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Description
he proposed project is needed to help deal with the stable trend of seclusion, isolation and ultimately reaching a ceiling of opportunities for development of the so-called “small organizations” in the Bulgarian NGO sector, which survive on an annual budget of less than 50 000 BGN, mainly with the help of voluntary labour, in the conditions of a new social changes, even though with a highly-competent staff. The project aims at developing the expertise of the team of A25 Cultural Foundation as well as boosting the organization’s capacity to carry out economic activities and use the incoming revenues to make up for the occasional and very limited financing of publicly beneficial activities in the field of culture. In this sense the project fully meets the specific objective of Building the Capacity of a CSO of Thematic Priority 6 of this call. The cultural sector has ended up being among the most affected ones by the COVID-19 crisis because with the introduction of social distancing, the financial framework of the sector founded fully on events and ticket sales, immediately vanished. Against this backdrop the project will strengthen the work and development of A25 Cultural Foundation so that the organization can adapt to the changes and gain further expertise and knowledge about its future additional expert and economic activities which help it fulfill its main mission of working for the public benefit.
Summary of project results
When COVID-19 and the accompanying restrictions to curb its spread took effect in Bulgaria, small organizations in the non-governmental sector were already facing chronic isolation and stagnation. Their development potential was quickly maxed out, as they relied predominantly on voluntary work, despite being led by highly educated teams.
In response to this reality, the A25 Cultural Immunity project aimed at strengthening and expanding the capacity of A25 Cultural Foundation by:
- Deepening and broadening expertise and skills within the team.
- Expanding international partnerships to improve the foundation’s core activities.
- Developing for-profit activities as a way to compensate for the limited public funding available for arts and culture.
A25 successfully joined two leading European networks:
- Culture Action Europe
- ENCATC (European Network on Cultural Management and Policy)
These memberships provided access to valuable resources, strategic documents, and high-level European discussions on arts and culture.
Throughout the project, A25 continued running Octane Number: Culture, a monthly feature in partnership with Uspelite.bg, showcasing interviews with arts and culture professionals whose work has a significant societal impact but often remains outside media attention.
- All interviews are available here: Octane Number: Culture
- The team conducted and published an analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on Bulgaria’s NGO sector, featured on The Bulgarian NGOs Information Portal.
- A25 launched a revamped website with enhanced functionality and a new visual identity.
- The team successfully completed digital marketing training, enabling future for-profit involvement in this rapidly expanding sector.
The project has laid the foundation for long-term sustainability by strengthening A25’s capacity, fostering strategic partnerships, and equipping the team with new digital competencies. These developments will enhance the foundation’s impact while opening new revenue-generating opportunities in the cultural sector.
For a campaign presentation and project video, visit: A25 Cultural Immunity Project