Areas of Inspiration

Type: Linking nature, art and culture

Participating countries: Slovak and Czech Republics, Estonia and Ukraine

Duration: June 2017 – May 2019

Total budget: 320,000 EUR (of which 60 % from an EU grant)

Main aims:

  • to create favorable conditions for professional artists and creative people to come to villages located in close proximity to a national park or another unique natural area as an attractive setting for their creativity;
  • to improve the quality of life of people living in those villages to better value their attractive environment and to enjoy healthy, creative and fulfilling life.

Description: The project focused on establishment of conditions for increasing transnational mobility of artists and professionals from various countries as well as cultural exchange, understanding for cultural diversity and social inclusion. This was facilitated by a network of art-residences in six locations in four countries with very appealing natural rural setting – so called ‚areas of inspiration‘. The art residences attract artists and creative people and serve as a hub for creative work, interaction and inter-cultural dialogue with local communities, laboratory of waking up aspirations and creativity of young people living in those areas.

Main results:

  • 115 artists from 12 countries participated in 12 art events and got access to beautiful and peaceful places for their creative work, new possibilities to reach out with their art-works;
  • 200 quality art-works were produced and further presented to wider auditory;
  • 50 000 + people, 30+ craft masters and 400+ musicians engaged to art-events supported by project;
  • Art-events brought new impulses for the development and enhance local life in 6 villages: created art objects enriched the rural space and lure visitors;  300 young people were engaged by a series of 5 summer camps and 12 art workshops; art events unite local people, increase their pride of living in the those areas; visibility of individual areas by attractive way of image-making was improved;
  • 9 local cultural operators enhanced their capacity by active exchange of skills and experiences far beyond the countries of the project via 15 study and exchanging visits and joint work.
Role of Machaon: Project development and management, art events in Gánovce
Partners: Annogallery, MAS Strážnicko, Národní ústav lidove kultúry, NGO Tustan, Synevyr National Nature Park Administration, Muusa Kapriis (Vinnistu), European Wilderness Society
Location: Gánovce and Hôrka villages (Slovakia), Synevyrska Polana and Urich (Ukraine), Strážnicko region (Czech Republic), Viinistu village (Estonia)
Protected areas involved: National Park Slovensky Raj (Slovakia), National Park Synevyr and National Park Skolivske Beskydy (Ukraine), White Carpathians Protected Landscape Area (Czech Republic), Lahemaa National Park (Estonia)
Funding source: Creative Europe Programme funded by the European Commission