The KÓSY KINO project focuses on building capacities and improving project partners’ programming and strategic skills. The goal is to contribute to their more open and inclusive functioning and to inspire other organisations in Slovakia, Iceland and Norway to take this step. The idea for the project arose in response to the intolerance, racism and xenophobia that people face in Slovakia.

News

Activities

Partners

Arthouse cinema Bíó Paradís (Reykjavík, Iceland)

Address: Hverfisgata 54 101, 101 Reykjavík, Island

Contact: Hrönn Sveinsdóttir, hronn@bioparadis.is

Cultural centre Tou (Stavanger, Norway)

Address: Kvitsøygata 25, 4014 Stavanger

Contact: Sebastian Waldejer, sebastian@touscene.com

Goals

Mutual learning

All partner organisations with a rich history are well-recognised by their audiences and authorities. During the project, we want to share valuable practical experience and knowledge and become more professional in PR, programming, management, inclusive film education and audience development.

Inclusive education

Since 2019, Kino Úsmev has been organising film courses for children and youth from ordinary backgrounds but also minorities such as kids with intellectual and physical disabilities and marginalised groups. In cooperation with Bíó Paradís, we want to improve this inclusive educational programme by inviting Icelandic film professionals to share their insights.

Cultural exchange

Cultural exchange will take place on several levels. First, thanks to the residential program between Tou and Kino Úsmev, we will have the opportunity to host and send abroad professionals from the cultural and creative industries, which can be beneficial for working with the audience and dramaturgy. Second, in cooperation with the Bíó Paradís cinema, we will be able to reach a wider audience and invite established filmmakers to present their work in front of a local audience.

Audience development

All organisations have a loyal audience. Together with Bíó Paradís, we will focus on developing an inclusive programme for vulnerable groups, including people with visual and hearing impairments, autistic people and seniors suffering from cognitive impairments.

Acknowledgement of the support from the EEA Grants 

The KÓSY KINO project benefits from a 153 794 € grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants. The project has been co-financed from the State Budget of the Slovak Republic in the amount of 23 069 €. The aim of the project is to build the capacities of partner organisations and support inclusive education, intercultural exchange and audience development.

If you want to know more about programmes and projects financed by the EEA Grants in Slovakia, visit www.eeagrants.sk.

The EEA Grants represent the contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway towards a green, competitive and inclusive Europe.

There are two overall objectives: reduction of economic and social disparities in Europe, and to strengthen bilateral relations between the donor countries and 15 EU countries in Central and Southern Europe and the Baltics.

The three donor countries cooperate closely with the EU through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA). The donors have provided €3.3 billion through consecutive grant schemes between 1994 and 2014. For the period 2014 – 2021, the EEA Grants amount to €1.55 billion. The priorities for this period are:

#1 Innovation, Research, Education and Competitiveness

#2 Social Inclusion, Youth Employment, and Poverty Reduction

#3 Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Low Carbon Economy

#4 Culture, Civil Society, Good Governance and Fundamental Rights

#5 Justice and Home Affairs

Eligibility for the Grants mirror the criteria set for the EU Cohesion Fund aimed at member countries where the Gross National Income (GNI) per inhabitant is less than 90% of the EU average.

The EEA Grants are jointly financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, whose contributions are based on their GDP.

Eligibility for the Grants mirror the criteria set for the EU Cohesion Fund aimed at member countries where the Gross National Income (GNI) per inhabitant is less than 90% of the EU average. All projects are co-financed by the State Budget of the Slovak Republic in the amount of 15%.

#EEAgrants #KÓSYKINO

The aim of the Otvorený Úsmev project was to launch an inclusive film education programme for children and youth, to support the internal development of the civic association CINEFIL and to make film screenings accessible to various vulnerable groups. Openness and inclusion are fundamental values that Kino Úsmev wants to promote and raise awareness of in the long term.

Activities

Inclusive film school Klapka, Úsmev!

The school introduces participants to various methods and approaches to filmmaking, creating an environment for their creative self-realization. They are intended for children and youth interested in filmmaking and its components – camera, editing, directing, dramaturgy, sound, screenplay, scenography, graphic design and visual arts in film, animation, costume design and the basics of expression in front of the camera. Participants will go through the entire film process and at the end of the semester, they will present their unique film work in the cinema hall at Kina Úsmev. We opened the film classes for the first time in February 2020, but due to the pandemic, we had to move the school to the online space. In autumn 2020, we did not start the classes at all, and in 2021 we managed to open them for only a few weeks. We are currently working together with lecturers, Natalia Brzáčová and Róbert Rampáček, and partner organizations on the curriculum, planning the further course of the classes and consulting on how to work with vulnerable groups.

Open screenings

Since 2019, we have been organizing inclusive film screenings (not only) for autistic people and seniors with cognitive impairments on a regular basis. These screenings are specifically tailored to the needs of vulnerable groups with the programme, volume and lighting. Our goal is to create a pleasant and tolerant environment where these groups can feel safe. At the same time, these screenings are accessible to everyone free of charge, thus eliminating financial barriers, but also motivating the general public to visit these screenings.

Organizational development

During the project, we also focused on educating and improving processes within the civic association CINEFIL, which operates by Kino Úsmev. We held several workshops for employees and consulted our activities with the Norwegian partner Tou and their director Per Arne Alstad.

Development of partner organizations

We organized a series of educational workshops for partner organizations in the field of film education and inclusion, including workshops on marketing with Michal Kucht, inclusive education with Dušan Ondrušek from PDCS and Jiří Forejt from Free Cinema.

Green cinema

One of the outcomes of the project is an architectural study from the ZeroZero studio, which should contribute to green solutions within the Kino Úsmev´s building with regard to its future operation and sustainability. The studies were carried out in collaboration with the French architect Jean-Marc Lalo (Atelier Lalo) and the association’s association.

Partners

• Usmej sa na mňa, o.z.
• ETP Slovensko
• Keď môžem pomôžem, o.z.
• Tou (NOR)

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The project is supported by the ACF – Slovakia programme, financed from the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014 – 2021 and managed by the EKOPOLIS Foundation in partnership with the Open Society Foundation and the Carpathian Foundation.