PROJECT TITLE: LETS SING AND DANCE FOR PEACE ACTIVITY DATES: APRIL 25 - MAY 5, 2015 (including travel) VENUE : ARMENIA, YEREVAN APPLICANT ORGANIZATION: ""FORCEFUL FEELINGS"" Dance Company, SWEDEN HOSTING ORGANIZATION: ""FUTURE BRIDGES"" Educational and Cultural Center, Armenia NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 40 - (32 participants and 8 group leaders) from 8 countries of Europe and Eastern partnership , there were 5 people (4 participants and 1 group leader) from each participating country. The average age of participants was 18-33, group leaders-30 and above. The gender balance of the participants was strictly kept - (20 males and 20 females). PARTNER COUNTRIES: SWEDEN, ARMENIA, GREECE, SPAIN, ITALY, GEORGIA, UKRAINE, MOLDOVA. THE MAIN GOAL OF THE PROJECT WAS--CONTRIBUTING TO THE GLOBAL PEACE-BUILDING PROCESS, by PROMOTION OF PEACE, CULTURAL DIVERSITY, SOCIAL COHESION, TOLERANCE, MUTUAL RESPECT AND UNDERSTANDING among young generations of different nations and countries of the world, STRENGTHENING INTERCULTURAL AWARENESS and DIALOGUE BETWEEN DIFFERENT ETHNIC, RELIGIOUS GROUPS AND PEOPLES OF THE WORLD BY USING THE INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE OF COMMUNICATION – DANCE, MUSIC AND ARTS, THEREBY improving competence in dealing with cultural differences and minimizing conflicts at local, regional and international levels. THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT WAS - To bring together a group of 40 participants - young peacemakers representing different countries, cultures and traditions and create a common platform for them for inter-cultural exchange and learning. 40 participants (dancers and non-dancers) representing different cultures of EU and Eastern partnership countries met in Armenia -the crossroad bridging the EAST AND WEST -in, Yerevan where they spent 10 FANTASTIC DAYS - living, working, learning, creating and performing together for the GLOBAL PEACE. The core activity of the project was - the preparation of the joint group performance - a PEACE CONCERT which was held on May 3, 2015 at the National Academic theater of the opera and Ballet of Armenia. ""LET'S SING AND DANCE FOR PEACE"" TURNED TO BE A REAL SUCCESS!!!! This project is a follow-up to a previous EU funded youth exchange ""Peace through Art"" held in June 2014 Armenia. All the project participants have greatly enjoyed the project and specifically wanted to SUPPORT THEIR peers in Ukraine, Syria and other countries by organizing a SPECIAL PEACE FESTIVAL dedicated to International day of Dance. MAIN ACTIVITIES OF THE PROJECT: 1. NON-FORMAL INTER-CULTURAL EXCHANGE AND LEARNING through organizing intercultural evenings, presentations, among those: a) Preparation and presentation of traditional meals/ national cuisines (the presentation was filmed and broadcast on the PUBLIC TV of ARMENIA) b) Open Air parties, traditional meals /dinners,demonstration of folk dance and music c) inter-cultural non-formal learning and exchange through visiting museums and other cultural centers, open air sightseeing (churches, temples etc) 2.AN OPEN AIR PUBLIC MARSH FOR PEACE- “ARTISTS FOR PEACE AND DEMOCRACY"" with participation of all project participants including young artists from war countries Refugee Armenian from Syria and artists from Ukraine. 3. AN OPEN AIR DANCE IN CIRCLE AT BIBLICAL MOUNTAIN ARARAT- DANCE FOR PEACE - REBIRTH OF CIVILIZATIONS 4. A SEMINAR on “ACHIEVING INTERNAL, EXTERNAL PEACE THROUGH DANCE AND MUSIC” 5. PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS ADDRESSING THE FOLLOWING TOPICS a) “THE GLOBAL PROBLEMS AND OBSTACLES IN FIELDS OF ARTS AND CULTURE ALL OVER THE WORLD, solutions for those” b) The role of ART in peace promotion and making positive social changes 6. OPEN AIR PRESENTATIONS OF FOLK DANCE, GAMES, BEST OF EACH participant country 7.PRESENTATIONS OF HOMEWORKS at museum named after a well known Armenian composer KOMITAS- Performing a folk dance and music prepared by all /each participant countries, demonstration/show of national folk costumes of each participant country 8. PEACE PROMOTION AND PROJECT PUBLICITY through organizing different shows, interviews with Participation of European dancers/artists in the most popular TV shows and mass media in Armenia/Project participants took part in 4 TV shows and press-conference organized by the hosting organization before the public PEACE concert/ 9. REHEARSALS /PREPARATIONS TO THE JOINT PEACE CONCERT, staging a group performance to be presented in the PEACE CONCERT (choreography by the Artistic director of the Armenia state dance ensemble ""Barekamutyun"" Mr. Norayr Mehrabyan - www.barekamutyun.am ) 10.PEACE PROMOTION THROUGH A JOINT PUBLIC PEACE CONCERT “ BRIDGES OF FRIENDSHIP” with participation of 40 Armenian and 40 International dancers, musicians at the National Academic Theater of opera and Ballet. 11. Visits to the best factories of Armenia - (the Armenian wine, cognac factories, carpet factory) was organized-as part of Non-formal workshops on ""CREATIVE INDUSTRIES"" ""ARTISTS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP""