International project on development of cultural heritage CHOICE starts in Belarus

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Association of Local Democracy Agencies ALDA (France) together with International Consortium “EuroBelarus” (Lithuania) announce the start of partnership program "CHOICE” and call for participation.

Behind the abbreviation, there is hidden a two-year project on preservation and re-thinking of the cultural heritage and on enhancing the potential of civil society organizations from the cultural sector: "CHOICE - Cultural Heritage: Opportunity for Improving Civic Engagement”.  The project will be organized in Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, and Armenia within the Eastern Partnership Program with the consulting and informational support of the partner organizations:

Centre for Cultural Management (Lviv, Ukraine);

ICOM National Committee (Chisinau, Moldova);

Millennium Foundation for Education and Research (Erevan, Armenia);

Public Association “Centre for Social Innovations” (Minsk, Belarus).

The Belarusan part of the “CHOICE - Cultural Heritage: Heritage and modernity” project is based on the values of cultural heritage as a source of enforcing and developing the modern Belarusian identity and the European civilized choice of Belarus. The organizers of the project aim at supporting the diversity of innovative approaches and the citizens’ initiatives on including Belarus’ heritage in the modern cultural life of the Belarusan society.

Put into practice, these goals will be reached through:

- Support to cultural NGOs and professional associations in organizing innovative projects on preservation and actual interpretation of national cultural heritage;

- Increase professional capacity, organizational potential, and enforce the role of civil society organizations in shaping local and national cultural environment and cultural policies in their country.

The project includes the following main activities:

- consulting on the organizational development for applicants and participants of the project;

- organizing discussions and seminars;

- a small grants program for the projects aiming to actualize the cultural heritage;

- drafting of the policy papers.

We invite to apply for the project:

1) NGOs of local and/or national level, working in the field of local development, protection and rehabilitation of culture heritage;

2) organizations, groups, associations of professionals and intellectuals, and cultural figures interested in the possibilities of preserving the cultural landscape and its diversity, as well as in ensuring a stable use of the cultural heritage resources for the development of towns and communities.

The selection of participants will have two stages.

During the first stage, the organizations and initiatives willing to take part in the project have to prepare and send to the electronic address [email protected] the following documents:

 - the creative concept of the cultural project based on the interpretation and actualization of material and non-material cultural heritage of Belarus.

 - preliminary plan of your organizational development.

The form and instruction of how to fill it in will be published at EuroBelarus.info.

Deadline for the presentation of the concept and plan is October 31, 2015.

The range of thematic directions and formats can comprise:

- mapping of cultural objects, cultural heritage tours;

- creation of mobile applications for promoting concrete cultural heritage objects;

- promotion of modern methods and technology for rehabilitation of cultural landscapes;

- mobilization of local communities for participating in local planning and having influence on the development of the cultural policy and its monitoring;

- as well as other innovative projects, fresh creative ideas, and ambitious initiatives based on authors’ aspiration to improvement and the ability to influence local and national cultural processes.  

During the second stage of selection, until January 20, 2016, the selected organizations-participants, with the help of consultants and trainers, will be able to develop and submit project proposals with a detailed budget, as well as finalize the submitted plans on their organizational development.

The selected participants will also be able to attend professional seminars and mini-trainings at field-specific organizations from Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, and Armenia, as well as develop joint projects with partners from these countries.

You can receive more information about the project, its possibilities, and participation rules from the coordinators during the official presentation of the project “CHOICE - Cultural Heritage: Heritage and modernity” that will take place on September 22, 2015, Tuesday, in the “CECH” cultural space (Minsk, Kastrychnitskaja str.16, 2^nd floor). The presentation starts at 7 p.m. Free entrance!