Educational-Artistic Horizons beyond the Borders

The EdAH project addresses common territorial challenges like: limited access to resources and expertise that constrains the artistic development of communities; unequal access to arts education that prevent students from poorer backgrounds to access vocational artistic education; failure to involve students of various age groups in artistic activities aimed at fostering community ties and enhancing social unity and the need to improve cross-border relationships that enrich educational and artistic ties. The project overall objective is modernizing the vocational educational infrastructure and improving equal access to quality services in vocational education throughout life, by equipping one school in Botoșani and one school in Ivano-Frankivsk with high-performance equipment specific to artistic education, as well as by improving the professional skills of 13 teaching and non-teaching staff during the project implementation period - 18 months. The project will change the current situation by: - equipping one school in Botoșani and one school in Ivano-Frankivsk with the newest modern artistic equipment, ensuring students have access to the best resources available; - enhance the professional experience of teaching staff through exchange workshops for teaching staff from the Popular School of Art and the School of Contemporary Arts. These workshop sessions focus on identifying best practices in modern pedagogical methods, artistic techniques, and technology integration into the curriculum. The main outputs of the project are: 600 students who will benefit from the modernized educational infrastructure at the George Enescu Popular School of Art in Botoșani and the School of Contemporary Arts in Ivano-Frankivsk and 4 organizations that will sign agreements within the project: Botoșani County Council, Ivano-Frankivsk City Council, George Enescu Popular Art School Botoșani, and Ivano-Frankivsk School of Contemporary Arts. From the outputs of the project will benefit the following institutions: - The George Enescu Botoșani Popular School of Art is the institution that shapes the talents of young people, children, and the adult population in the field of artistic education, having a popular character regarding the access of amateurs to the school's courses. The target group consists of 50 students and 8 teachers and instructors of the school. The students are people aged between 7 and 70, coming from various socio-economic backgrounds. - The Ivano-Frankivsk School of Contemporary Art includes a Teenagers’ School and a School for Adults. The main goal of the first school is to introduce teenagers (11-17 years old) to contemporary art, enhance their knowledge in this field and show how interesting and fun informal learning might be. The target group consists of 100 students and 5 teachers and instructors of the school. - the Botoșani County Council is responsible for the implementation of European projects. The target group consists of the project implementation team, which includes 6 individuals: 1 project manager, 1 project assistant, 1 financial manager, 1 procurement manager, 1 legal expert, and a project visibility manager. - The Ivano-Frankivsk City Council is the city council of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast (province) located in western Ukraine. The council has a department of Investment Policy, Projects, International Relations, Tourism and City Promotion. The target group consists of the project implementation team, which includes 2 individuals: 1 project manager and 1 financial assistant. Cross-border cooperation is necessary because it utilizes a wider range of resources, fosters knowledge exchange, and has a broader positive impact on the project area and program area. The cross-border project is needed for the following reasons: - By collaborating across borders, the project can access a wider array of resources and expertise. Different regions or countries may have varying strengths and assets, which, when combined, can result in more significant and efficient improvements; - Cross-border cooperation allows for the exchange of knowledge and best practices. The Popular School of Art in Botoșani and the School of Contemporary Arts in Ivano-Frankivsk can learn from each other's experiences and approaches; - The benefits of the project extend beyond the immediate project partners and target groups. The entire project area and program area benefit from the improved artistic education services and the cultural-artistic exchange, enhancing the overall quality of education and promoting cross-cultural understanding. The project's unique approach lies in its combination of providing cutting-edge equipment, enhancing teacher professionalism, and updating curricula. These elements collectively exceed existing practices in the field of vocational artistic education, ultimately leading to improved educational services and opportunities for students in Botoșani and Ivano-Frankivsk.

During the period 17.04.2025-16.08.2025, all activities planned under the funding application for Period 1 were carried out, as follows: - Project Launch Conference - organized on 19.06.2025, at the headquarters of the "George Enescu" Popular School of Arts in Botoșani, - First workshop entitled "Plea for a different kind of school" on 20.06.2025, at the headquarters of the George Enescu Popular School of Arts in Botoșani, - Procurement processes were initiated, completed, and finalized for the following acquisitions: Information, visibility and advertising services; Interpretation services; Accommodation and meal services; Catering services, room rental and coffee break, Supply of IT equipment. - The procurement procedure for furniture for the project team was launched and not finalized during the reporting period. During reporting period one, the following visibility materials were produced: Press release regarding the project launch, project logo and roll-up. Catering services were provided at the project launch conference. Additionally ,accommodation and meal services were provided for the people from Ukraine present at the activities. Interpretation services were also provided for the two activities carried out in the first period, namely the Launch Conference and the first workshop. During Period 1 (17.04.2025 – 16.08.2025), the Executive Committee of Ivano-Frankivsk City Council (ECIF) contributed to the EdAH project by ensuring the participation of its target groups in two cross-border events held in Botoșani: Opening Conference: 15 representatives (students and teachers of the School of Contemporary Arts, together with a member of the project team) participated in the launch event, which marked the official start of the project and established direct contacts with the Romanian partner. Workshop 1 – “Plea for a Different Kind of School”: The same group took part in the workshop, where they were introduced to different sections of the George Enescu Popular Art School (painting, music, dance, and traditional crafts) and engaged in exchange of practices and teaching methods. Detailed information about the 15 participants of the Conference and Workshop was submitted in Address no. 1236/01-25/32 dated 23.09.2025, which also explained the link between the institution “Asortymenta Kimnata” and the School of Contemporary Art in Ivano-Frankivsk within the framework of the EdAH project. During the reporting Period no. 2, 17.08.2025-16.12.2026, all activities foreseen in the application form were implemented as follows: - International Art Forum (Ukraine, 04-05.11.2025): This activity served as a central pillar of the project's intercultural dialogue dimension. The forum brought together experts, teachers and students, enabling the exchange of methodologies in non-formal arts education. The primary objective was the exchange of innovative methodologies in non-formal arts education, with a focus on aligning curricula contemporary social needs. A significant achievement during this period was the preparation of the material and technical base for the implementation of the project activities. The procurement of IT, creative, exhibition and digital manufacturing equipment was finalized in compliance with Ukrainian national public procurement regulations. This modernization has substantially strengthened institutional capacity to host digital and contemporary art activities, ensuring students access to modern tools for artistic production. The Ukrainian partner also procured accommodation, meals and catering services for this activity, ensuring professional conditions for all participants. For the participation of its delegation in this event, Botoșani County Council provided logistics support, including international transport and Romanian-Ukrainian simultaneous interpretation services, thereby removing language barriers and ensuring effective knowledge transfer. - Further progress in partnership cooperation was achieved through participation in a workshop, supported by the teaching staff of the "George Enescu" Popular School of Arts in Botoșani. The event entitled - "The therapeutic effect of the work of art in contemporary society", took place on 24.11.2025, and was organized in a hybrid format, at the premises of the "George Enescu" Popular School of Arts in Botoșani, demonstrating the project's adaptability to the digital environment. This approach allowed for extensive participation, offering new perspectives on how art can serve as a tool for social cohesion and psychological well-being in the current regional context. The activity fostered mutual learning and knowledge exchange between partners and contributed to the qualitative enhancement of educational approaches within the project. The experience gained during the workshop strengthened institutional ties and supported the coherence of the partners' activities. - In parallel, the educational program of the Ivano-Frankivsk School of Contemporary Art continued to develop in accordance with the project objectives. The organization of seven offline workshops for adults and seven for adolescents advanced the learning processes and contributed to outcomes related to participant engagement and artistic development. Since the beginning of the semester, participants have been working on individual artistic ideas for a final exhibition planned for a later stage of the project, ensuring continuity between current activities and future outputs. - During reporting period no. 2, Botoșani County Council initiated and finalized the following procurement procedures for: Transportation services, furniture, easels and panels/frames for the exhibition of paintings, as well as that of musical instruments according to the simplified tender notice no. SCN1170462/25.11.2025 (ongoing). - Regarding the visibility of the project, some materials were produced (promotional set and self-adhesive labels) and the publication of communications regarding the two project activities on the Botosani County website, increasing public awareness of the non-refundable financial support provided. - https://www.cjbotosani.ro/proiecte/finantari-nerambursabile/perioada-de-programare-2021-2027/programul-interreg-vi-a-next-romania-ucraina-2021-2027/; https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17zah2Y1xd/; https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ArnV7E29q/; https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CRs1DFLDD/; https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0R6cY7fdCUgnmH4JkvXgZt7T6d6nKkEhdXW3q53aCFQyoQLStHsvTvESnxbRoYA1Ml&id=100065238832785&sfnsn=wa; https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AWvj1WvyY/; https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17pqhSjN1N/; Cross-border cooperation was reflected in the active involvement of teachers from Botoșani in the educational activities of partners from Ukraine and vice versa. The synergy created between the modernization of the material base and the development of the educational curriculum ensures the premises for achieving all the performance indicators assumed by the funding request. During Reporting Period No. 3 (17.12.2025–16.04.2026), the project activities continued in line with the objectives established in the Application Form, ensuring the continuity of cross-border cooperation and the implementation of the planned educational and cultural activities. - Within Activity 1.1 – Provision of equipment and supplies, Botoșani County Council finalized the procurement procedure for musical instruments through an open tender, marked by the publication of Procedure Result No. 1875/30.01.2026. The delayed approval of the 2026 national and county budgets temporarily postponed the signing of the supply contract and the commitment of expenditures. In order to continue the implementation process, Decision No. 72/26.03.2026 of the Botoșani County Council was adopted, allocating the necessary funds from the 2025 budget surplus for awarding the contract and ensuring the payment of project expenditures. As a result, the Supply Contract for Musical Instruments No. 6652/06.04.2026 was signed, followed by the issuance of Purchase Order No. 7140/15.04.2026. These actions contributed to the modernization of the educational infrastructure and prepared the conditions for the implementation of future artistic activities. - Within Activity 1.2 – Experience Exchange Workshops. Workshop No. 4 entitled “Curriculums and innovative methods in contemporary art and non-formal and vocational education” was organized by PP2 in hybrid format, on 31.03.2026. At the online activity sustained by teachers from PP2 participated from the premises of the Popular School of Arts Botosani the target group, members of the LP1 project team and the interpret. The workshop focused on the exchange of good practices and innovative teaching methods in the field of contemporary art and non-formal education, contributing to the strengthening of cooperation and knowledge transfer between partners. - During the reporting period, the educational activities of the School of Contemporary Art in Ivano-Frankivsk continued successfully. A total of twelve workshops were organized, including six workshops for teenagers and six for adults, with the support of qualified mentors and invited experts. These activities contributed to the artistic and personal development of participants and supported the achievement of the project’s educational objectives. - An online exchange of experience was also organized between the teaching staff of the School of Contemporary Art in Ivano-Frankivsk and the “George Enescu” Popular School of Arts in Botoșani. The activity strengthened institutional cooperation, facilitated the exchange of professional practices and supported the harmonization of educational approaches between project partners. - At the same time, preparatory activities were initiated for the implementation of workshops focused on digital techniques and contemporary artistic practices, which are expected to diversify the educational program and contribute to the planned project outputs. Important progress was also achieved regarding the project’s visibility obligations. The durable plaque was produced in accordance with the Information, Visibility and Publicity Contract No. 11147/05.06.2025. Following the approval received from BRCT Suceava, the reception procedure was finalized and the plaque was installed at the “George Enescu” Popular School of Arts in Botoșani, ensuring compliance with the program visibility requirements. The durable plaques for the PP2 was produced and installed according to the visibility manual. Communication and visibility activities were continuously ensured through the dissemination of information regarding project events and achievements on the official website and social media pages. Cross-border cooperation continued to be reflected through the active collaboration between the Romanian and Ukrainian partners, especially through joint educational activities and exchanges of experience. The activities implemented during Reporting Period No. 3 contributed to the continuity of the educational program, strengthened institutional cooperation and supported the achievement of the project objectives and expected results.