Meet six cities selected for Creative Towns and Regions Initiative
The 84 applications have been submitted from 6 EaP countries. Here is the list of selected towns and regions for Creative Towns and Regions Initiative:
Armenia – Sisian (town)
Azerbaijan – Shamkir (region)
Belarus – Svetlogorsk (town)
Georgia – Mtskheta-Mtianeti (region)
Moldova – Orhei (town)
Ukraine – Kosiv (town)
These towns and regions will become locations for the mapping exercise based on the most up-to-date methodology and carried out by qualified experts. The participants will get the access to capacity building package for towns/regions' representatives and their communities. Moreover, they will have the opportunity to work with specialised experts and to network with international peers in other EaP countries as well from the European Union.
The aim of the Creative Towns and Regions Initiative is to raise awareness of all key stakeholders of the potential of cultural and creative sectors, to collect data on local cultural and creative resources and to propose concrete action plans for developing the cultural and creative industries potential, including development of local cultural landscape, building clusters with local businesses, increasing the quality of offer of the tourism sector and build stronger networks with similar towns and regions in other countries.
We congratulate the selected towns and regions and wish them successful participation in the Initiative and as the result to raise their creative potential.
Here you can find the information about capacities and challenges in every selected town or region.
Armenia – Sisian (town)
The city of Sisian in Syunik province (southern Armenia at a distance of 217 km from Yerevan) has 15,000 residents and around 30,000 with 35 neighbouring villages. The added value for this city through our initiative will be huge in terms of mapping and using their current assets. Regional networking will have a considerable impact in promoting the city’s creative potential and partnership opportunities. Two national treasures are near the city: Ukhtasar Petroglyphs and Zorats karer.
The main road connecting Armenia with Iran passes next to the city (7 km). The city and its surroundings claim beautiful nature and hiking trails leading to monasteries, churches and mountainous lakes. Shaki Waterfall is one of the natural beauties of the region located 6 km from the town of Sisian. There is a local art school and Sisian branch of the National Art Gallery, Sisian History Museum. Sisian Ceramics, a private business that works to preserve regional ceramic practices is located in the city. There are two annual festivals in the city: the Bread Festival and the Raspberry Festival.
Azerbaijan – Shamkir (region)
Shamkir region (with population 210.000 and eponymous main town counting 42.000 inhabitants) has been chosen by several reasons. There is combination of various evident and 'hidden' assets for cultural development, which will be useful to make a case on how to disclose them and bring into action. Notably, the region is rich not only with historical layers of cultural heritage - from remnants of a magnificent palace of Achaemenids period of 5th c. BC up to Annenfeld, a German settlement from early 19th c. and intangible heritage of ashyq story-telling/poetry/ music tradition etc., but also with dynamic development of intellectual resources (modern educational facilities, cultivating interest to playing chess and brain games)
A positive trend in the region's management taking up the benchmarks of excellence and striving to international standards should be reinforced in the cultural sphere, as soon as there is an evident desire to make substantial shift in this direction.
Belarus – Svetlogorsk (town)
Svetlogorsk is located in Gomel region (distance of 220 km from Minsk). The population of the city is 69 000 people. The city has a clear motivation on what they will receive through our initiative. Local stakeholders will be actively involved in the mapping process, starting from local authorities to local media portal station.
Main problem, from 90th the city has image of having serious societal challenges (including HIV and drug addiction), and they are looking for possibilities to develop new image of the city, associated with youth and creativity. An example of successful project was local initiative “Svetlogorsk. Local. Ours” and how it was integrated in different public spaces. The city also has some graffiti initiatives, activities with public spaces, bus stops. They have also experience in initiatives of integration projects for people with disabilities.
Georgia – Mtskheta-Mtianeti (region)
Mtskheta-Mtianeti is a region in eastern Georgia five municipalities with total population of 94,370 people settled over 6,786 km2. The main city of the region - Mtskheta holds title of City-Museum (founded in 5th century BC) due to its historical significance and several cultural monuments, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. Among most notable historical monuments Jvari Monastery (6th century) and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century) should be mentioned. The second town located in Mtskheta-Mtianeti region is Dusheti - one of the partners of COMUS project in Georgia.
Main route of the Mtskheta-Mtianeti – The Georgian Military Road – is crossing the Big Caucasus and connecting Tbilisi with Gudauri sky resort, one of the most popular mountaineering and hiking site – Kazbegi mountain (5050 m) and several archaeological sites - is serving as one of the best tourist attractions in Georgia. Region hosts numerous community and private cultural enterprises such as Applied Arts School and Gallery, Photo/Cine Studio-School, up to 20 folklore ensembles and others.
Government of the region had signed memorandums of understanding with over 30 civil society organisations who are ready to assist in the delivering of the initiative. Notably, Mtskheta-Mtianeti currently is the only region in Georgia aspiring to become successful example of UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development policy implementation.
Moldova – Orhei (town)
Orhei is a medium-sized town situated in the centre of the Republic of Moldova, 45 km North from the country capital, Chisinau. It is located on the Chisinau-Balti national route, on the river Raut. The city has a total surface of 1402 ha, out of which 184 ha is the urban area. It is the administrative centre of the Orhei District with a population of 36,000.
Orhei is a locality with rich cultural heritage and picturesque landscape. It has 63 historic monuments, a House of Culture, 7 libraries, two Arts Schools, an Ethnographic museum and a Creative House of children. Nine amateur artistic groups activate in the city, with the main field of activity traditional arts and crafts.
The city was initially located in a locality now known as Old Orhei, 18 km south-east from the present Orhei, between the villages Trebujeni and Butuceni. The site contains a wide range of natural and archaeological monuments and is an important added value within the Creative Towns and Regions Initiative, especially from a touristic and entertainment perspective.
Ukraine – Kosiv (town)
Kosiv is a picturesque little town in Hutsulshchyna — the land of high Ukrainian Carpathians mountains, torrents and fresh air. The town used to be a health resort and is a district seat of Ivano-Frankivsk Region in Ukraine. With surrounding villages, the population of Kosiv region is more than 15 000 people. Sitting pretty in a river valley, tiny Kosiv is synonymous with serious, high-quality Hutsul crafts. They're sold at its well-known craft market and produced in the surrounding hills as well as at the Kosiv State Institute of Decorative and Applied Arts popular among the students all over the country. The latter also has a small museum, but for a much wider overview of the Hutsuls' artistic skills head for the Museum of Hutsul Folk Art and Life.
Kosiv is famous for its outstanding artists who not only create beautiful things, but also keep national traditions in embroidery, ceramics, weaving, forging, making wooden, linen and woolen things, pysankas.
