On July, 4 2009, Expeditio started the project "SOSTENUTO" which is implemented with partner organizations from the Mediterranean region, through the MED programme of the European Union. The MED programme promotes transnational partnerships on the Northern part of the Mediterranean by financing projects working on fields pointed as priorities for the area. Additional information about the MED program can be found at: www.programmemed.eu

The general objective of the Sostenuto project is to reinforce the capacities of innovation in the Med space by the cultural and creative sector through a support to the potential of growth, innovation and competitiveness of this sector as well as through its integration in the local economies.

Activities of SOSTENUTO consists in testing the application of innovative practices in the cultural and creative sector, in defining the conditions of their transfer and in promoting their dissemination within the Med space and beyond. It will focus more specifically on the innovative methods of organization and management. Thus the following practices will be tested within 4 laboratories, ie: incubator, cluster, local exchange trading system and territorial governance.

EXPEDITIO activities within Sostenuto

Within the “SOSTENUTO” project, Expeditio activities have been focused on the topic of strategic development of culture in the Bay of Boka Kotorska in Montenegro. A part of the Bay is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which confirms the fact that culture is an important asset of this area. However, so far, the potential of culture to contribute to the area’s social and economic development has not been recognized and used to a sufficient level.

During the “SOSTENUTO” project, through cooperation with the three municipalities in Boka Kotorska (Tivat, Kotor and Herceg Novi), Expeditio has conducted the input researches and developed draft proposals of the Local programmes for the development of culture 2011-15 for the said municipalities. The process of development of these strategic documents was highly participatory and implied the involvement of cultural stakeholders from public and independent cultural scene, as well as citizens who consume the culture of this region.

The methods of involvement of stakeholders were various and they included focus groups, round table discussions, individual interviews, on-line surveys, workshops, etc. The project also included the research of cultural needs and habits of the citizens of Boka Kotorska, with a separate segment focusing on youth culture. Furthermore, a database of cultural stakeholders was compiled and analysis of the independent cultural scene conducted. In the “SOSTENUTO” project, Expeditio was particularly interested in the relationship between culture and urban development and conducted the mapping of public spaces that have potential to be used for cultural activities. In addition, during the project, we translated into Montenegrin language the publication “Guide to Citizen Participation in Local Cultural Policy Development for European Cities”, which will be useful for cultural stakeholders not only in Montenegro but also in other countries of former Yugoslavia in which similar languages ​​are spoken.

The project obtained financial contribution from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Media of Montenegro, Commission of the Government of Montenegro, as well as the Employment Agency of Montenegro through the engagement of unemployed persons.

Sostenuto partners

• A.M.I. - Centre de Développement pour les Musiques Actuelles (Francuska) - vodeći partner
• Relais Culture Europe (Francuska)
• Citema (Italija)
• Bunker (Slovenija)
• Zunino e Partner (Italija)
• Univerzitet iz Valensije (Španija)
• Expeditio (Crna Gora)

Launch press conference of the Sostenuto project

Leaflet of the project in English / Montenegrin: SOSTENUTO

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