Mission
To support the personal and professional growth of groups and individuals. To blaze trails and create the right conditions for encounters and collaboration where relationships and dialogue barely remain.
To expand the outward and inward horizons of people from diverse age and social groups through the intersection of creativity, community work, cultural, educational and environmental activities, group and individual exploration.
To experiment with new forms of creative expression, to open new spaces where we could engage diverse audiences in the creation of art and meaning.
To support youth, educators, social workers, psychologists, professional communities and teams in their personal and career development and self-actualization.
To explore and study the culture of marginalized and minority groups. To partner together in creating opportunities for the development of their potential and their full social inclusion.
Values
Collaboration
We believe in the power of unity. We believe we are stronger and more successful when we work together. For us, dialogue and collaboration are the building blocks that can create a bridge between different groups in society.
Equality
We believe that our society can only be healthy and happy if every member has a recognised right to participate. We believe that “no one is free until all are free” (M. L. King).
Sympathy
We believe that caring for others is caring for ourselves and makes us complete human beings. A society is only as strong as its most vulnerable members. Everyone is important to us – the elderly residents of remote mountain villages, our team members, the disadvantaged, our partners. We believe that compassionate people are not an endangered species.
Living in harmony with nature
We believe that we are part of a system in which we maintain a fine balance of interconnections – each organism’s existence is dependent on all other organisms in that same ecosystem. We are one with animate nature and try to live in harmony together.
Creativity
We believe that the tools of cultural expression have the power to connect us, to unleash our potential, to empower us, to liberate us, to transform us into creators.
A spirit of exploration
We believe that the lack of understanding is a major cause of prejudice. We are curious to learn more about the everyday joys and hardships of people who are otherwise absent from societal agenda. In this way, we have been able to create numerous friendships with residents of Plovdiv`s Stolipinovo neighborhood, teachers and parents from all over the country, young people, local and international artists and cultural organizations, residents from small villages in the Rhodope Mountains and many others.
Team spirit
We believe in the power of working together and have created an interdisciplinary team, each member contributing their specific skills and experience to our common activities.
Experiential learning
We believe in and have personally experienced the power of experiential learning as a tool for personal development, team effectiveness and social change.
Nonviolence
We believe in the power of debate and dialogue, and actively use them, along with the forum theater method, in our attempt to understand and resist violent acts in our society.
A multi-sectoral approach
We believe that we can achieve our goals using and interweaving different disciplines, approaches and working methods. That is why we ourselves are and work with researchers, artists, trainers, ecologists, teachers, psychologists, facilitators, representatives of minority communities, youth, Rhodope mountains village residents, etc.
