Category: News

The cycle of training under the project “The Living Human Treasures of the Cross-Border Region”, code of the project ROBG – 581, financed by the Interreg V-A Romania-Bulgaria Program, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the national budgets of the Republic of Romania and the Republic of Bulgaria has completed. The aim of the project is to develop a huge resource that the Vidin-Dolj cross-border region has – a rich and unique intangible cultural heritage. It will also help to preserve traditions by highlighting the care of people – the “living human treasures” that embody them and will be encouraged to continue to refine their knowledge and skills and pass on to others generations.

A total of 6 trainings were conducted within the project, involving nearly 200 participants. They became acquainted with the UNESCO Living Human Treasures system, how it is regulated in Bulgaria and Romania, and what criteria should be met by those wishing to be included in national lists. In addition, participants gained new knowledge and developed skills related to how to best represent their abilities and how to use them as a tourist resource. With the support of experts, the participants in the trainings developed a tourist route called “The Living Human Treasures of the Vidin-Dolj Cross-border Region”, which will be presented at the two festivals which will be organized at the end of June. The festival will take place in Vidin from 21 to 23 June and in Cetate, Romania from 28 to 30 June. interreg_logo.

More than 500 participants participated in the Festivals of Living Human Treasures, which took place from June 21 to June 23 in Vidin and from June 28 to June 30 in Cetate, Romania. The purpose of the festivals was to focus attention on the rich intangible cultural heritage of the Vidin-Dolj cross-border region, focusing on the care of people – the “living human treasures” that embody it. The organizers are convinced that this is the way to encourage these people to continue to improve their knowledge and skills and pass it on to future generations.

The participants in the two festivals were divided into different categories according to the UNESCO system for living human treasures adopted in Bulgaria in 2008. Performers in the categories “traditional rituals and holidays”, “home activities and livelihoods”, “traditional dances and children’s games” performed in Vidin. Performers in the categories of “traditional storytelling,” “traditional singing and playing,” “traditional crafts,” and “traditional medicine” performed in Cetate.

Both festivals have the ambition to become traditional and will be included in the cultural calendars of Vidin Municipality and Cetate Municipality.

The two festivals were organized within the framework of the project “The Living Human Treasures of the Cross-Border Region”, project code ROBG – 581 funded by the Interreg V-A Romania-Bulgaria Program, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the national budgets of the Republic of Romania and the Republic of Bulgaria.

The aim of the project is to focus attention on the rich intangible cultural heritage of the region and make it a valuable, effectively used tourist resource. You can find more information about the project as well as the products developed within it at  http://human-treasures.org/.