Regional Arts and Culture Project in the South Caucasus


By supporting documentary films, documentary theatre and photography as powerful tools of contemporary art, the project will challenge social stigma, promote inclusion and human rights through empowering the civil society, nurturing intercultural dialogue and regional cooperation in the South Caucasus.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Georgia
South Caucasus
Culture / development awareness
nothemedefined
Culture & recreation
15.11.2021 - 31.10.2025
CHF  979’997
Background Culture is a powerful driver for development, with community-wide social, economic and environmental impacts. Moreover, promotion of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue supports the inclusion of marginalized groups, fosters peace and sustainable development. The contemporary forms of art experience similar challenges in the South Caucasus - fragmentation, underfunding, lack of professional exposure and exchange opportunities. By funding Phase 3 of Arts&Culture project, SDC will not only aim at fostering contemporary art forms of documentary films, documentary theatre and photography but will use these creative platforms to promote civic education, inclusion, diversity and tolerance on the regional scale.
Objectives A pluralistic, innovative and inclusive cultural sector in the South Caucasus is fostered by promoting contemporary art forms through regional intercultural dialogues and exchanges.
Target groups
  • Arts and culture community in the South Caucasus, with focus on artists working in the fields of documentary films, documentary theatre and photography.
  • Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) with focus on different Leave No One Behind groups (LNOB): (rural) women, (rural) youth, ethnic minorities, IDPs/conflict affected people, population living outside of the capitals of the South Caucasus countries at large
Medium-term outcomes

Outcome1: Documentary films strengthen synergies between culture and education to empower the civil society (with focus on the youth), enhance cross-border dialogue between the documentary film-makers and promote people-to-people exchanges in the region.

Outcome 2: Documentary theatre genre is supported to bolster a better cross-border cultural dialogue and exchanges on up-todate social issues confronting the region’s population.

Outcome 3: Contemporary photography is promoted in the South Caucasus to better connect the region and challenge the public opinion.

Outcome 4: Diverse cultural actors in the South Caucasus are capacitated to boost the local art scenes.

Results

Expected results:  

Documentary Films:

  • 64 workshops and training sessions offered by Noosfera for the film-makers from the region.
  • 20 new documentary films produced from the South Caucasus.
  • 480 educational screenings held for the (rural) youth in the South Caucasus.

Documentary Theatre:

  • 12 documentary plays developed in the South Caucasus.
  • Approximately 120 performances offered in the South Caucasus.

Photography:

  • 60 photographers coached in the region.
  • 24 photography projects developed by the South Caucasian photographers.
  • 12 photography products generated in the region.

Small Grants:

  • Approx. 30 small cultural initiatives funded.


Results from previous phases:  

  • 47 documentary films reflecting the vital social issues confronting the region were shown at four editions of Focus Caucasus section of the International Documentary Film Festival CinéDoc Tbilisi.
  • 72 film-makers from the region attended joint masterclasses (43 being women).
  • 354 film screenings and mini-festivals were held for 24’024 participants in the three countries.
  • 22 women photographers from the region were awarded with multimedia production grants to produce social documentary photography.
  • 38’066 persons participated in online multimedia exhibitions and Moving Photography Museum shows in the region.
  • 41 small cultural projects were supported in the region.
  • A blog and a reflection paper was dedicated by the HQ’s Culture Matters Community of Practice to the achievements of Phase 2.


Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Swiss cooperation with Eastern Europe
Project partners Contract partner
International or foreign NGO
Swiss Non-profit Organisation
  • Other Swiss Non-profit Organisation


Other partners
The SDC will conclude contribution contracts with the three local partners, based in Georgia: Noosfera Foundation (documentary films), Open Space (documentary theatre) and Association of Photo Documentalists (photography). Additionally, there will be local NGO partners under the small grant’s component.
Coordination with other projects and actors The project will find synergies with the upcoming citizen engagement and local democracy/civic education projects in Armenia and Georgia to promote active citizenship practices. Coordination with key actors in the field of arts and culture in the region is also envisaged (e.g. EU Creative Europe Programme, network of EU National Institutes of Culture (EUNIC) in the South Caucasus)
Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    979’997 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    837’426
Project phases Phase 3 15.11.2021 - 31.10.2025   (Current phase) Phase 2 01.10.2017 - 30.09.2021   (Completed) Phase 1 01.10.2012 - 31.10.2017   (Active)