Youth and Culture
On the basis of a coordinated approach of various state authorities a number of different programmes, which pay special attention to the cultural development of young people (from 14 to 19 years of age) has been carried out since 2009. The continuity of these initiatives is contemplated in the National Youth Plan for the years 2011-2015, which defines "Participation, Citizenship and Culture" as one of its strategic lines.
1) iMPULSA Programme: contributes to the development of the full exercise of citizens´ rights by young people by creating spaces, which focus on their participation and protagonism in a joint approach with other groups, which work with this target group at the local level. The iMPULSA are conceived as territorial enclaves for the promotion of young people´s rights.
2) Programme for Cultural and Social Inclusion: Target young people with a variety of social and economic backgrounds. Its aim is the support of different ways of cultural and artistic expression through the development of projects, which receive expert assistance and serve the local community and its search for new strategies of social inclusion.
3) Art and Culture Workshops: Promote culture as a tool for social integration, which facilitates a more democratic access to culture and encourages the creation and circulation of art. The workshops set out to develop spaces, in which young people can be users and protagonists alike, thereby contributing to citizenship building processes.
4) Art and Youth Meetings: integration workshops, during which young people from the interior of the country have the chance to show and share their art production and concerns for three days.
5) Culture ticket: aims at facilitating the access of adolescents and young adults from formal and informal education institutes to cultural goods and services.
Challenges identified in the implementation of this measure:
Increase of accessibility and adaptation to different work scenarios.
1) In 12 provinces the iMPULSA activities started in a number of specially prepared spaces. In some cases their start was made possible thanks to their cooperation with the MEC centres and the culture factories.
2) Groups are invited through NGOs and other education institutions capable of bringing together the target population of the programme. Workshops include film, theatre, dance, photography, visual arts and fashion design.
3) Workshops (190 throughout the country) covering a wide range of disciplines have been implemented following a call for bids of art cooperatives.
4) Stages are installed, which make it possible to perform a variety of artistic projects following their previous selection by a jury.
5) Tickets are given to young people from education institutes and/or socio-educational programmes related to low income and other specific backgrounds (high school diploma in arts, students residences). The tickets include free admission to theatres, cinemas, events at the SODRE concert halls, football and basketball matches and carnival activities.
US$317,000.00
Since their start the art and youth meetings have managed to attract the participation of young people from a number of towns and villages in the interior of the country, thereby contributing to increased equity.