With Burja around Europe – Creativity among the Communication and Promotion

Our members embarked on their second journey to Đurđevac this year. Building on their initial visit, where they delved into the city’s cultural potential and green practices, this time they explored a new dimension-communication skills. They had the unique opportunity to witness these skills in action within the local community and through digital platforms.

The main goal of the three-day training in the framework of group mobility of adults, which is carried out as part of the accredited mobility of the Erasmus+ program organized by the Burja Institute and the hosts, with the Association of Women of the City of Đurđevac (Women’s Association of the City of Đurđevac), was this time to learn about the cultural heritage in the local community and to adopt good communication skills and principles of sustainability in culture and art in local communities.

The program’s central goal was not just to enhance the participants’ communication skills, but also to foster their personal growth. Through artistic creativity, they gained insight into diverse educational programs and projects, and developed a deeper understanding of techniques and ideas crucial to their personal work and growth.

They learned about relevant, sustainable practices and developed digital competencies based on examples of good practices in the local community. In addition, the program actively encouraged the participation of participants in local communities by organizing practical activities in the field that contribute to these communities’ cultural and artistic richness. The program often creates an international bridge between art and society and encourages adults’ active involvement and contribution to their cultural life and other communities. Here, the emphasis was again on the social integration of participants with fewer opportunities, especially members of ethnic minorities and older women.

An important part of the program was the active participation of our participants in a local event based on the cultural tradition of the town of Đurđevac – Picokijada. Even before that, our members held a series of workshops on this topic, led by experienced journalist and visualist Andjela Lenhard Antolin, who presented the local legend to the whole world. She was also the manager of this project in 2007-2009.

Back in 2008, more than 15 years ago, they won the prestigious award of the European Commission “European Destinations of Excellence” in fierce domestic and international competition. Reward EDEN is founded in 2006, and promotes sustainable tourism projects of the European destination of excellence, making this city the winner for 2008.

She presented all the mechanisms of how they used the local legend, the non-material cultural heritage, for the global promotion of the local community and won a number of other prestigious awards for this.

In 2009, they presented the concept of Picokijada in New York at the biggest tourist fair, “The New York Times Travel Show”. So long ago, they were already thinking green and sustainable.

As already mentioned, our members had the honor of being able to actively present themselves at this event. On it, they actively communicated with the local community and addressed it appropriately and very successfully, to the general enthusiasm of those present as well as themselves. They dressed in Slovenian national costumes, presented their unique products, and at the same time baked traditional culinary delicacies. With this, they gained exceptional practice of appropriate cultural communication in a foreign environment, while promoting their work, the entire Erasmus+ program and intercultural dialogue.

At the same time, they made a showcase of their works in the nearby Hotel Picok, which they showed to international and domestic guests and visitors to the hotel. They also visited the modern multimedia presentation center Đurđevac, where they could learn about the geological formation of the landscape park as well as the local legend about Picok through various digital tools, including through 3D glasses.

What is even more important than anything else is that through an effective learning process, which is based on the appropriate social integration of participants with fewer opportunities, they gained adequate self-confidence and realized that they are good enough and equal to be able to, through their learning, creative work and networking they build effective intercultural bridges and international friendships. This process is reserved not only for certain elites but for everyone who wants to be activated. This process lies at the very core of the Erasmus programme. Many people interpret it because this program is intended only for the best. However, the matter is very simple – the Erasmus program is designed for everyone who can make the best of themselves through it.