Creativity in Daily School Life addresses social issues by increasing the creative potential of young people.
4.2.8 Social cohesion and cultural policies
In Bulgaria, social cohesion is a priority, in which cultural components have multiple inputs at central and local levels, through various actions and projects implemented by institutions, local authorities and NGOs.
An example of a large campaign was the 2005 European Year of Citizenship through Education, lead by the Ministry of Education but in close collaboration with all the parties concerned (see chapter 8.3.3 for details or visit http://www.citizenship-bg.org/en/index.html).
There is no consolidated information about the development and implementation of public policies to promote social cohesion at national and regional levels, although multiple actions are taking place. One of the exceptions is the annual conference on artists (painters) with physical disabilities, organised by the municipality of Lovech.
The theatre is seen as a resource which can help disabled children to integrate into society, by giving them skills to overcome isolation, to improve their self-confidence and feelings of self-worth, as well as to provide them with a greater network of social contacts. The non-governmental sector is taking the first steps towards the implementation of different initiatives in this context. The establishment of the Foundation "Avanstage" is one example. Since 2000, it has been involved in the international programme of the Madrid based Institute for Mediterranean Theatre. In 2003, Avanstage carried out a national workshop entitled "The Different Theatre", for disabled children and young people. In 2004, it supported the participation of 7 disabled young people (from Kardjali) in the International Theatre Workshop, held in Montpellier, France. In 2005, two theatre workshops were organised in the sea-side resort of "Albena", for children and youth associated with specialised centres for disabled people, from 15 Bulgarian municipalities. In 2006, an international conference was to be held on issues related to integrating disabled people.
Art for Social Change is an international programme for training and work of artists with young people and children at risk, launched by the European Cultural Foundation and supported by PHARE and other programmes. It has been carried out in Bulgaria by the Red House Centre for Culture and Debate. Since 2000, 25 artistic projects have been developed, which involved over 500 children and youngsters from 21 institutions in 11 cities and towns in Bulgaria. (http://www.redhouse-sofia.org/index_b.html).
Creativity in Daily School Life (April 2009 - June 2010) is a project that relies on the social aspects of the arts and group creative processes and aims at increasing the creative potential of more than 400 young people representing various social layers through engaging their creative abilities and potential when resolving personal and social problems.
This project aims to combat violence among young people who attend 10 public institutions in Sofia, thus decreasing the level of aggression, insecurity, lack of confidence, dependence and deviant behaviour within the school and social-care system. This project as a step in the lasting introduction and sourcing of new ways of utilising the arts and creativity in schools and the social care system.
Creativity In Daily School Life is a project of the MA Programme in Artistic Psycho-Social Practices at the New Bulgarian University and is realised in partnership with The Red House Centre fro Culture and Debate. The project is funded by the Trust for Civil Society in Central and Eastern Europe.
ENTR'ACTE is a club for clinical supervision through psychodrama and other expressive approaches which started in November 2008 and is still running. The aim of the Club is to give human and professional support to those working with people and to students in different psycho-therapeutic and social approaches, thus encouraging the development of individual working-styles compatible with the personal resources, theoretical approaches and therapeutic methods used by each participant.