The overall objective of the project is to valorize and improve the sustainable economic use of cultural assets and common cultural heritage within the CB region through development of a joint integrated tourism product based on promotion of new common thematic route ¨Art & Culture¨.

1,487,271.41 euro, out of which 1,264,180.69 euro ERDF

Lead Beneficiary (LB):Veliko Tarnovo Municipality

Beneficiary 2 (B2): Municipality of Calafat

Beneficiary 3 (B3): Face for Art and Culture Foundation

Start date: 14.09.2018

End date: 13.09.2021

Duration: 36 months

Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin and Pleven in Bulgaria

Dolj in Romania

• Development of joint integrated Thematic Route "Art&Culture", innovative joint touristic services and Marketing Strategy of the integrated tourism product “Art & Culture”;

• Organization of Promotional Campaign;

• Development of interactive workshop “Work and play: Art-therapy”, interactive Workshop “Archeologist for a day” in Calafat;

• Organization and conducting of cultural open air event “Urban art” in Calafat and of a cultural open air event “Urban art” in VT.

Programme outputs:2 integrated tourism products/services created, 2 common strategies, policies or management plans for valorizing (including raising awareness) the cultural and natural heritage through its restoration and promotion for sustainable economic uses

Programme results: 15,000 tourist overnights in the CBC region

The project was finalized on 13.09.2021.

The following results were achieved by the project beneficiaries:

1. BL has completed repair works and implemented measures to increase the energy efficiency of the building of the Art Gallery "Boris Denev" in Veliko Turnovo, the building being operational from 28.06.2021.

2. B2 has modernized the Marincu Museum of Art and Ethnography on 24.04.2020. procuring and installing interactive equipment within the museum, according with an exhibition plan of the museum which was elaborated on 18.05.2021.

3 modules were received within the execution of the interactive equipment contract inside the Marincu Museum of Art and Ethnography, as follows:

a) "Complete interactive system of interactive LCD floor type", the activity was accomplished on 31.05.2021;

b) "System complete audio-video for games room / seminars / courses / workshops and one-way sound system ", the activity was accomplished on 26.03.2021";

c) "Digital LED / LCD signage system for displaying useful information", the activity was accomplished on 31.05.2021.

3. One trilingual web portal and elaboration of 2 mobile apps for smartphones for the integrated tourist product – 1 for Android and 1 for iOS – trilingual /in Bulgarian, in Romanian and English language / have been elaborated and can be accessed on the following link: http://www.artandculture-robg.eu/. On 16.02.2021 there were developed and installed 2 smartphone applications for the integrated TRPs - one for Android and one for iOS - trilingual (in BG, RO and ENG), user-friendly. The activity has been accepted on 16.02.2021;

4. B3 has elaborated an joint integrated Thematic Route "Art and Culture" on 05.03.2020 which includes 6 cultural sites - 4 in Bulgaria and 2 in Romania as follows: Boris Denev Regional Art Gallery (Veliko Turnovo), Marincu Palace Museum (Calafat), Vida Drama Theatre and Nikola Petrov Art gallery (Vidin), Art Gallery Donation "Svetlin Rusev Collection" (Pleven) and Art Muzeum (Craiova) and is uploaded on the project web portal https://artandculture-robg.eu/index.php/en/routesen/routeen.

5. An opening conference has been organized in Calafat on 20.11.2018 with 35 persons in the meeting room of the House of Culture and was addressed to mass - media, to interested local stakeholders and to the project beneficiaries.

6. A kick-off conference has been organized in Veliko Tarnovo on 03.12.2018 with 52 persons, including project staff members and official representatives of all project partners, media, official guests from the cultural institutions and LB participated in the event.

7. A cultural open air event, "Urban Art" has been organized in Calafat on 23.12.2019 with 30 persons in the Civic Center of the municipality of Calafat, along with an outdoor event entitled ‘Photo exhibition under the theme "Unknown beauty of the Balkans"’. The photos for the photo exhibition have been gathered via photography contest titled "Unknown Beauty of the Balkans" held from 22.09.2017 until 22.12.2019 by the City Hall of Calafat and the winners of the contest have been announced during the photo exhibition.

8. An “Archaeologist for a day” interactive workshop has been organized in Calafat on 02.09.2021 with 40 persons, of which 30 students from "Constantin Gerota" Gymnasium School from Calafat.

9. A “Work and play: Art - therapy” interactive workshop has been organized in Calafat on 06.09.2021 with 20 persons.During the Art -Therapy Workshop, a psychotherapist moderated the activity, 10 parents of children with different ailments benefitted from the presentation of the concept of art -therapy in the activities they carry out with their children.

10. A cultural open air event “Urban art” has been organized in Veliko Tarnovo in the period 07-11.09.2021, which included open doors event in the renovated Art Gallery Boris Denev on 08.09.2021 with 112 persons, conducted plein-air event in the period 07-11.09.2021 with 12 children and 2 teachers/couches (including 37 persons participated in the event on 08.09.2021) and virtual tour for journalists on 08.09.2021 with 24 persons.

11. A closing press conference has been organized in Calafat on 10.09.2021 with 80 persons. The event was organized after modernization of Marincu Museum of Art and Ethnography to present the new exposure plan and to promote project results.

12. A Catalogue of intangible cultural heritage, included in “Art & Culture” tourist product, to provide specific information for the sites, the exposition spaces and exhibition work has been developed in BG-EN and RO-EN, uploaded on the project web-portal and available on the following link: https://artandculture-robg.eu/images/Catalogue_BG_EN.pdf.

13. A Calendar of cultural events related to the new integrated tourism product within CB region for yearly planning of thematic events has been developed in BG-EN and RO-EN, uploaded on the project web-portal and available on the following link: https://artandculture-robg.eu/images/calendar_bg_en.pdf.

278,390.69 euro, out of 236,632.07 euro ERDF

Lead beneficiary (LB): State Puppet Theatre Vidin (Bulgaria)

Beneficiary 2 (B2): Romanian Association for Technology Transfer and Innovation (Romania)

Start date: 10.12.2019

End date: 09.07.2021

Duration: 19 months

Vidin in Bulgaria

Craiova in Romania

- Programme outputs: 29 people benefiting from actions of risk management,1485 people benefiting from flood protection measures, 1485 people benefiting from forest fire protection measures.

- Programme results: increased quality of the joint risk management in the CBC area.

The project is finalized.

The project was implemented within 19 Months (10.12.2019-09.07.2021).

All the activities were realized and the output indicators achieved.

The created C.A.R.E. package consists of the following products:

a) Educational tool by the means of puppet theatre art - specially created and filmed (copied on DVD’s) educational tool in Bulgarian and Romanian languages by the means of puppet theatre art – theatre performance, based on conducted joint research, on common hazardous disasters and accidents. In addition to the play writing, specific equipment necessary for stage performance were purchased: puppets, stage scenery, costumes, requisite, audio and light equipment and head microphones for the performers;

b)      Multimedia educational product – the product contains educational presentations of the most possible types of disasters and accidents in the target region and specific actions and measures for defense. The product is based on the information, collected during the joint research and consists of text, pictures, drawings. It combines different type of information and present it in an attractive way to the children with applying multimedia software (sound, text, picture, video, animation and graphics), which increase the effectiveness and positive emotions during the trainings and preparedness of children for preventing disasters and behavior during accidents. The product was copied and disseminated on 700 CD’s in Bulgarian and Romanian languages (350 in Bulgarian and 350 CD’s in Romanian);

c)       Teacher’s guide on crisis management - the Teacher’s guide includes a methodology for introducing effective and modern methods of training for protection against disasters and accidents. An important component of methodological development is the use of new, interactive and integrative training methods to increase the attractiveness and quality of the learning process and raise the interest of students. The guide was printed in hard copies: 700 copies (350 in Bulgarian and 350 in Romanian language);

d)      Children’s toolkit – attractive puzzle set has been developed. The set consists of 3 puzzles with pictures, dedicated to elements of prevention of 3 types of disasters and accidents, which are common for the target cross-border area. The puzzles were disseminated to children in the cross-border area;

e)      Pilot testing of the produced educational products/tools was performed through organization of demo-lessons in 6 schools and kindergartens in the cross-border region for children aged 5 - 12 years old and 20 teachers, during which the developed educational products were used and tested.

The demo lessons with children in Bulgaria were organized on the following dates:

- 02.06.2021 in High School "Tsar Simeon Veliki", Vidin,

- 03.06.2021 in Kindergarten "Zhelyazko Popnikolov", Vidin,

- 20.05.2021 in Primary School "Ivan Vazov", Vidin.

The demo lessons with children in Romania were organized in two schools and one kindergarten on the following dates:

- 25.05.2021 in National College “Fratii Buzesti”, in Craiova,

- 27.05.2021 in Kindergarten “Traian Demtrescu” Craiova,

- 28.05.2021 in National College “Carol I”, in Craiova.

The project partners organized 2 trainings (demo-lessons) with the teachers as follows:

- 14.05.2021 in Craiova with 10 teachers from Romania,

- 18.05.2021 in Vidin, with 10 teachers from Bulgaria        

The project aims to increase the competitiveness of the youth work force from cross border region and stimulate its mobility across the border.

340.542,98 euro, out of which 289.461,53 euro ERDF

Lead Beneficiary (LB): Kavarna Municipality (BG)

Beneficiary 2 (B2): Association “Partners 2000” (RO)

Beneficiary 3 (B3): ”Ovidius” University of Constanta (RO)

Start date: 18.05.2017

End date: 17.03.2019

Duration: 23 months

Dobrich in Bulgaria

Calarasi and Constanta in Romania

• Improved professional qualification and language competence of 80 people
• 1 Virtual Centre for Promotion of Employment created
• 200 legal consultations delivered to the youth from the region
• 4 job fairs carried out
• 1 joint strategy for managing human resources in tourism sector

Programme outputs:480 participants in joint local employment initiatives and joint training, 80 participants in joint educational and training schemes to support youth employment, educational opportunities and higher and vocational education across borders, 5 initiatives that activate workforce mobility in the cross border area

Programme results: 22880 people that have access to joint employment initiatives

The project was finalized on 17.03.2019 with the following main achievements:

A broad informational campaign for selection of the target group interested in professional carrier in tourism was implemented in Romanian and Bulgaria in the period November 2017 – March 2018, which resulted in the identification of 42 Romanian and 45 Bulgarian young people that will take part in the planned vocational trainings in the field of tourism. 2 motivation trainings were held in each country with the selected target group.

Based on the professional qualification chosen by the target group the following trainings were organized:

- Bulgaria: training course for professional qualification “Cook” and “Waiter”

- Romania: training course for professional qualification “Technician in tourism” and “Banqueting organizer”

The LB and B2 purchased IT and videoconferencing equipment necessary for organizing the BG and RO language training. The selected by the LB contractor elaborated the joint strategy for managing human resources in tourism sector in the cross border region.

A Virtual Centre for Promotion of Employment proposed as a web-based platform featuring relevant information for job seekers, employers searching for workers, information about the tourism sector in the region, opportunities to connect companies operating in tourism, practical advices on preparing a resume, professional ethics, others was developed and is currently available in BG and EN language at https://tourism-jobs-robg.com/en/.  

The project aims to assist the integration of disadvantaged people on the labour market in the CB area.

165,143.60 euro, out of which 140,372.05 euro ERDF

Lead beneficiary (LB): Roma – Berk Association (BG)

Beneficiary 2 (B2): Association for Regional Development and Partnership (RO)

Beneficiary 3 (B3): Municipality Berkovitsa (BG)

Start date: 05.05.2017

End date: 04.08.2019

Duration: 24 months (suspended in the period 02.04.2018 – 01.07.2018)

Montana in Bulgaria and , Dolj in Romania

• 1 joint strategy on combating the obstacles to entering the labor market of disadvantaged people
• 1 Manual on innovative labour practices, methods and guidelines
• trainings of 6 groups of unemployed persons
• 2 counseling centers established
• 1 online platform launched
• 2 job fairs

Programme outputs:3 initiatives that activate workforce mobility in the cross border area, 290 participants in joint local employment initiatives and joint training, 90 participants in joint educational and training schemes to support youth employment, educational opportunities and higher and vocational education across borders

Programme results: 8200 people that have access to joint employment initiatives

The project is finalized.

A conference "EU and the cross-border cooperation programmes in support to the local communities" was also organized on 11 October 2017, in Berkovitsa by B3.

Both the LB and B3 procured promotion and information materials (information boards, folders, pens, notepads, indoor and outdoor banner, leaflets, posters). Also, there were selected the participants for the forthcoming trainings.

A survey and study of the obstacles and problems associated with discouraging disadvantaged people from entering the labor market in the CB area was developed by the project expert group. They focused on the preparation of a program for the trainings of the target group representatives.The program was composed of 2 modules - Legislation applicable to work and business in the CB area and How to start your own business - aspects of training related to the matter known as lifestyle entrepreneurship. Also, the manual to help disadvantaged people in self-employment and job search was prepared.

A consultancy center was set up in Berkovitsa by Beneficiary 3, in order to provide information and advice to the unemployed disadvantaged people for employment opportunities and to assist employers for hiring unemployed disadvantaged people.

Following the replacement of the Romanian Partner in December 2018, the new partner, University of Craiova set up the Consultancy Center in Romania, hosted by County Library "Alexandru and Aristia Aman" Craiova in the Cross-border Center for Information and Cooperation Dolj-Vratsa at 21, Jietului Street, Craiova.

The project website was also developed and can be accessed at www.romaberk.eu.