ROLE-ART

The cross-border project „ROLE-ART: Promoting the active role and involvement of young people with artistic methods and cultural cooperation”, supported by the Interreg VI-A Romania–Hungary Programme, offers an innovative response to the post-pandemic challenge of youth passivity.

ID project: ROHU00291
Project acronym: ROLE-ART
Project duration: 30 months
Implementation period: 2025.06.17. – 2027.12.16.
Total budget: 386.314,91 euro
European Union funding: 309.051,92 euro

Project Significance and Objectives:

The COVID-19 pandemic drastically narrowed young people’s social lives. Many retreated into online existence, became isolated, and lost real-life social experiences. Traditional activation methods (e.g., sport or folk activities) reach only a minority and are no longer sufficient. ROLE-ART aims to develop and validate a powerful, culture-based methodology to reintegrate passive young people (aged 15–35, especially secondary school students and young adults) into society.
The approach emphasizes the slow, constructive pace of artistic creation, which fosters both individual development and community cohesion. Using art- and culture-based community experiences (gastronomy, art, theatre, literature, fine arts, photography, fashion, and music) the project motivates young people to move out of isolation, develop competencies, and increase their social responsibility. The planned method will serve as a transferable “best practice” beyond the programme region.

Project Partners:

• Catholic Youth Foundation (CYF, Szeged / Hungary): With more than two decades of experience in education, training, social and cultural activities, CYF is a key actor in cultural community building and youth programming across the Szeged–Csanád Diocese and the broader cross-border region.
• Integratio Foundation (Timiș County / Romania): With extensive experience in volunteer community building, social research, non-formal education, and multicultural cooperation, Integratio specializes in increasing young people’s social participation.

Main activities of the project:

• Research: Online and focus group studies on the social and cultural participation of young people, as well as exploring their needs and problems in Csongrád-Csanád County and Timiș County.
• Methodological development: Designing methodological packages in eight thematic areas (gastronomy, art, theatre, literature, fine arts, photography, fashion, music) with the involvement of experts from Hungary and Romania.
• Creative workshops and art camps: Organizing thematic artistic workshops as well as joint cross-border art camps.
• Presentation of results: Exhibitions of young people’s works and community events that provide positive feedback and shared experiences for the participants.
• Communication and dissemination: Continuous sharing of project results through social media, website, press releases, conferences, and public events.

Why is this important?

The project approaches youth activation as a form of social innovation: through artistic self-expression and community creativity, new programmes are created that support personal development, strengthen self-confidence, and enhance community cohesion. The experiences and best practices can be applied by the partners and other youth organizations both within and beyond the programme area, thereby contributing to cultural cohesion in rural and urban areas and increasing young people’s social responsibility.

Further information:

More details about the project can be found on the websites of the Catholic Youth Foundation (katolikusifjusagialapitvany.hu) and the Integratio Foundation (integratio.ro), as well as on the project’s official Facebook and Instagram pages.

The content of this material does not necessarily represent the official position of the European Union.