Activating the Youth in Kotel for Innovative Cultural Heritage Entrepreneurship

The Applicant, the Center for Heritage Interpretation, jointly with the Royal Norwegian Development Society and the Municipality of Kotel, envisage engagement of culture and cultural heritage as a resource for activating young people from the ethnic communities (Bulgarian, Roma, Karakachans and Turkish) for innovative entrepreneurship. A new format of cultural creativity and cultural entrepreneurship will be initiated, Economusee - a new business model borrowed from the Norwegian partner who has implemented 13 such formats in Norway. The format is based on the intangible cultural heritage and crafts of the 4 ethnic communities, allowing them to practice cultural traditions in an economically viable and sustainable way by training 16 of their representatives and 20 people from the expert staff of the beneficiary in entrepreneurship in the cultural industries and quality interpretation of heritage, according to criteria and standards adopted by the international community, in line with UNESCO, ICOMOS documents, EC FARO conventions, etc., and in applying techniques for attracting audiences, according to the project’s audience development plan. A new cultural activity "Vision and Sound" of the 4 ethnic communities, 20 people will be designed and realized as a pilot scenic, voluntary and amateur artistic outdoor performance, related to recreation of the cultural tradition/ritual of St. George, Gergyovden, celebrated by all ethnic communities. The activity will employ the techniques of live interpretation and will take place during the "Festival of Ethnicities, Colours and the Kotel Carpet", held in “Izvorite” locality near Kotel. The Norwegian partner will deliver methodology, training and guidance for the establishment of the Economuseum. It will participate in the “Vision and Sound” event with presentation of a Norwegian Economusee and samples from its members. A corner of the Economuseum will be set up in the town of Kotel.

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