DriveMusic media
© 2026
© 2026
18 November, 16:39
Drive Music Media
Views: 1443
Sand Fairy Oksana Merhut: From Participating in Golden Time Talent to Touring the UK
.jpeg?token=gver3j7z10bn55q1zgehmgne0m5rg4e31chpkzik)
Oksana Merhut is a Ukrainian sand animation artist who continues to amaze audiences not only in Ukraine but around the world with her art. In September 2024, Oksana became one of the winners of the UK talent competition Golden Time Talent and embarked on a tour across British cities. Oksana’s goal is to introduce Ukraine to Britain and share the reality of what is happening in Ukraine since the start of russia’s full-scale invasion. Learn more about her participation in Golden Time Talents, her tour across British cities, and the highly anticipated Christmas tour in our article.
THE UKRAINIAN SAND FAIRY: THE BEGINNING OF HER CAREER AND THE CREATION OF HER OWN STUDIO
Oksana Merhut dedicated a part of her life to teaching, and when the time came to start her own business, she decided to combine her teaching skills with her creativity. Fascinated by the art of sand animation, she chose this field as the focus of her venture. Interestingly, it all began with a small sand table she used for physical activity breaks with children at an arts academy. A crucial reason behind Oksana’s choice of this direction was the positive impact these activities had on children’s psychological well-being. Thus, in 2014, Ukraine’s first professional sand animation studio was born.
GOLDEN TIME TALENT: UKRAINIAN SAND FAIRY WINS IN BRITAIN WITH TWO ANIMATIONS
Oksana, without hesitation, accepted the invitation from the British competition Golden Time Talent to participate in the annual winners' festival following her victory with two sand animations, "Falcon" and "Ballad of a Mother" by Olesya Ravlyuk.
After receiving the invitation, Oksana promptly arranged visas for herself and her daughter to travel to Britain, arriving in London on September 14. The role of the technical director for Oksana Merhut's show was performed by her daughter, Olena Merhut.
Golden Time Talent is a global leader in organizing competitions and festivals for creative groups and solo performers at the international level. Their mission is to develop and promote unique, talented individuals from around the world.
On September 15, Oksana was the first to perform on stage, due to the technical setup required for her equipment. Her sand animation, titled "We Will Win", carried profound symbolism given the ongoing decade-long war of russia against Ukraine. The emotions expressed by the British audience will stay with Oksana forever. Sand animation was truly a wonder for them.
The festival featured representatives from 25 countries, while the Golden Time Talent competition itself had participants from 71 countries. A significant goal for Oksana was to shed light on the current events in Ukraine. Despite the weight of the subject matter, the Ukrainian Sand Fairy received strong support from the judges and the president of Golden Time Talent, Inessa Bila.
TOUR ACROSS BRITISH CITIES: HIGHLIGHTING TO BRITISH PEOPLE THE ISSUE OF RUSSIA'S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE
After presenting her works at Golden Time Talent, Oksana decided not to stop there. She embarked on a tour across cities in Britain to share the story of what is happening in Ukraine.
On September 14, with the support of charitable organizations, she began her series of charity concerts across Britain. The first city on her tour was Honiton, and the final stop was London. With the money raised during the concerts, Oksana and her team purchased 12 devices to enhance Ukraine air defense systems. According to Oksana, the tour across the cities of the United Kingdom was organized with the help of several charitable organizations, founders and volunteers – the East Devon District Council, Olga Andriyenko, Tetyana Gaponenko; the founder of the Bristol Ukrainian School with Ukraine Aid and Welfare – Antonina Grebeniuk; volunteers of charity organization "Cardiff for Ukraine", Olha Bakar, Anastasiia Kovtun, Helen McCadie; the founder of charitable foundation "Sanflowers Wales" – Dmytro Finkelshtein, Oksana Shapovalova; AUGB Manchester, Bohdan Sopel, the couple Oksana and Wolodymyr Kowalyszyn; the group of volunteers of Western Somerset "Zerno Aid for Ukraine" and the organizer Galyna Tryndyuk; AUGB London, "Women Fight 4you"; the photographer – Dmytro Malenko; "Ukrainer in Trier e.v" – the director Yuriy Skobel, Nadiya Ilyasova and Anna Zorinova and many others. Oksana Merhut's charitable tour was also supported by the British media.Their mission is to develop and promote unique, talented individuals from around the world. In addition to performing in nine cities, Oksana also participated in two charity events in London and performed in Luxembourg at the "Symphony of Ukrainian Statehood" event on Cossacks' Day.
CHRISTMAS TOUR: OKSANA TO VISIT GERMANY AND THE UK AS PART OF HER SHOW
Oksana Mergut's Christmas Tour to Begin in Bautzen, Germany, on November 26. This year, Ukrainian sand art fairy Oksana Mergut will enchant audiences with a magical retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen and Christmas. A unique feature of the show is its transition from the famous Danish fairy tale to the celebration of a traditional Ukrainian Christmas, complete with Ukrainian carols.
Oksana Mergut's Christmas show will visit the following cities:
In Germany:
- Bautzen - November 26, 2024
- Hoyerswerda - November 27, 2024
In England:
- Gloucester - December 5, 2024
- Bath - December 6, 2024
- Hereford - December 7, 2024
- Birmingham - December 12, 2024
- Warrington - December 13, 2024
- Sheffield - December 14, 2024
- Nottingham - December 14, 2024
- Liverpool - December 15, 2024
In Wales:
- Swansea - December 10, 2024
- Cardiff - December 11, 2024
A delightful surprise will be a workshop in Swansea for Ukrainian children, scheduled for December 10, 2024.
The planned tour by Oksana Merhut is a charitable initiative. The organization of all tours is made possible through the active support of British and German volunteer organizations.
Pictures were taken by Olena Kalinina Golden Time Talent
23 June, 16:48
Drive Music Media
Sonny McCartney is a photographer who hopes that what he creates will live longer than he does. He describes his journey as passionate. From an early love of graphic design to music photography and eventually opening his own studio in his hometown of Liverpool, every step of Sonny’s 18-year career holds deep personal significance for him. When Sonny was younger, he moved to London because Liverpool did not yet have a photography studio like the one he would later go on to create himself. He believes that the role of a photographer should not cross ethical boundaries and feels that, unfortunately, paparazzi culture has cast a shadow over the profession as a whole. Throughout his career, he has remained committed to his own principles. One of Sonny’s most powerful projects is Don’t Mind Me, which explores mental health and documents the real-life experiences of people who have faced it. Through this work, he both filmed and photographed participants, creating an honest and deeply human record of their stories. Sonny spoke with Asya Radko, founder of Drive Music Media, about his project Don’t Mind Me, his work supporting artists after amputation and people with disabilities, the creation of his own studio, and what exists beyond the frame of his camera.
05 June, 14:19
Drive Music Media
Angelina Spilnyk is a writer who believes that stories should not be simple. For her, literature is an opportunity to reveal new perspectives, challenge familiar ideas, and invite readers into a world where every layer hides another meaning. She is drawn to complexity, symbolism, and questions that rarely have straightforward answers.Whether writing about memory, migration, war, technology, or identity, Spilnyk explores the connections between personal experience and the broader forces shaping our lives. Her work ranges from therapeutic fiction and poetry to speculative narratives that examine humanity's future and the societies we build.Her stories have appeared in several Ukrainian anthologies, including Light Between the Lines, Beyond Yourself, and Prose of a New Era. Alongside her shorter works, she is currently developing her epic poem Peccata Mundi and her debut novel Steppe Stork.About her literary journey, the challenges facing contemporary Ukrainian writers, the stories closest to her heart, and the mission she carries as an author, Angelina Spilnyk spoke with Drive Music Media.
16 May, 02:49
Drive Music Media
Danyil Shpudeiko is a Ukrainian poet, songwriter, and co-founder of the band “Tonkyi Marsh” — a project that emerged not from a calculated career plan, but from a need to transform thoughts, social tension, and personal freedom into music. Having spent most of his conscious life in sports before unexpectedly stepping into the music industry, Danik never considered himself a traditional musician. For him, music became a channel for poetry, reflection, and honest conversations about society, politics, inner conflict, and identity. Together with his bandmates, he built “Tonkyi Marsh” as a space where lyrics matter more than trends and where songs are meant not simply to entertain, but to provoke thought and emotional response. Danik shared with Drive Music Media the story behind the band’s creation, the philosophy of their music, the meanings hidden inside the mini-album Painted Souls, the challenges of creating art during wartime in Ukraine, and why freedom remains the defining word of his art.
29 April, 11:42
Drive Music Media
On April 27, the British indie-rock band MOSAICS held a launch party at the concert venue of the pub The Lower Third to celebrate the release of their debut album “A Guiding Life”, which began in July 2025. The album includes five tracks: “Godspeed,” “Heaven Knows,” “A Thousand Faces,” “Sing Me to Sleep,” and “Different People” — one of which, “Different People,” was performed as a duet with James McCartney. The album was released with the involvement of sound engineer George Lloyd-Owen, mixing by Lue Stylianou, mastering by Matt Colton, and publishing by Xaccuti Productions. The atmosphere of MOSAICS’ concerts has a way of pulling you inward — somewhere deep into your own thoughts. During “Different People,” it feels like a quiet conversation with yourself: about how you change as the world around you shifts, and how following your dreams brings both outcomes and losses. One of the most striking lines — “All these city lights have really taken their toll” — becomes a precise metaphor for the experience of moving, which lies at the heart of the song. To mark the release of their first album, James joined MOSAICS at the launch party and also performed one of his new songs, “Angeles.” Discover the atmosphere of MOSAICS’ concert this Monday in a report by our founder, Asya Radko.
29 April, 09:53
Drive Music Media
Cherepanov is a Ukrainian guitarist, songwriter, and one of the key figures in Kyiv’s alternative underground scene — a musician who doesn’t just play music, but builds an entire ecosystem around it. From early inspiration Pet Shop Boys to founding bands, organizing concerts for international acts, and running the iconic Kyiv based art-space “Tepliy Lampoviy,” his journey reflects a deep commitment to creative freedom and community. As a member of Spokusy and Aghiazma, and the mind behind numerous cultural initiatives, he continues to shape the sound and spirit of a new Ukrainian wave — raw, emotional, and unapologetically independent. In this interview, Cherepanov speaks about his musical beginnings, balancing multiple projects, creating during wartime, and why his entire creative path can be summed up in one word: afterparty.