Name of the project:
Culture for Everybody
(Project dedicated for development of cultural and social life of young people and children living in rural environments)

Represented by
Nikola Pisarev, Program Assistant at CAC, Editor of ZAYAC

Project dates:
2003, April: Meeting with local coordinators and preparation of the action plan;
2003, April–June: Implementation of the first phase of the project (trough "Traveling village cinemas");
2003, June–July: Beginning of the second phase:
        – organization of cultural and educational events, such as concerts of local bands, etc.;
        – Lectures about basics of History of Art (from ancient history until today) and Architecture.
2003, September–November: Implementation of the third phase of the project:
        – Practical trainings and workshops, as well as exchange of information and ideas. This would lead to better development of micro–interregional cooperation between villages, as well as to better arrangement of cultural and social life;
2003, December: Evaluation of the project, final conclusions and preparation of the reports.


Project description: “Culture for Everybody”

This project intends to develop cultural and social life of people in rural environments. The aim of the project is to present to local people how to organize their cultural and social life, as well to improve the level of their cultural and social events. This should produce development of regional cooperation, and improvement of interethnic relations: the project will be implemented in multiethnic communities.

The project will last for one year, with an open possibility to be extended in new areas for an additional year if the project would be interesting for other regions in Macedonia.

The network of local coordinators is already created in the bigger villages in regions where the project will be implemented.

In order to achieve better implementation, the project is divided in three phases:
Phase 1 (April –June): Approaching local inhabitants in the villages through "Traveling village cinema”
Phase 2 (June – July): Organization of cultural and educational events
Phase 3 (September – November): Practical trainings and exchange of information and ideas through workshops, debates and round tables.


Project purpose

The Basic aim of the project is to involve young people and children from rural regions of Macedonia in contemporary life–style. By implementing this project, we hope that we will discontinue the process of excommunication of young people from rural environments. Trough the above mentioned activities, we will be able to cross over ethnic and religious barriers, build self–confidence and develop interethnic relations in those communities.

Young people and children in the villages should understand that they are not isolated and that they should not go to the nearest city for basic entertainment. They should learn how to organize them selves and to create something interesting, which will contribute to the development of their communities.

After the implementation of this project, many of those young people will be prepared for active urban life; they would not avoid the urban happenings in the cities and they will be swiftly integrated in the modern life–style.

Meanwhile, they will pass on their experiences and they will be able to work actively on development of their (both old and new) environments. With further implementation and development of this project we can teach the people in the villages how to organize their social and cultural life; this should improve the quality of the living in the villages and maybe prevent migrations from villages to the cities.


Detailed description of the project activities:

In order to achieve better implementation, the project is divided in three phases:

Phase 1 (April –June): Approaching to local inhabitants in the villages through "Traveling village cinema"; there will be screenings of the most important movies of the 20^th century, as Amarcord, XX century, Apocalypse Now, Shining, and other movies. Also, there will be screenings for children: cartoons and movies like Lion King, Shriek, The Beauty and the Beast...

Phase 2 (June – July): Organization of cultural and educational events in abovementioned communities: concerts of local bands and theater groups (Bands and groups will be from the surrounding villages of from the nearest city); lectures about basics of History of Art (from prehistory until today) and Architecture, founding small libraries in the villages (books and catalogs from CAC – Skopje, FOSI – Macedonia, Prohelvetia – Skopje and some publishing houses). All lectures will be accompanied with attractive documentary films or/and slide projections. In this phase, fine artists, theatre and music performers will animate children and will work on development of their creative abilities.

Phase 3 (September – November): Practical trainings and exchange of information and ideas through workshops, debates and round tables.
Workshop 1: Practical use of Photo and Video Camera;
Workshop 2: How to create wall newspaper;
Workshop 3: Creating documentary stories about their regions.
Debates will be on theme "What can be done for better social and cultural life in the villages without spending lots of money".
Round tables will be on theme "How to develop inter–village cooperation in fields of art, culture and education."


List of area and villages where the project will be implemented:

1. Region of valley of Radika and Crn Drim Rivers (including Mavrovo and surrounding of city of Debar): Rostushe, Bitushe, Zhirovnica, Nichpur, Leunovo/Nikiforovo, Mavrovi Anovi, Duf, Vele Brdo, Kosovrasti, Trebishte, Skudrinje, Kodzadzik, Melnichani, Dzepiste, Velesta, Tashmarunishte
2. Region of Kumanovo: Pelince, Staro Nagorichane, Loparce, Rankovce and Ginovce, Tabanovce, Pcinja.
3. Region of Mariovo: Vitolishte, Staravina, Gradeshnica, Bach.

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