Description
The project addresses the social exclusion faced by children and adolescents placed in institutions in rural areas. The project aims at empowering them by teaching them artistic skills to facilitate their integration and help them live independently. First, 8 Bulgarian and 6 Norwegian artists will exchange experience at a seminar about art as a therapy. Second, 34 children and adolescents from the Children’s Home in Dolna Banya Municipality (22 of them Roma) will take part in 8 training sessions. Third, the paintings created by the adolescents will be promoted among the public and sold at 3 exhibitions. Finally, the money raised from the sales will be used to set up a Higher Education Scholarship Programme. An annual scholarship for the National Academy of Arts will be granted to a person from the institution. The project will benefit the children and adolescents from the institution and the local community in general. The partners will support the project with their expertise.
Summary of project results
The project activities carried out were targeted at developing a self-help mechanism among 34 children and young people with different ethnic background who were placed at Home for Children without Parental Care. Multicultural dialogue and transfer of knowledge and experience through art classes was promoted. The individual capacity of children and young men for independent living was boosted. A scholarship fund was set up under the project to enable the young people to continue their education after they leave the institution. The budget of the fund was raised through charity exhibitions where the project participants presented their works. The project was implemented with the active partnership with the Norwegian Foundation Peace Painting.
Summary of bilateral results
The two organisations exchanged experience and best practices in the field of integration of vulnerable groups through art. The Norwegian partner took part in the final exhibition organised under the project and helped with the setting up of the scholarship fund to enable the young people to continue their education after they leave the Home for Children without Parental Care. The exhibition was attended by the Norwegian Ambassador to Bulgaria (H.E. Guro Katharina Vikør) and was a very successful event. As a result of the project implementation the two partnering organisations improved their knowledge and understanding about each other and the bilateral relations were strengthened. Continued cooperation is planned.