information about this year's team will be available here soon!
Project Philosophy
Our core values are freedom, creativity, collaboration, choice, and non-judgment. Our approach is rooted in two key educational philosophies: humanistic pedagogy and democratic education.

In the humanistic approach, we believe in each child’s potential and see them as the best version of themselves. Our goal is to support their growth without labeling them as "good" or "bad." Instead of focusing on punishment for "wrong" behavior, we seek to understand the underlying causes of it.

From democratic education, we embrace the idea that both children and adults in our camp have equal rights and the power to shape what happens. Everyone, regardless of age, is encouraged to suggest changes to the rules (with the exception of those related to safety and the laws of the country), introduce new traditions, lead workshops, create and execute projects, and even challenge adults (including the director). We aim to create an environment where children feel empowered to voice their opinions and take responsibility for their actions.

We resolve conflicts using non-violent communication, not punishment. We teach children to listen to each other and work through disagreements respectfully.
Our team consists of passionate, creative, curious, and skilled individuals. We recognize that adults in the camp are role models for the children. Some members of our team are "graduates" of the camp who have grown up and returned to work with the younger generation.
Humanistic Education
Carl Rogers, John Dewey, Shalva Amonashvili, and others
Democratic Education
anusz Korczak, Alexander Neill, Yaacov Hecht, and others
Our Guiding Principles
  • Multipotentiality
    We believe everyone has multiple potentials, and we create a space where they can explore and develop any of them
    1
  • Non-Judgment
    At Balagan, there are no competitions or prizes for "most creative project." This allows participants to relax, stop trying to prove anything, and focus on what truly matters to them
    2
  • No Group Divisions
    We don't divide kids into groups. Participants have the freedom to choose who they spend time with, and how much time, regardless of age
    3
  • Open Communication
    If something goes wrong (e.g., rules are broken), we talk about it openly with the children. We believe they are capable of making decisions for themselves and learning from them
    4
  • Mindfulness
    We encourage mindfulness toward ourselves and others. We practice listening to both our inner selves and those around us
    5
  • Acceptance
    We embrace each other for who we are, without judgment
    6
  • Freedom of Choice
    Participants have the freedom to design their own day and choose to do only what truly sparks their interest
    7
  • Openness to New Ideas
    We design each session to be unique: new ideas, activities, and events emerge, with the content of each session largely shaped by the participants themselves
    8
FAQ
Camp Fee

$1300 if paid by April 15

$1400 if paid after April 15

Payment can be made in USD, EUR, or GEL via bank transfer to a Georgian account.

The fee does not include tickets to Georgia and medical insurance.

The fee covers:
  • Group transfer

  • Accommodation

  • Meals

  • Program

  • Creative materials

$1300 if paid by April 15

$1400 if paid after April 15

Payment can be made in USD, EUR, or GEL via bank transfer to a Georgian account.

The fee does not include tickets to Georgia and medical insurance.

The fee covers:
  • Group transfer

  • Accommodation

  • Meals

  • Program

  • Creative materials

Nika project manager
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Apply now
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Contact us
If you have any questions about our camps in Georgia, feel free to reach out to our manager, Nika.

Email: balagancamp@gmail.com

To get in touch with Nika, click on the icons below to contact her via Telegram or WhatsApp.
Please note that calls are only available through these messengers.
Balagan Creative Camp in Georgia
Balagan Creative Camp in Georgia
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Illustrations by Lena Kozlova