Given the experience of “ECHO: European Cultural Heritage Onstage”, “ECHO II: Traditions in Transition”, and “ECHO III: For Memory’s Sake”, the project tries to tackle the issues of visibility, networking, employability and opportunities to enter the art market for new European talents. When it comes to the use of heritage as an inspirational source, It builds on the values of the European (European Year of Cultural Heritage and its legacy, New European Bauhaus) and glocal (critical heritage discourse) perceptions of heritage.
ECHO Academies (ECHOAc) is a 24-month (1 January 2023 – 31 December 2024) artistic project that aims to foster young and emerging European talents in the fields of comics (in Greece-GR), fashion design (in Bulgaria-BU), music (in North Macedonia-MK), photography and architecture (in Hungary-HU) by using heritage:
- Karagiozis Shadow Puppet Theatre-GR,
- Traditional Folklore Costumes of Rhodope region-BU,
- Ritual Songs-MK, and
- Urban Industrial Heritage of Budapest 1860-1960-HU)
The main foreseen activities of ECHO Academies are the following:
- Four (4) ECHO Academies in Athens (Greece), Smolyan (Bulgaria), Bitola (North Macedonia), and Budapest (Hungary).
- Four (4) small-scale award ceremonies (open to the public) in Athens, Smolyan, Bitola and Budapest (after each academy).
- A mentorship programme for all participant artists.
- A 5-day capacity building course with international online sessions and local afternoon sessions on the following 5 topics: (a) project-based work / project management, (b) communication, (c) career development, (d) partnerships, and (e) intellectual property rights.
- Implementation of 12 pilot projects by 12 winning artists of the Academies in cooperation with grassroots and micro-organisations in their own countries.
- Open events presenting these 12 pilot projects and their outputs and outcomes.
- Connection of the artists with national, European and international markets.
- 2 international online forum events.
- Networking events and audience development activities.
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