Match with arts and culture

"<< Background >>BBBS is a mentoring organisation with long experience and as such we are aware that mentoring is a universal instrument to empower vulnerable young people and we’ve witnessed the power of mentoring also during the COVID-19 outbreak. Mentoring services are more needed than ever. All people in need should know that there’s someone behind them when they feel lonely and isolated. On the other hand, cultureis a key factor in sustainable development and social change. Culture strengthens social cohesion and builds bridges between groups and peoples, creates peace and is a significant economic player. The project idea is based on linking together two powerful engines of change and integration for young people: mentoring and culture, aiming to fight their deepening social exclusion. The partnership built in the project develops and applies a different method for mentoring disadvantaged groups in order to bring them closer to culture and arts and to improve their social skills and integration. The main target groups in the project are young volunteers in the role of mentors and disadvantaged young people in the roles of mentees.<< Objectives >>The main goal of the project “Match with Arts and Culture” is to promote cultural mentoring as a tool for social inclusion of young people.Project's objectives are:-To empower marginalised and vulnerable groups of young people in the local communities through meaningful mentoring relationships and easier access to culture;-To encourage the civil participation of young people through taking part in the cultural mentoring program and thus making an impact on the local environment; -To boost the social inclusion and cohesion through promoting new cultural mentoring program for disadvantaged youth;-To help disadvantaged youth groups untap their potential, develop new skills and discover interests in the fields of culture and use them to respond to social challenges they face and improve their soft skills; -To shape culturally aware communities and to empower the young people to be more confident, including in times of crisis.<< Implementation >>The main activities of the project were:Project management activities: Establishing an online management space; Signing contracts with partners, Setting up a Steering Committee; Setting up national working groups; Holding regular online coordination meetings;Submitting interim reports and final report.Quality assurance activities: Developing a Quality Assurance plan; Conducting yearly evaluations;PR evaluations; TPM evaluations; Multiplier events' evaluation and impact analysis.Dissemination activities: Developing a Dissemination plan;Creation of a leaflet; Conducting presentations in workshops/conferences; Developing an information package for cultural institutions and NGOs; setting up social media communications and maintenance of social media channels.Development of Project Results: R1 - Service Delivery Manual for cultural mentoring;R2 - Guidelines for mentors in the cultural area; R3 - Cultural Mentoring Program Delivery; R4 - ""MentorCult"" web platform.Organization of 5 Transnational Project Meetings:Kick-off meeting in Plovdiv, TPM in Rome, TPM in Barcelona, TPM in Leeuwarden, NL and Final conference in Plovdiv.Organizatation of 4 Multiplier events (local): in Plovdiv; in Rome; in Barcelona and in Leeuwarden<< Results >>The aim of the project was to develop a common European methodology on how to implement a cultural mentoring program for social inclusion. Outcomes: 1.Promotion of mentoring as a tool for social inclusion; 2.Higher number of young people willing to volunteer in their local communities; 3.Increased capacity of cultural institutions and NGOs to implement mentoring programs;4.Promotion of new model of mentoring;5.Empowering disadvantaged young people through mentoring support;6.Giving a boost to the cultural sector after the COVID-19 pandemic Project results: R1-Service Delivery Manual for cultural mentoring-a manual, designed to help cultural institutions and NGOs set up a cultural mentoring program.R2-Guidelines for mentors in the cultural area–a training methodology for mentors, designed to help a trainer prepare them for their new role. R3-Cultural Mentoring Program Delivery-a mentoring service which included trainings for cultural institutions and NGOs to develop a cultural mentoring program, trainings for mentors and cultural mentoring activities between mentors and mentees. R4-""MentorCult""webplatform(www.matchwithartsandculture.eu)-open educational resource giving access to information related to cultural mentoring"