Description
The objective of the project is to restore the public role of village community centers and other neglected cultural spaces (e.g. regional chambers) and to introduce participatory cultural agenda planning in 4 municipalities. We will encourage the staff of municipal cultural institutions and the local communities to conduct activity-based research and strategic workshops with a view to preparing cultural development strategies and/or lists of priority actions in the field of culture based on users’ needs. Subsequently, participants will plan and select cultural projects that they will implement with our support. The project will end with a publication on the cultural heritage of the communities, including a description of the project process of empowering the local communities to engage them in the products and services serving all.
Summary of project results
"The project was implemented in the municipalities Błażowa (Podkarpackie voivodeship), Dźwierzuty (Warmińsko-Mazurskie voivodeship), Kleszczele (Podlaskie voivodeship), Łabowa (Małopolskie), where inhabitants had the sense that they had no influence on local cultural policies and where also coordination in cultural activities between public, private and social institutions was deficient. The aim of the project was to introduce participatory planning in culture and to bring back public functions to village clubrooms. Four strategies for cultural development in the municipalities were developed, and local inhabitants participated in decision-making processes during their development and implementation. The participants learned how to plan and organise cultural events, some of them ventured into fields of activity that were quite new for them. Persons active in animation learned new methods of work. Workers of cultural centres and other institutions learned about the needs of inhabitants. Formerly refurbished, but not fully used village clubrooms were returned to life. As a result of workshop activities, in one of the municipalities a clubroom for youth was opened. In three municipalities, informal groups were created to coordinate cultural activities. The project was implemented at two levels - local, in selected 16 villages where local clubrooms were situated, and central, in four cultural centres, where strategies for whole municipalities were developed. Under the first phase of the project, surveys were led in 16 villages. Their results were summed up during workshops, and based on them developmental objectives and lists of activities were prepared, of which one was selected for each village clubroom in the form of local inhabitants' project. Effects of the work in villages were summed up during workshops organised in cultural centres. Then, strategies for cultural development were prepared that are presently implemented. 349 persons participated in workshops in all municipalities. The meetings gathered representatives of local authorities, public institutions, NGOs and informal groups. Most of the participants had no previous experience in participatory planning and workshop activities."
Summary of bilateral results