Culture guide in sparsely populated areas

Final European conference

8-9 June Budapest

The SPAR project

BACKGROUND
During the last years, we have seen more political and public interest in reviving the rural and
sparsely populated areas and to counter the current migration from rural to urban areas.
One of the ways to counter this trend is to provide more available and inclusion-driven arts and
cultural activities with added community values. To secure cultural sustainability in these areas,
we need to strengthen the “citizen helps citizen" or "peer to peer approach", where civil society
associations from the cross-cultural sector of amateur arts, voluntary culture, and heritage are
engaged.
AIM AND OBJECTIVES
The overall aim is to improve the competences of the voluntary associations and their
volunteers to provide enlivening arts and culture opportunities in the sparsely populated
communities with an added value for civic and democratic participation, community bonding
and local identity.
The objectives are
1) To develop innovative ways of outreach to citizens engaged in arts and culture to become
resourceful culture volunteers.
2) To develop high quality courses tailored to these groups on how to organise cultural
activities with an added community value.
3) To develop the competences and skills of the voluntary associations to support volunteering
and cooperation with stakeholders.
4) To develop appropriate methods to assess the involved knowledge, skills and attitudes to
fulfil such demanding voluntary work.

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The aim and objectives of the conference

The aim is to valorise the key outcome of the project to main European target groups, especially
to other countries than the countries of the project partners and to trans-European associations,
thereby reaching out to European audiences hitherto not addressed.
The partnership circle consists of six organisations from five EU member states working in
the area of participatory arts, voluntary culture, liberal adult education and civil society
development.

For further information on the project please visit: https://www.sparproject.eu/

The partners are:
Voluntary Arts network (UK) - see www.voluntaryarts.org
National Association of Cultural Councils (DK) - see www.kulturellesamraad.dk
Interfolk, Institute for Civil Society (DK) - see www.interfolk.dk
Hungarian Folk High School Society (HU) - see www.nepfoiskola.hu
Foundation of Alternative Educational Initiatives (PL) - see www.fundacjaaie.eu
Municipality of Lousada, Division of communication, heritage, culture, education and sport
(PT) - see www.cm-lousada.pt

Conference venue: Hotel Benczúr, Budapest, Benczúr utca 35.

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Conference programme

Friday 8th June

12.00 - 13.00 Conference registration and coffee

13.00 - 13.10 Plenary session - Welcome and introduction

By Dr. Já nos Sz. Tó th, president, Hungarian Folk High School Society

13.10 - 13.20 Plenary session Welcome

A respected politician or government representative

13.15 - 14.00 Plenary - Presentation of the SPAR project

By the project team Laraine Winning, Bente von Schindel, Agnieszka Dadak, Artur
Pinto
Moderator: Robin Simpson, executive director, Voluntary Arts or Laraine
Winning, Coordinator, VA
14.00 - 14.10 Plenary - Introduction to the workshop sessions
By Hans Jørgen Vodsgaard, Head of institute, Interfolk or/and Já nos Sz. Tó th
14.10 - 14.30: Coffee break
14.30 - 15.30: Parallel group sessions / Round 1 (participants are divided into 3 groups)
Good practice presentations and interpretations
Group A: The best way to engage cultural volunteers and their competencies
Introduction speaker: Já nos Sz. Tó th
Moderator: Artur Pinto
Group B: Training programmes for managers and volunteers
Introduction speaker: Hans Jørgen Vodsgaard
Moderator: Bente von Schindel
Group C: Support from key stakeholders
Introduction speaker: Laraine Winning,
Moderator: Agnieszka Dadak
15.30 - 16.30: Parallel group sessions / Round 2 (Rotate to next group - A, B or C)
16.30 - 17.30: Parallel group sessions / Round 3 (Rotate to next group - A, B or C)

17.30 - 18.00 Refreshment break

18.00 -19.00 Hungarian Dance House
20.00 - Dinner at the hotel

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Saturday 9th June
07.30 - 08.45: Breakfast at the hotel
09.00 - 09.20 Plenary session
How arts and culture can help to revive remote areas
Presentation and moderation by Artur Pinto

09.20 – 09.40 Plenary session Culture events in sparsely populated areas with added
values
Presentation and moderation by Hans Jørgen Vodsgaard

09.40-10.00 Management skills to coordinate cross-cultural activities

Presentation and moderation by Agnieszka Dadak

10.00 -10.10 Plenary introduction to the workshop sessions

By Bente von Schindel, secretary general, National Association of Cultural
Councils
10.15 - 10.30 Coffee break
10.30 - 12.00 Workshop sessions:
Presentation and discussion of local pilot work for different marginalised
groups

Workshop A: Recognition of prior learning in voluntary culture and art

Introduction speaker: Laraine Winning,
Moderator: Artur Pinto
Workshop B: Profiles of the sector of amateur arts, culture and heritage
Introduction speaker: Bente von Schindel
Moderator: Rafal Dadak
Workshop C: Strengthening local identity
Introduction speaker: Já nos Sz. Tó th
Moderator: Agnieszka Dadak

12.00 - 12.45: Lunch at the hotel

13.00 - 14.00: Plenary - reports from the workshop groups about key points of discussions
By the workshop moderators & participants
Moderator: Bente von Schindel
14.00 - 14.15 Coffee break
14.15 - 14.50 Plenary - Evaluative conclusions and follow-up possibilities
by the project team and participants
14.50 - 15.00 Official closing
By Dr. Já nos Sz. Tó th, president, Hungarian Folk High School Society
15.00 - 15.30 Farewell and informal networking

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Practical information

The working language of the conference is English, and the conference materials will also be
provided in English.

The conference will be based on participatory and activity-based methods. It will focus on
presentation of new knowledge as well as on the exchange of knowledge and experience. There
will be a blend of lectures, presentations, workshops and plenary discussions.

Participants will be invited to prepare short workshop presentations of possible local good
practices, either experienced examples of best practice or outlines of new possible activities in
their local context.

Venue of the conference: Hotel Benczú r, 1068 Budapest, Benczú r utca 35. www.hotelbenczur.hu

We look forward to your participation!