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Description
The project provides an opportunity to foster intercultural cooperation through art and culture. The direct target group (children and young people with focus Roma) is involved in interesting initiatives, such as creative workshops in performing and applied arts, and cinema workshops in order to create own short film productions. The activity will involve professionals, as well as amateurs in the respective fields, representatives of the Roma ethnic group and other groups in the country. After the completion of the creative initiatives for creating own cultural products, free of charge stage events are planned to present the achieved results to the broad public. The cinema tour will take place in different small places in Bulgaria and will consist of free screenings of the films created within the project. In order to ensure sustainability, the films will be distributed free of charge for at least 5 years after the completion of the project on the short film platform of the partner organization, as well as through the channels of the leading organization. As to meet the highest expectations and needs of the Roma ethnic group, as well as to measure the effectiveness of the initiatives, a detailed sociological survey will be conducted. The project aims at promoting the cultural Roma products created, to increase Roma''s knowledge and skills in the field of performing and screen arts, respectively to improve Roma''s awareness and to present the opportunities for professional realization fostering better integration and overcoming stereotypes, and last but not least, to improve the access to culture in the small areas in Bulgaria as the project activities will be implemented on the territory of small populated areas (mostly villages), in areas with high concentration of Roma like Oreshene village, Yablanitsa, Selanovtsi village, Sklave village, Hristo Danovo village, city of Karlovo and Krichim.
Summary of project results
The ''Free Spirit Art'' project aims to improve intercultural cooperation through performing and screen arts and to provide an opportunity to expand intercultural dialogue through art and culture. The direct target group (children and youth with a focus on the Roma community) would participate in engaging initiatives such as creative workshops (in performing and applied arts) and cinema workshops with the end goal of creating their own short films. The children will learn how films are made by going through the entire process with the help of experts. They will have the opportunity to write the stories, portrayed then on screen and present their culture through their perspective to a wider audience.
Under the ‘Free Spirit Art’ project two main workshops were held: ‘Cinema’ and ‘Performing and Applied Arts – Creative Products’. The activities involved both professionals and amateurs in the respective fields, including representatives of the Roma community. The ''Cinema'' workshop focused on engaging children and youth, especially from the Roma community, in the process of creating short films. Participants learned about different aspects of filmmaking, including screenwriting, directing, and cinematography. As part of this workshop, the short film "Where is My Brother?" was created in the village of Oreshene. As part of the workshop, three more short films featuring children in the lead roles ("Bench," "Rival Sisters," and "Bicycle") were created, along with the show „Travelling lexicon“.
Тhe ''Performing and Applied Arts – Creative Products'' workshop focused on performing arts such as theatre and dance. The goal was to promote intercultural cooperation and integration through participation in stage performances. Participants had the opportunity to develop their talents and acquire new skills in the field of performing arts. The children who took part in the workshop also had the chance to go on tour and present their artistic performances in different locations.
As a result, creative workshops have been held in 5 locations with accompanying stage performances, film workshops were organised in 3 locations, and 5 short films have been produced. The promoter organised and held free screenings in 7 locations, as well as the ''Free Spirit Art Fest''. To ensure sustainability, the films created within the project will be distributed free of charge for at least five years after the project’s completion through the partner organization’s short film platform (noblink.bg), as well as through the leading organization’s channels.
The main goal of the project was to promote intercultural cooperation through performing, applied and screen arts for better integration of the Roma ethnic group and its rapprochement with other communities and cultures. This was achieved through complex creative and educational initiatives and public events aimed at working directly with children and young people of Roma origin, presenting the results to a wider audience in the form of stage performances, free screenings and an online festival. The activities carried out have allowed for the active involvement of children and young people from the Roma ethnic group in joint creative and educational activities. This process contributed to better understanding and tolerance between the different groups and improved relations between them.
The project helped in overcoming stereotypes and prejudices in society and promoting intercultural dialogue through creativity and the use of performing and applied arts among the Roma ethnic group, who have the opportunity to express their identity, cultural heritage and traditions. The activities organised created opportunities for educational and cultural exchange among the Roma community and other cultural and ethnic groups, as well as social integration through the creation of stage performances and short films.
The project included educational components that provided Roma children and youth with opportunities to learn and develop in different areas such as art and culture. This contributed to improving their educational achievements and future prospects. Public events provided opportunities to present Roma culture to a wider audience. This helped to raise awareness and understanding of Roma culture and traditions in different communities. The project allowed for active participation of representatives of the Roma ethnic group in educational and cultural activities. The participation in creative and cultural activities had a positive effect on the self-esteem and self-confidence of children and young people from the Roma ethnic group.