Cooperation for Acting Communities
PRESSRELEASE
06 June 2016 Szentendre
Today the Hungarian Open Air Museum, NMI Institute for Culture Non-profit Ltd. and the National Széchenyi Library entered into a consortium agreement. The aim of the consortium is to file an aid application for the call “Acting Communities – active community engagement EFOP-1.3.1-15” within the Széchenyi 2020 programme, and in case of winning, to realize its goal in joint cooperation.
Preparations by the above mentioned professional areas for the European Union project already started in 2015 when a conference was held in Esztergom with the title “Coefficient – Community development in the museum and library fields and in public culture”, with the aim of getting to know the distinguishing features of the different systems of institutions, and to find the common contact points which may help in harmonizing the activities of the three professional fields.
At the signing event of the consortium agreement combined with a press conference, the leader of the consortium, director general, Hungarian Open Air Museum Dr. Miklós Cseri said this initiation is considered unique in the cultural area, as this is the first time when museum, library and public culture fields participate together in a programme aiming at strengthening social engagement of cultural institutions. The aim of the Acting Communities programme is to provide professional-methodological support for settlements and their institutions snd NGOs in implementing community developing processes reinforcing social cohesion. The organisations involved in the project will be able to activate local cultural communities, and to establish a volunteer network.
Albert Polyák, acting director general, NMI Institute for Culture Non-profit Ltd. in his speech about the developing effect of public culture pointed out that acting communities represent a force which develops the society and the economy. The three-year programme launched today will present these results. The already existing professional methodological development will be elevated to a scientific level by producing practices applicable all over the country and we hope - also over the border. Owing to the methodological development the communities will achieve results in a short time, as a result of which the culture of community acting will spread. He also said that by its nationwide professional network NMI Institute for Culture can directly reach settlements, thus the institute can provide large scale methodological support of community culture – which is actually the main pillar of the institute’s activities.
Dr. László Tüske, Director general, National Széchenyi Library emphasized that global political, social and economic processes and their effects cannot be overlooked, which has to be confronted by not only the national library but the whole Hungarian library system, even the whole cultural sector. Libraries – altogether about 4000 - located even in the smallest settlements need to respond to the challenge how they can contribute to the development of the community and the economy. By strengthening local identity and giving access to informational assets can provide effective support to the development of individual citizens.
By producing good practices, the Acting communities project concentrates and fastens the community building activities of libraries, as well as placing it into a wider context.
The participation of National Széchenyi Library including the Library Institution – by the involvement of county libraries – contributes to catalysing community building processes strengthening social cohesion – so as to create a 21st century innovative, community-centred, thus sustainable society and economy.
The fulfilment of the objectives makes it possible the fruitful cooperation of the three professional fields and the social and cultural development of the population, as well as the new competences of cultural professionals.
The preparatory work of the “Acting communities – active social engagement EFOP-1.3.1-15 tender is completed today by signing the consortium agreement, and the application for funding will be submitted soon.
The expected launch of the project is in September 2016 and completion in September 2019. The project’s budget is HUF 3bn.
The directors’ speeches were followed by the ceremonial signing of the consortium agreement.
Further information:
Magdolna Nagy
head of department
Museum Education and Methodology Centre
Phone: +36-30-748-8545
