„Мegaphone“ project will give voice to neglected, pressing community issues to take them out of the zone of "tense silence." It will create bridges for dialogue between the encapsulated groups, will create events with space for open communication. It will present proposals for a concrete change to the local authorities.
An active core of 12 individuals from different social groups, after intensive training, will work on 6 initiatives, attracting more and more new participants from the community

Yablanitsa (town, centre of municipality, 2810 inhabitants), Lovech Region, North-Central Bulgaria

1. Encapsulation and closure of different social groups, strong need for dialogue between them to take them out from the "tense silence" build by unresolved over time cases, misunderstanding and lack of information, which is replaced by prejudices.
2. Lack of activity on the part of most groups and lack of attitude that they can influence the building of the society in which they live. Lack of publicity of their needs and understandings. Lack of mutual trust.
3. Lack of centers, clubs, places for social communication. More and more active and young people are leaving the area because they do not have a suitable social environment, opportunities for development.
4. Very poor cultural life. Low understanding of the value of culture and active community life - including at managerial level

The aim is to include different target groups and create bridges for dialog between them:
- Active people for whom community and cultural development is a cause worth working for
- Cultural intelligentsia (incl. representatives of local cultural and educational institutions)
- Ordinary local population. We will work mostly with:
• Young people from Yablanitsa and region
• Young families and families with small children
- Roma community - a main target group are young people and children, but communication with their families is also needed
- Local authorities and business, individuals with big influence in the community
- Active people aged 30-35 who live in the capital but are connected with the plan for future development of the region
- Eco-defenders and environmentalists

ACTIVITIES
1. Gathering of the main group – core team: 9-12 people
2. 3 days training of the core team. Good practices, methodology, approach to different groups and local government.
3. Extraction of cases and ideas and splitting the core in small groups (2-3 people) for leading the initiatives.
4. Creating the groups for the initiatives with representatives of the community (up to 6-9 most active people)
5. Work on the initiatives
- Diving” in the case, working with the target group/groups
- Creating bridges of dialogue with other groups involved in the case and with local authorities
- Interactive public event containing: presentation of the case in an appropriate format, followed by a wide discussion, sample action - an example through which the attendees not only receive information but also "experience", participate, feel the real benefits of development in this direction.
- Documentation and provision for further response and change. Feedback.
6. Public festive event and presentation of the project results (and all initiatives with their progress) - wide community participation.
7. Documentation and popularization of results (also inside the target groups). Provision to the relevant authorities and institutions for further use.
8. Two-day meeting of the core team for evaluation and sustainability. New members.

• Statement of the voice of "silent" groups on at least 6 issues important for the community. Participation of 250 representatives from different local social groups Achieved dialogue between different groups and with local authorities. Concrete proposals for change.
• Establishing of core team of 12-15 active citizens able to continue the activities of the club. Increasing their knowledge and capacity, and those of the main participants in the initiatives (30-35 people).
• Discussions of spheres of life not covered in the development plan of the region. Development of specific proposals.
• Help to rise the community feeling, civic activity and participation of the local people
• Implementation of 7 interactive community events attended by 1/3 of the active population (700-800 people)

We will work with topics and issues affecting the daily life of the residents of Yablanitsa. The participants will go through the whole process with us - from extracting the topic, development, visualization and communication, to creating proposal for change

During the project the participants from the target groups and the core team of the club will:
- actively participate and develop skills for dialogue and debate, vision building, idea structuring, teamwork, creativity
- dare to „bring to light“ neglected, important issues for the community, communicate them with the groups concerned and local authorities
- gain more self-confidence and courage, to express their opinion and ideas to the local authorities in the future, to participate in the construction of public life and policies

For several years we have a lasting interest in Yablanitsa region. We are at the stage of focusing our efforts on long-term development in one place - instead of doing many projects in different places

We realized that our efforts are more needed in small place like Yablanitsa. Long term we want to develop there a space for non-formal education and communication through art (international), a core of active citizens and to give more opportunities for the young locals

This project is a consequence of our extensive study of the needs and challenges faced by local society, made thanks to a project with similar focus in 2020

Our team is composed by people with extensive experience in cultural management, non-formal education, organization of community events, working with young people

Project administration: 4200

Core training - 12 people: 2500

Work on initiatives with the target groups (6 initiatives): 15000
(materials and consumables, mentors and experts, space, technical support)

Promotion and publicity, communication of the project and initiatives: 10000
(during the project, at the end of each initiative, a final public event to present the results):

Project documentation final results publcation: 1500

Evaluation and sustainability activities: 1800

We are interested in the first impression from our project proposal, as well as in feedback about our concept and the connection between the idea and proposed activities.

We will be grateful for suggestions, good practices, ideas that would enrich our proposal, something we have not thought of.