The joint project ‘Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans’1 (CC4WBs) implemented by UNESCO, the British Council and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), aims to improve the performance of the cultural and creative sectors in order to enhance skills, knowledge, and access to financial aid to increase competitiveness and sustain co-production and circulation of goods and services in the Western Balkans. This systemic and people-centred approach to development is intended to deeply embed progress across the sector, while ensuring ownership and engagement as key requirements for local sustainability.
The project was launched in April 2022 and is of duration of 48 months. Within this period the project will include a range of activities such as technical advice on data analysis and management for the culture sector, capacity-building for inclusive policy-making and regional exchanges, establishment of public/private partnerships to promote the cultural and creative valorisation of public spaces, cultural leadership programmes, connecting independent media portals to create and share content on culture in the region, mentoring and peer learning to bridge skills and knowledge gaps, activities to promote cooperation/co-production fostering a regional approach for inclusion and intercultural dialogue, mechanisms to stimulate private financing, market access and internationalization, small-scale cultural heritage projects to boost local participation and community engagement for sustainable development, and sharing good practices within the region and with EU Member States on community involvement in managing cultural heritage.
This is the second round of the Open Call for Proposals within four Thematic Windows of this Regional Joint Project, following the successful awarding process of the first round. The awarded grantees in the first round are found here. The CC4WBs project will complement the first round with fresh ideas around 4 Thematic Windows and will cooperate with eligible parties in the region from the public and civil society sectors.
