"Art Changes Lives" a new Project Launched by Platform AGORA

Monday, 14 March 2011

On March 14th, 2011 Platform AGORA is starting the implementation of the project "Art Changes Lives" in partnership with Association "Tishina", Bulgaria, The Peace Action, Training and Research Institute of Romania (PATRIR), Romania and Ucaneller Culture and Art House Association, Turkey.

The project has been funded with support from the European Commission, "Youth in Action" Programme
Youth support systems, Action 4.5 - Support to information activities for young people and those active in youth work and youth organisations. The logic of the project reflects the Programmes' priorities namely:
participation of young people; cultural diversity; European citizenship; inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities; media literacy and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The "Art Changes Lives" objective is to create environment and promote youth's active citizenship through participation by:

• fostering the mutual understanding between youth and the cooperation in the youth sector between EU member states and a candidate country through arts;
• developing solidarity and promoting tolerance among youth founded on the notion of European citizenship; 
• provoking an increased interest in MDGs and the European citizenship values with artistic means based on cultural diveristy.

The project activities in the three partner countries envisage carrying out of MDGs Realities research by the youth themselves; youth discussion workshop; creation of art products and their dissemination as well as holding Youth Awareness Days on MDGs. The main accent is the design and creation of artistic products through which the young people from the three countries will interpret in a popular way the MDGs . The Bulgarian artistic expression will be through a pantomime performance, the Romanian partner will apply the forum theatre and the Turkish partner will utilize the puppet theatre form. The audio-visual artistic products on MDGs will provide for expression of youth artistic skills, viewpoints and will deliver messages.
The project has been prepared in partnership by NGOs from Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey who provide opportunities to youth to express themselves by artistic means. The project activities will be carried out in the three project partner countries: in Bulgaria - at Sofia, Pleven and Burgas, in Turkey - at Luleburgaz and Kirklareli and in Romania - at Cluj Napoca and Bucharest.

The tangible results of the project would be: - youth from 3 countries gain civic participation skills to be more expressive and active EU citizens transferring knowledge on global issues (MDGs); - designed and developed art products by youth through the "learning by doing" method; - increased positive awareness of other cultures by youth; - developed sense of tolerance and understanding of diversity through the involvement and active participation of youth with fewer opportunities.

Substantial impact is envisaged not only on the direct project participants but also on the development of sustainable partnerships and networking.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the author (Platform AGORA), and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein