Project title

“Activating the Youth in Kotel for Innovative Cultural Heritage Entrepreneurship”

Implementation period

Project implementation period – 18 months
Start Date: September 19, 2022
End Date: March 19, 2024

Brief project description/information:

The leading partner in the project, the municipality of Kotel, together with the Center for Heritage Interpretation Association and the Royal Norwegian Society for Development, plan to engage culture and cultural heritage as a resource to activate young people from ethnic communities (Bulgarians, Roma, Karakachans, and Turks) for innovative entrepreneurship.
A new manifestation of cultural creativity and cultural entrepreneurship is planned to be initiated - the Economuseum, a new business format borrowed from the Norwegian partner, who has implemented 13 Economuseums in Norway.
The format is based on intangible cultural heritage and crafts of the four ethnic communities, allowing them to practice cultural traditions in an economically viable and sustainable way. Sixteen representatives of these communities and 20 staff members of the beneficiary will be trained in entrepreneurship in the cultural industries and qualitative interpretation of heritage, according to criteria and standards adopted by the international community, in harmony with documents from UNESCO, ICOMOS, FARO conventions of the EU, etc. Additionally, techniques for attracting audiences will be mastered according to the project plan.
Within the Economuseum, a new cultural event, "Vision and Sound," will be created and implemented by the four ethnic communities, involving 20 people as a pilot stage performance, a voluntary self-expression outside the theatre, related to the recreation of the cultural tradition/ritual of Gergyovden, celebrated by all ethnic communities. It will be realized through live interpretation techniques and presented during the "Festival of Ethnics, Colours, and the carpet of Kotel", held in the "Izvori" area near Kotel. The Norwegian partner will contribute with methodology and training for the establishment of the Economuseum, consultation on its construction, participation in the "Vision and Sound" event, presenting the Norwegian Economuseum and samples from its members. An Economuseum corner will be created in Kotel.