Dec 2022-Aug 2024 WE AND OUR MOUNTAINS – «ՄԵՆՔ ԵՆՔ, ՄԵՐ ՍԱՐԵՐԸ»:

Operative goal

To build a strong and collaborative cultural sector in Ijevan multi-settlement community through promoting the creative, culture-led economic development and conservation of cultural heritage in compliance with the Ijevan Cultural Development Strategy.

Description of the action

Approach: Culture is about Difference. Why we (Ijevan community) are different from others starting from this very early stage?

The two key principles make our proposed Action different:

1) Decentralized Cultural Development and 2) Creative and proactive thinking.

1) Decentralized Cultural Development: This principle is cross-cutting throughout the Action. In November 2021, Ijevan become a multi-settlement community embracing 18 more settlements 15 of which are “border-guards.” The Action intends to decentralize cultural development from core Ijevan city to the settlements of enlarged Ijevan Community. United, yet culturally diverse Ijevan will become even wealthier if strengthens a culture-led creative economy by removing disparities of development among its settlements.

2) Creative and Proactive thinking: “thinking out of the box”- this principle will be a cornerstone for all initiatives to be implemented under this Action.  Although a lot of ideas have been generated by different stakeholders in the course of CDS development process, they are not mandated by the Action to be implemented under the small grants projects or annual cultural Festivals. They are included in the Action proposals as illustrative examples. Whereas, the Action provides a deliberation forum, the Idea Harvest, where ideas and initiatives can be debated and presented based on creativity and proactivity.

Objectives of the Action

Objective 1: Management of cultural sector is improved

Activity 1.1: Increasing visibility and recognition of Ijevan cultural heritage through intensive communication and branding

Activity 1.3: Ensuring continuous learning in managing cultural sector through exchange visits to peer communities and joint initiatives

Activity 1.2: Inventorying/mapping material and non-material cultural assets of Ijevan

Objective 2: Active cultural and economic life is in progress due to local creative cultural initiatives

Activity 2.1 Preparing small grants package

Activity 2.2 Building capacity of potential applicants

Activity 2.3 Conducting “Idea Harvest”

Activity 2.4 Disbursing small grants for promoting collaborative and creative cultural sector and for preserving cultural heritage

Activity 2.4.1.        Providing small grants for implementing joint initiatives by business, CSOs, and individuals

Activity 2.4.2.        Providing small grants for conserving and promoting cultural heritage

Activity 2.5 Monitoring of small grants implementation and reporting

Objective 3 Collaborative, culture-led economic development ensured through festivals

Activity 3.1 Carrying out preparation work for the festival

Activity 3.2 Conducting Cultural Festival Week

Anticipated results:

1. Increased visibility and recognition of Ijevan cultural heritage is in place: A cultural brand “We and Our Mountain” is established; interpretive signage; PSAs, promo videos, documentary, banners, booklets, billboards, events.
2. Material and non-material cultural assets of Ijevan inventoried and mapped: Electronic list of material and non -material cultural assets; GIS-based digital map with the locations of the inventoried material cultural assets
3. Improved management of cultural sector due to continuous peer to peer exchanges: Exchanges professional with the peers from other Armenian communities; stakeholder study visits to the cultural festivals held in peer communities; joint initiative with peer communities
4. 60 representatives of private sector, CSOs, culture sector participated in trainings and have knowledge about creative cultural development to put together proposals for small grants
5. 5 joint cultural initiatives by business, CSOs, and individual are in place in the settlements of Ijevan
6. 3 initiatives are in place conserving and promoting cultural heritage 
7. Cultural heritage was demonstrated by the settlements of Ijevan and culture-led economic development promoted due to the Festivals: 18 settlements demonstrated their cultural heritage; 10 businesses/CSOs/individuals showcased their products produced due to the small grants and received income; 6 institutions/individuals showcased their achievements in the Festivals regarding Ijevan cultural heritage as a result of research and analysis due to small grants

Funding: European Union/Goethe Institut – EU4Culture Instrument

Beneficiaries: 19 settlements of Ijevan, Ijevan residents, Ijevan Munucipality

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