Cooperation Project
"Creative Cities Pogradec and Shkodra"
(1st November 2004 to 31st October 2007)

Creative Cities – Definitions 

· The essence of the Creative City idea is concerned with creating the conditions within which it is possible for people in a city to think, plan and act creatively using their local cultural resources as the main asset. It is, therefore, centrally focused on the organizational culture of a place, such as how open or closed minded it is, how transparent it is, how well NGO’s and the municipality work together or how capacity building is facilitated.  It argues that in the 21st century a culture of creativity and entrepreneurship is key in addressing problems and possibilities.

Vision and philosophy of ‘Creative Cities in Albania’

Creative thinking

· Developing a culturally inspired vision of the future of Shkodra and Pogradec
· Encouraging creative solutions to the problems of the participating cities and finding opportunities imaginatively
· Identifying and harnessing cultural resources and potential in an innovative way
· Generating an impact whereby being creative in addressing any urban issue becomes an accepted part of the local culture.

Participation

· Building a programme that helps build broad capacities and provides opportunities for involvement, the taking of responsibility
and implementation, especially for those groups who have hitherto had little access.
· Emphasizing involvement of the young and empowering them to take responsibility
· Creating a collaborative style of leadership for the programme, as a consequence, to ensure benefits and credit is shared
· Focusing on visible initiatives with extensive participation ideally using the town as a stage

Networking and partnership

· Initiating projects that have multiple spin-offs and impacts
· Thinking through the legacy of the project right at the beginning thus focusing on project sustainability and year 4 when the project will have finished
· Using the initiative to create partnerships and to learn to write project proposals by always involving a partner who contributes resources. These should range from local partners and sponsors to international organizations such as the Alliance Francaise or Goethe Institute
· To foster wherever possible regional cross-working-teamer cooperation

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Themes and programmes

In Pogradec generating high quality tourism linked to the thinking of the ‘slow cities’ movement which aims to help small towns keep their distinctiveness by improving the local environment, using local shops, goods, services and culture with an emphasis on what is unique in each town. It promotes the protection of local biodiversity by fostering and developing cooking and eating traditions.

Main objectives:
· To change the image of the city and the mentality of the citizens through creative actions.
· Improvement of the visual image of the city;
· Transforming Pogradec into a city of reflection on contemporary poetry and literature;
· Revitalization of theatre and musical culture of the city
· To set up a gastronomy and tourism according to the European standards.

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Themes and programmes

In Shkodra the focus is on enhancing the physical environment of the city (buildings, streets etc.) and foster the civic pride and citizenship development

Main objectives:
· The transformation of Shkodra through creative actions; from a cradle of culture into a creative city, with the catalyst/moving power of the civic spirit.
· Improvement of social-cultural life through revitalization of tradition, by combining it to new creative ideas.
· Improvement of the quality of life through interventions with visible environmental impact.

For more information please visit:

http://www.infoshkodra.com

www.creativecitypogradec.com

ACTIVITY PHOTOS
 

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2nd Cooperation Project: Projekt 5.6, Photo Training Courses in Albania

Duration of the project: February 2007 – January 2010

Country / region or city(ies): Albania / Tirana

Name of the Cooperation Project: Projekt 5.6

Partner organization: Lindart Cultural Center

Coaching/monitoring partner: Eliane Ruthishauser & Gian Vaitl

Projekt 5.6 offers trainings for aspiring Albanian photographers with the aim to improve the professional standards and to enable contemporary Albanian

photography to claim its place in print media, advertising and the arts. Exhibitions, exchange programmes and debates contribute to build up a more vital photo community in Albania.

On the basis of the present condition of the Albanian photo scene Projekt 5.6 offers a professional training for self trained photographers and students. The method is inspired by an efficient training method initiated by proactive student photographers in Switzerland (GAF – Group of autodidactic photographers) that exists for more then twenty years with considerable success. The method consists of a training, which is closely focused on practice and early on gives the student confidence to work. During their one-year training the students realize also short internships and practical training days in enterprises and may be able to offer already paid services.
The programme includes four workshops per year given by international photographers as well as regular weekly courses by local trainers. The training of the local trainers is part of the project and their engagement is vital for the cause. Projekt 5.6 aims to build up an Albanian photo school with international orientation.
Projekt 5.6 realizes also different activities in order to revitalize the photographic community in Albania. This includes the organization of debates on artistic and social aspects of photography, regular contributions to national and international publications, collaborating with galleries, schools and museums in Albania and abroad as well as organizing exhibitions and student exchange programmes. Also a sponsors club for the school (Friends of Projekt 5.6) is built up.
The project is implemented by the Albanian NGO Lindart Cultural Center.
Two experienced Swiss photographers and teachers of photography are coaching Lindart in the realization of the project.
The schools name Projekt 5.6 was chosen by the future trainers and relates to the f-stop number 5.6 (aperture) of the photo lens frequently used in portrait photography.

For more information please contact or visit:
Address: Rruga Kajo Karafili, No 54, Tirana
Phone&Fax: 00 355 257475
Mobil: 00 355 692190505
E-mail:info@projekt56.com; info_lindart@yahoo.com

www.lindart.org; www.projekt56.com

ACTIVITY PHOTOS