Day One -- Thursday -- 18 September 2025
Departure Location: University of Central Asia, Central Administration Office, Bishkek
Arrival Location: University of Central Asia, Naryn Campus
Location: UCA Campus Dining Hall
Location: UCA Campus Yellow Classroom; Naryn River
Creative Walk, Paulie Doyle
Take a slow, deep breath and step away from the everyday rush. Join us for a contemplative walk from UCA's campus down to the beautiful Naryn River, where we will explore playful, mindful practices designed to deepen your connection with yourself, your fellow walkers, and the spectacular landscape of the Mountains of Heaven.
Paulie Doyle teaches narratives studies and media at the University of Central. He is also an investigative reporter at the Irish political news website The Ditch. His writing has also appeared in VICE, Jacobin and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. He is all about stories that reveal the inner workings of the media.
River Landscapes - Immersive Writing, Lucy Palmer
In this workshop, writer Lucy Palmer invites participants to collaborate with the river—not simply as a backdrop, but as an active, living partner in the creative process. Participants will engage in collective storytelling and embodied writing, tapping into local myths, personal memories, and sensory experiences. By attuning to the river’s rhythms—its flow, erosion, and intricate entanglements—participants will create site-specific narratives that honor the river's presence and agency, producing texts that reflect its dynamic influence on both the land and those who inhabit it.
Lucy Palmer is an award-winning radio documentary maker, journalist, author, and editor, currently teaching Creative Writing, Media Literacy, and Podcasting at UCA. Throughout her career, Palmer has made significant contributions to media and education. She worked as a foreign correspondent for the BBC World Service and the Sydney Morning Herald, covering key events in the South Pacific. She is a published author with Allen & Unwin, Australia, and has edited notable works such as Playing the Game: Life and Politics in Papua New Guinea by Sir Julius Chan. With a focus on multilingualism and digital storytelling, Palmer’s teaching and research bridges the gap between traditional media and modern creative expression, empowering students to share their unique cultural narratives across diverse platforms.
Location: UCA Campus Dining Hall
Location: UCA Campus Creative Studio; Zoom
We mostly believe creativity is about inspiration, but in reality, it's about how to navigate rejection, uncertainty and change without losing yourself in the process.
In this talk, Brand Strategist and Creative Director Jon Jacobsen will share his story and methods accross different creative industries, from the projects that flourished to the ones that fell apart, and how those moments of loss become turning points.
Strategy isn't a rigid business tool, but a way of becoming: it gives structure to chaos, direction to ideas and clarity to decisions.
For filmmakers, designers, communicators and creative entrepreneurs, this means building a practice that is both adaptable to commercial realities and rooted in personal meaning.
In this talk, you'll explore how strategy can help you protect your vision, sustain your career, and transform challenges – including grief – into creative energy.
About Jon Jacobsen (Quintero, Chile. 1989)
Jon Jacobsen is a creative director, brand strategist and artist exploring grief, transformation and memory through visual storytelling and research. His work has been showcased in several galleries, fashion film festivals and international magazines, with collaborations including Sony, Universal, Converse and SHOWstudio – under the mentorship of Nick Knight. Currently based in Porto, Jon develops creative frameworks that bridge art and strategy – helping brands and entrepreneurs pivot their story into service-driven careers that foster connection and resonate deeply with their communities.
Depature Location: UCA Campus Parking
