Regional Developement Agency of Prešov

Regional strategy of cultural development

THETRIS Project

Mgr. Jakub Ivančo and collective 2014

2

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION TO PREŠOV REGION ...... 2 GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ...... 2 CLIMATE ...... 4 ENVIRONMENT ...... 2 POPULATION ...... 5 ACCESSABILITY ...... 6 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ASPECT ...... 6 INTRODUCTION TO CHURCHE ROUTE ...... 2 METHODOLOGY ...... 2 SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTEXT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP ...... 2 STRENGHTS: ...... 2 WEAKNESSES: ...... 15 OPPORTUNITIES: ...... 2 THREATS: ...... 16 ROUTES AND LOCATIONS ...... 17 STRENGTHS: ...... 17 WEAKNESSESS: ...... 18 OPPORTUNITIES: ...... 18 THREATS: ...... 19 HERITAGE AND PRESERVATION: ...... 20 STRENGTHS: ...... 20 WEAKNESSES: ...... 20 OPPORTUNITIES: ...... 21 THREATS: ...... 21 LOCAL IDENTITY AND COMMITMENT: ...... 21 STRENGTHS: ...... 21 WEAKNESSES: ...... 22 OPPORTUNITIES: ...... 22 THREATS: ...... 22 RESULT OF THE SWOT ANALYSIS ...... 22 MEASURES PROPOSED ...... 23 VISION ...... 23

3

STRATEGIC APPROACH ...... 24 GOALS OF THE STRATEGY ...... 24 PROMOTION ...... 24 USE OF CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HERITAGE OFFERED BY LOCAL ENVIRONMENT ...... 25 ORGANIZATION AND SUPPORT OF NEW AND EXISTING CULTURAL EVENTS AIMED TO PROMOTE CULTURAL HERITAGE ...... 25 ACTIVITIES PROPOSED ...... 26 SETTING A GUARANTOR : ...... 26 WORKING WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY ...... 26 KNOWLEDGEPOOL CREATION AND WEBSITE UPDATES ...... 27 ORGANIZATION OF PRESENTATIONS ...... 27 CREATING PARTNERSHIPS WITH SERVICE PROVIDERS ...... 27 LOCAL RELIGIOUS TOURISM ...... 28 COOPERATION BETWEEN THE GUARANTOR AND LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE BODIES ...... 28 INCLUSION OF EXISTING EVENTS INTO THE PROJECT ...... 28 CREATION OF A NEW WANDERING FESTIVAL ...... 28 CREATION OF TOURISTIC PACKAGE ...... 29 WORKING WITH KIDS AND YOUTHS ...... 29 FINANCIAL RESOURCES ...... 39

4

INTRODUCTION TO PREŠOV REGION

GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

The Prešov region is located in the northern part of eastern Slovakia. Its northern boundary consists of a long state border with Poland (360 km), which is created by natural barriers - mountains and rivers. In the East region adjacent to the Ukraine border. On the south side adjacent to the Košice region, to the west with the Žilina and Banská Bystrica regions. Its area of 8,974 km2 takes about 18% of the territory of the Slovak Republic. The shape of the Prešov region is elongated in the direction from the west to the east. In this regard, the length of the region is 250 km, which is about three times greater than its width.

Surface of Prešov region is markedly uneven, with relatively high mountains, the highest of which are the High Tatras with highest peak in Slovakia - 2655 m high, Gerlach. The total area of the county is taken by 899 761 ha of forest land, which represents total of 49.1% of land.

CLIMATE

The Prešov region is located in the northern temperate zone. Climate varies considerably to specific part of the region. Warm climate areas include the southern part of the region (part of

5

the Eastern lowlands), where the average annual temperature is 8-10 ° C. The central part of the region with lower mountains belongs to the temperate areas, where the average annual temperature varies from 4 to 8 ° C. Cold area includes the highest part of the region above 800 m (High Tatras). The average annual temperature measured from the Stary Smokovec is 4.1 to 2.1 ° C.

ENVIRONMENT

From the hydrographic point of view the territory of Prešov lies on the main European watershed (orographic Distribution assembly). The bulk of the area belongs to the Black sea (Bodrog and Canyon), only the northwestern part of the territory of the region belongs to the Baltic Sea drainage basin (catchment area of Poprad and Dunajec). There are also many picturesque lakes, resulting from glacial activity in the Tatras. The largest of these is the Great Hincovo lake with an area of 20 ha and a depth of 53 m. Domaša and Starina are major artificial reservoirs built in Slovakia after World War II. Region has a significant wealth of mineral and thermal springs. Their occurrence is linked to deep fractures in the earth's crust (Bardejov Spa, Vyšné Ružbachy, Cigeľka).

There are many protected areas (national parks) in the rich and varied nature of the Prešov region. The most valuable are the national parks - Tatra National Park, Pieniny National Park, and Poloniny National Park. South-western part of Poloniny national part extends into the area of the Low Tatras National Park. There are also other protected areas besides these.

The region is climatically differentiated, depending on altitude, causing a fundamental change in the composition of vegetation. There is a significant representation of forest areas, because the territory of the region is mostly mountainous. From the floristic point of view, this region belongs to a very rich reservoir of native plants.

POPULATION

Due to geographic location and natural conditions Prešov region was the place of first human settling in Slovakia. Current population represents 15% of total population of Slovakia, which in total is 800 000 citizens of the Prešov region.

6

Population of the region is highly unevenly distributed. There are highly populated districts (Prešov, Poprad) and on the other hand, districts that belong to the least populated in Slovakia (Medzilaborce, Stropkov, Levo, Snina).

The Prešov region is one of the most fragmented areas of the Slovak Republic. It consists of 666 villages and 23 towns. The average population density is 88 inhabitants per km2. 54.3% of the population live in urban areas (the county seat of Prešov occupies 91,650 inhabitants). The settlement structure of the region represents all types of residential formations from Láznička settlements, rural communities, small, medium and large cities.

The region is ethnically non-homogeneous. More than nine-tenths of the population is of Slovak nationality. The most numerous minorities are Romany, Ruthenian and Ukrainian.

Region is, in terms of international traffic, located on major north-south axis, as well as east- west. Bratislava-Žilina-Poprad-Prešov-Košice is an important road that crosses whole of Slovakia and which will in near future be formed by highways. North-south international corridor leads from Poland-Stará Ľubovňa-Prešov and Poland-Svidník-Prešov, which continues along a common route to Košice and Hungary.

ACCESSABILITY

Railway lines of International and national importance respectively are Žilina-Košice- Medzilaborce and Plaveč-Prešov-Košice.

There is an airport of international importance in Poprad, primarily used for the Tatras region. Other parts of the region use flight connection from international airport in Košice. Public bus transport is organized by Slovak bus transport on widely branched routes across the whole of the region.

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ASPECT

Among all the regions, a total of 8 self-governing regions, Prešov region is the biggest in terms of population and in terms of size, is the second largest region of Slovakia. Prešov self- governing region is the easternmost region of the Slovak Republic. More than 60% of the population is of working age, and nearly 23% in the pre-productive age. The average age of

7

the Prešov region is only 34 years of age. Less than 10% of population has university education.

Prešov region is among the poorest regions in Slovakia. Although the regional gross domestic product in recent years is steadily increasing, the amount is still far below the EU average. The most important economic sector is business. Its share in total sales of the region is 44.5%. Most businesses in Prešov region are devoted to trade.

Industrial production and construction output represent another important sector. Prešov region has a backlog in the provision of hotel and restaurant services, given the potential that the region has in the field of tourism. Their share of the county sales reached only 0.6%. The great advantage of industry in the region is its diversification. The most important industries include wood industry, electrical, chemical, textile and garment, machinery and food industry.

Key Figures:

Area: 8,974 km2 (18.3% of the territory of the Slovak Republic)

Population: 800,483 (14.9% of the population of the Slovak Republic)

Population density: 88.7 inhabitants/km2

Economically Active Population: 384,787 (47.7%)

Average age: 33.67 years

Number of districts: 13

Number of municipalities: 666

Head of county: Prešov (91,650 inhabitants)

8

INTRODUCTION TO CHURCHE ROUTE

Church route included in THETRIS project by the project partner 4, Regional development agency of Prešov consists of 6 churches that are scattered across the region. There are not historically bound, they belong to different religious organizations, have different owners and administrators. They are however bound by rich cultural and environmental heritage, both tangible and intangible.

9

1.Tročany, Prešov region, County of Bardejov

photo by: The Roman Catholic Church, Parish of St. Egidius in Bardejov

Population: 310 citizens Temple of St. Luke: belongs to the Greek Catholic Church, dates to 1739. Only wood was used for the construction of this temple, which makes this an architectural curiosity.

2. Bodružal, Prešov region, County of Svidník

photo by: Greek Archdiocese, Prešov

10

Population: 63 citizens Temple of St. Nikolai, built in 1658, is one of the oldest wooden structures in Slovakia, also made entirely of wood, interior is very rich with iconography of high valu

3.Bardejov,

Prešov region, County of Bardejov

photo by: The Roman Catholic Church, Parish of St. Egidius in Bardejov

Population: 33 296 citizens Cathedral of St. Egidius. Finished in the year 1427, built in late-gothic style, has great value for its architecture and level of artistic perfection of the interior. Old town square was added to UNESCO in the year 2000. Known for its natural Spa resorts.

11

4. Spišské Podhradie, Prešov region, County of Levoča,

photo by: The Roman Catholic Church, the bishopric Spišské Podhradie

Population: 4 086 Spisšká kapitula, Cathedral of st. Martin: Built in the years 1245-1273. It's the cathedral church of the Spiš diocese. Built in Roman-Gothic style. Cathedral of St. Martin is a part of recently discovered Spiš Jerusalem, which is a 1:1 replica of path of Jesus in Jerusalem. Spišské Podhradie is a village situated under the Spišký hrad castle, one of the largest castle complexes in Europe.

12

5. Levoča, Prešov region, County of Levoča

Photo by: The Roman Catholic Church, parish Levoča

Population: 14 827 citizens Cathedral of St. Jacob. Built in the 13-15 century in a gothic style. Cathedral of St. Jacob is the second largest cathedral in Slovakia, has very rich and valuable interior including the biggest two-winged wooden Late Gothic altar in the world (18.62 m height, width 6 m) created by master craftsman Pavol. Old town of Levoča was added to UNESCO world heritage in the year 2009.

13

6. Prešov, Prešov region, County of Prešov

Photo by: Greek Archdiocese, Prešov

Population: 90 923 Cathedral of Jon the Baptist, is a Greek Catholic metropolitan cathedral, first chapel was built in 14th century, Cathedral in todays form was finished in 1818. Prešov is the third biggest city in Slovakia after Bratislava and Košice. First written historical mention of Prešov is from the year 1247.

METHODOLOGY

Regional strategy is based on a SWOT analysis created as a result of work package 3 in the means of THETRIS project. Analysis consisted of four main pillars, socio-economic context and entrepreneurship, routes and locations, heritage and preservation and local identity and commitment. Analysis is based on information gained from experts, stakeholders, mayors, local governing bodies and their employees, brochures created by statistical office of Slovakia etc.

14

SWOT analysis is the pillar on which the strategy was created, in cooperation with knowledge gained and summarized by all the experts in THETRIS project.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTEXT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Prešov region still lags behind in economic development level of the Slovak Republic - economic performance, unemployment and income of residents.

Population in productive age is in decline, due to ageing of the population. Birthrate of the region is rising, which promises stabilization of the situation.

The main problem of secondary education in the PSK is decline in the quality of secondary education and the knowledge and skills of graduates of these schools. Mismatch between the structure of education and the structure of the economy represents another problem. This creates a contradiction between regional labor demand (especially in the case of secondary vocational education) and specialization of graduates.

Prešov Region participates on the creation of GDP of Slovakia by the smallest share of all eight counties. The cause of this condition can be sought in the structure of the local economy. There was a loss of employment in agriculture and industry in favor of services. Alas, the performance of services is not high enough to replace the loss of traditional sectors. All business sectors of the Prešov region lack in productivity compared to productivity of other counties.

In 2006, Prešov employed approximately 5% of the employees in agriculture, which is about the same as in the whole of Slovak republic. In terms of sectoral structure of production, agriculture in the Prešov region does not hold a very important place.

The manufacturing sector represents industries - pulp, mechanical, chemical, electrical and construction.

Employment in industry is in decline.

15

Small and medium-sized enterprises outweigh the big enterprises - enterprises up to 49 employees make up 95.6% of all enterprises. Large enterprises (250 and more employees) account for 0.7%.

Region spends very low expenditure on research and development. Probably the biggest obstacle represents the structure of higher education, which is focusing on social studies. Multinational enterprises are mainly searching for technical studies.

In terms of territorial differentiation, the most developed areas of the region are cities Prešov, Poprad, Humenné, which can be regarded as developing areas.

Conversely weakest, peripheral areas are districts in the northeast region - Medzilaborce, Snina, Kežmarok.

The position of Prešov in foreign investment is below average. Region is on the last position in foreign investment flow in Slovak Republic.

The county is still rather attractive for investments with "cheap, mounting production", whose added value is very low.

STRENGHTS:

- Fairly high amount of 15% of residents of Prešov region has a university degree, 66% has finished high school, while the rest was educated in elementary school. Most of the poorly educated population is of Roma ethnic.

- There are two universities in Prešov, Prešov University and University of international businesses. Universities are focusing on social science such as pedagogy, philosophy and psychology, but also include Management as natural science.

- Real-estate prices are rising after addition of new tax for real-estate gain, in addition to small steps forward economy takes, trying to restore after global economic crisis.

WEAKNESSES:

- Biggest problem in the socio-economic aspect in Prešov region is a very high

16

unemployment rate. For almost 66 000 unemployed residents there are only 900 jobs available. This is a long lasting problem in Prešov region, mostly in north eastern parts. Due to economic crisis, situation is changing for the worse.

- As a result of this falling trend, local residents move to bigger cities in search for jobs. Mostly moving to western parts of Slovakia, where there are more opportunities for people to get interesting jobs. Most of the industry in Slovakia is situated in the western part of the country. Point of interest when talking about moving is the city of Košice, which is close by and is the second biggest city in Slovakia. In the last decade the outflow of Prešov region residents grew by 30 %. Never the less, natural increase of population is in positive digits as the resulting number is + 2430 residents because of the increasing birth rate.

OPPORTUNITIES:

- City of Košice (second biggest city in Slovak Republic, 30km from Prešov) became European capital of culture, which created an opportunity for increased funding of culture and history. University of Prešov concluded a memorandum with non-profit organization Košice – European capital of culture, where they agreed on a close cooperation on the project. This created an opportunity for Prešov to use some portion of funds for cultural activities. The main goal of the memorandum is to increase awareness of cultural heritage, create events that connect people to their cultural heritage and educate local residents.

- Slovak government gives opportunity to SMEs with special programs for SMEs on the market with a financial support up to maximum of 100 000 € in three consecutive years. There are 14 programs in total, each specializing in a different category of industry.

THREATS:

- Surely the biggest threat is the insufficient funding from public funds. Economic crisis negatively influenced the amount of financial resources of local and state

17

government and self-administration. Finances are being allocated for more pressing matters and necessary investments. Small towns and villages in the region don’t have the capacity to obtain enough financial resources to fund expensive projects themselves, while state donations and funding is scarce. This means that regional government and self-administrating bodies don’t invest in cultural heritage until it’s absolutely necessary. Cultural heritage itself is being reconstructed, mainly thanks to funds from European Union, but services provided in the area are mostly behind the western standards, with exceptions.

- New legislative created by the government and then ratified in law in October 2012 was aimed to help raise employment in the state, but had the opposite outcome. New form of employment contract, income tax obligations for student workers, decreasing the amount of remuneration that a person can earn without having the obligation to pay taxes and many other changes made employers dismiss many employees and this trend is expected to last for few more months.

- Investment flow in Prešov region is very low. Most of the industry in Slovakia is situated in western parts of the country and this trend is continuing until today.

ROUTES AND LOCATIONS

Prešov region is a boardering region with Poland and Ukraine. Its position is fairly well accessible via railways and well via road communications. Prešov region is connected to Poland (North) and Košice region, which is a boardering region with Hungary (South) with a first class roads. Railway and bus connection is on a good level, except for small villages like Tročany or Bodružal where buses ride rarely and railway connection is nonexistent.

STRENGTHS:

- Local governments are aware of the potential of the region and are creating and supporting the existence of information centers. Their number is adequate and

18

they are available for tourists.

- The capacity to house tourist is high in the region. There are lots of hotels available during the year, also providing extra free time activities in whole years time.

- Temples included in the THETRIS project are all accessible for the handicapped and elderly population.

WEAKNESSESS:

- Small villages included in THETRIS project lack connectivity to bigger towns and cities, even with Prešov. Bodružal and Tročany do not have railway connection and the buses ride to these destinations twice a day. This makes these locations hard to access by other means than car or organized tours by bus etc.

- There is no real international flight connection in the region. Airport in Poprad is mainly used for High Tatras tourist. It’s a small airport with a thin variety of flight options. Airport in Košice, which is 40 km from Prešov also doesn’t provide adequate connection.

- Most of the region specializes in seasonal tourism activities, creating a gap. High Tatras are most interesting during winters time, other national parks during summer. Historical monuments themselves cannot provide sufficient services for tourists and pilgrims to stay longer than overnight.

OPPORTUNITIES:

- Highway of the highest qualities are being built connecting eastern parts of Slovakia with the capital city, which is situated in the far western part of the country. This fact creates an opportunity for higher flow of tourists, thus increasing the interest in the rural areas, helping the local community.

19

- Number of bicycle routes is continually rising all over the region, allowing tourists that focus on sport activities to keep interest in the area. Along the routes you can find a few service providers, such as restaurants and small hotels.

- There is a big amount of cycling and pilgrimage routes in the Prešov region. Cycling trend is surely taking its best and the number of new paths increases. The routes are usually set in a beautiful countryside with small villages and their churches as well as in the forests and natural environment.

- Pilgrimage route in Levoča is the best know route in Slovakia. Pope John Paul the second visited the pilgrims on the route ten years ago. There are many smaller pilgrimage routes in the region. Spišská kapitula and its Cathedral of St. Martin are a part of Spišský Jerusalem. Spisšky Jerusalem is in the competence of Košices division of culture. Their recent goals are also a creation of a pilgrimage route.

- Churches that are part of the THETRIS project are all situated in an environment rich on cultural and environmental beauty. Old towns of Bardejov and Levoča are both ran around by high defense walls from middle ages, both being a part of UNESCO world heritage. Because of the small size of the towns, their close vicinity to forests and nature are ever more beautiful.

THREATS:

- Because of the financial crisis and the situation in Prešov region, the funding from the governmental funds is scarce. Entrepreneurs do not invest in cultural heritage because of low returns of their investments.

- Finishing date of highway connecting two ends of Slovak republic is being postponed regularly. Flow of tourists from the west to the far side of the republic is very low.

20

However, the trend is gradually rising because of the promotion of Slovak republic in many international magazines and websites.

HERITAGE AND PRESERVATION:

STRENGTHS:

- Prešov region is filled with historical monuments, many of which are part of UNESCO world heritage. All of the churches implemented in the THETRIS project were given this status. Bardejov and Levoča are included as a whole of old town. All of the churches included in the THETRIS project are after reconstruction either of exterior or interior.

- The value of the churches is huge, mostly of the rich decoration of the interiors or the architectural perfection of the buildings.

- Prešov region is also very rich on natural heritage, which is situated fairly close to the THETRIS church route. There are many national parks including High Tatras national park which is the main ski resort in Slovakia providing many services for holidays, not only in winter times.

- National park Slovensky raj (Slovak paradise) is considered to be one of the most beautiful for its waterfalls and wooden latter hanging over heads. Services provided here are of lower quality. Wooden cottages are available for tourists that try to pass the whole of Slovensky raj national park.

WEAKNESSES:

- Management models of the churches and organizations set to help sustain cultural heritage are failing to deliver the outcomes they were created for. They work in a difficult environment with small amount of local population (which is decreasing) and failing determination. They work with almost non-existent networking and knowledge sharing.

21

OPPORTUNITIES:

- Traditional myths, stories and traditions are still existing, being passed from one member of the family to another. Civic organizations and non-profit organizations set to keep them alive work on many levels and for almost no income. There are many folklore organizations performing local dances, choirs, traditional crafts and culinary activities.

THREATS: - As mentioned in almost every pillar, main threat is the insufficiency of funds from every sector, due to the socio-economic situation of the region.

LOCAL IDENTITY AND COMMITMENT:

Local community in smaller villages which from the biggest part of agglomeration of the region is thinning. Younger generations move to bigger cities. The heritage is slowly dying with their forefathers. People from these regions, however don’t feel disconnected from their heritage and culture.

STRENGTHS:

- Local community in the regions feel deeply connected to the stories of their grandfathers and thus feel the responsibility for the culture they are part of. There are lots of civic organizations and non-profit organizations that are working with traditional crafts, arts and so on.

- Local decision makers are mostly willing to help and participate on such projects. It is mainly because of their own patriotic connection, but also due to political promotion.

- Awareness raising of the local heritage is therefor on a high level, but usually not reaching further then the boarders of a village or a small region.

22

WEAKNESSES:

- Problems in management models tend to tear the connections between stakeholders, leading to passivity. Activities after finalization of project tend halt.

OPPORTUNITIES:

- There are a few annual events that are pulling visitors to locality of the monuments of cultural heritage, focusing on preserving traditional foods, brews, crafts and arts. Visitors are not only from the local communities but from all over the country. They are usually in a form of traditional markets where visitors can buy local products and experience traditional crafts and arts. Markets are accompanied by performances of traditional fighting techniques, falconiers, traditional historical plays and so on.

THREATS:

- Outflow of the population to bigger cities represents a threat to intangible cultural heritage. This results in a decline of traditional arts, crafts and so on. Younger generations, born in the city usually know little of the heritage their parents still hold.

- Insufficient funding and weak economic potential of traditional products only widens the gap between the generations and poses as a real threat to intangible cultural heritage.

RESULT OF THE SWOT ANALYSIS

SWOT analysis created by the experts of regional working group came to the conclusion of creating a specific measures and actions to help sustain and preserve tangible and intangible cultural heritage in Prešov self-governing region.

The strategy that should be used, according to the results of SWOT analysis is the strategy of cooperation. The measures and actions proposed are in accordance to the results of the SWOT analysis.

23

MEASURES PROPOSED

VISION The vision of the project is sustainable development and preservation of cultural heritage, tangible and intangible. This cannot be done without active cooperation of local inhabitants, who should be the main driving engine to accomplishing the goals set by THETRIS project. The locals are the ones waking to the every day reality of the environment. The urge to preserve their roots must be assured, with which religious organizations, priests in the local communities may help. This should be done by creating unofficial networks of wide variety of organizations. Creating partnerships between local community organizations, NGOs, civic organizations, religious organizations and so on, that were created for the goal of preservation of the cultural heritage and on the voluntary basis, with local administrative bodies and entrepreneurs.

Role of religious organizations and priests inhabiting the area, leading their believers must also be very active. They must propose and look for the opportunities for networking, cooperation with enthusiastic members of civic organizations and other NGOs with similar goals.

Promotion of local festivals of arts, crafts, food, drinks can all be promoted by local administration, NGOs, entrepreneurs in much more effective way. Entrepreneurs selling their products ( Such as breweries selling their brews, restaurants selling their local food specialities, farmers selling local products, local NGOs promoting local heritage using performances, arts and so on.)

With all this said, we feel that the biggest opportunity for this newly established unofficial network is creation of cooperation with every possible Regional Organization of tourism in the area. Their main role is the promotion and other activities set to maximize tourist flow in the area.

24

STRATEGIC APPROACH Most important for the sustainability is the existence of a knowledge pool focusing on local traditions and other cultural heritage, which will be widely spread among the local citizens, mainly younger generations. This can be done by organizing tours to the area, wide variety of educational presentations, either by local representants of museum and similar knowledge based organizations, or by priests via religious ceremonies or other presentations, actors via historical plays, tours to different local points of interest and so on.

Joint organization of local events by NGOs, local administrators and religious representatives is most welcome.

GOALS OF THE STRATEGY Main goals set by regional working group are pillars for better management of sustainability and preservation of cultural heritage.

1. Promotion

2. Use of cultural and environmental heritage offered by local environment

3. Organization and support of new and existing cultural events aimed to promote cultural heritage

PROMOTION Promotion is one of the most important factors in the era of hypercommunication. Joint organization of stakeholders create a stronger force with bigger budget, more views on the problematics, wider view of the situation and wider reach

Promotion should be done in cooperation with local administrative bodies, reaching museums, information centers, libraries and so on. Main focus should be set on websites of every stakeholder working on the event as well as on the websites of every Regional Organization of tourism working in the area.

Other promotional activities like brochures, fliers, posters are also welcome with the same target audience and with the same placement. To reach wider audience on events with higher budgets (costs) the use of billboards and citylights is also recommended.

25

Promotion of events that are specifically aimed for the religious community should also be promoted through religious organizational structures of specific churches, reaching the audience in different towns, cities and regions.

USE OF CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HERITAGE OFFERED BY LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

Regional Organization of tourism offers another variety of promotion which is a joint promotion of cultural heritage in a wider perspective, with more monuments and sites included in the materials. Including environmental heritage is also welcome. Churches on the route in THETRIS project are set in a picturesque environment of woods, hillsides and meadows or old towns, providing emotional relief to a wider spectrum of visitors, wider target audience. Joint promotion under the banner of public administrative bodies or Regional Organizations of tourism is less expensive and is more environment and user friendly.

ORGANIZATION AND SUPPORT OF NEW AND EXISTING CULTURAL EVENTS AIMED TO PROMOTE CULTURAL HERITAGE

There are already lots of different events taking place in the area of the THETRIS church route in Slovakia, such as Bardejov historical fair with contractual-selling exposition Bardkontakt which includes historical presentation concerning cultural heritage of Bardejov, also Days of Roland the knight accompanied by cultural and artistic events and many others.

photo by: The News Agency of the Slovak Republic

26

Promotion of these events is crucial for sustainability of the intangible cultural heritage. There are only few craftsmen still working in their area, and if then mostly as hobby, local stories are slowly dying with the old population and so on. Focusing on such events, their proper promotion in the media, proper organization in a cooperation of local stakeholders is crucial.

ACTIVITIES PROPOSED

Activities proposed as a way of reaching the goals set by this strategy were created (as well as other strategic content) in cooperation with local experts on regular regional working group meetings in Prešov, led by Mgr. Jakub Ivančo.

SETTING A GUARANTOR : Creating a position of guarantor in such complex project idea with goals that require such high level of organization is essential. This position will be created for every monument, church (and its area). Guarantor can be a civic organization, local administrative body and its divisions or a religious organization. Main activities set for guarantor will include management, leading idea development, administering communication during needed periods, organizing events, communicating with stakeholders and other activities required to fulfil the goals of this strategy.

Guarantor will hold the position on voluntary bases, the organization will have no obligation towards government or self-government organizations. Cooperation between these levels of organizations is welcome.

Guarantor will not hold any responsibility for addressing the issues. Whole outcome of its work is in their own interest, interest of stakeholders. This is the driving engine for the activities of the guarantor, aiming to preserve local tangible and intangible heritage.

WORKING WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY Local community is very important in every project set to preserve cultural heritage. The community is the holder of the heritage, the only beacon that can save the culture their

27

forefathers created. The sense of connection to the local environment, to the stories about the houses they pass by, this is the cultural heritage alive.

In this in mind, with a big amount of civic organizations and non – profit organizations working in local areas, their focus set on cultural heritage, we find the will in local community to preserve their roots, their cultural heritage.

Works done by volunteers would consist of small to medium works specified by the administrator and guarantor such as accompanying tourists during their visits, guarding the monuments during opening hours, organizational works during festivals etc.

KNOWLEDGEPOOL CREATION AND WEBSITE UPDATES Updating websites according to accurate timetable of events organized by the guarantor and/or other organizations is crucial for creating good reputation of both guarantor and the events themselves. The sites of guarantor (and THETRIS project itself) should be regularly updated to match the events organized in specific time.

Sites themselves should also include knowledgepool of information about the monuments in the vicinity, environmental sites and events for promotional purposes aimed to increase interest in specific area.

ORGANIZATION OF PRESENTATIONS Guarantor should organize presentations about cultural heritage, pin pointing interesting facts, myths, legends and stories about the monuments and other things connected to cultural heritage in close vicinity. These presentations may be in a form of lecture, artistic displays such as dramatic plays and so on. These presentations should wary according to target audience selected by the guarantor and lecturer/performer.

Most viable are presentations for kids and their parents and religious audiences. These presentations should increase the interest in cultural heritage in younger generations, guaranteeing sustainability of intangible cultural heritage.

CREATING PARTNERSHIPS WITH SERVICE PROVIDERS Service providers are important for many reasons. One of them is sponsoring. Local service providers may provide sponsoring for inexpensive activities organized by the guarantor in

28

exchange for promotional placement, spaces for service promotion such as for tents during the festivals etc.

This action flourishes when the service providers are working in the field of traditional products and services, such as traditional culinary, crafts and products.

LOCAL RELIGIOUS TOURISM Prešov region has one of the biggest amounts of believing population in Slovakia. Tourism aimed for religious target groups might increase the flow of total number of tourists. Serving specific sermons, organization of different religious festival focused either on music or different arts might (if promoted properly) increase the interest of local believing citizens and tourist from different regions.

COOPERATION BETWEEN THE GUARANTOR AND LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE BODIES Local administrative bodies hold competencies for decision making in area, finance museums, libraries and information centers. It is crucial, that the guarantor will cooperate with the specific division working in the field of culture. This is needed not only for promotional purposes but also when it comes to certification of events, space availability and when in need of administrative affirmation.

INCLUSION OF EXISTING EVENTS INTO THE PROJECT Project THETRIS has far reaching goals that are set to live long since the project itself has ended. It is necessary to work with what has been created before THETRIS started and incorporate them into a wider organizational structure with the same goal.

Many of the events already have high reputation not only among the local citizens but sometimes worldwide. Joint operational and strategic approach when organizing events is crucial for well balanced timetable. Sharing know-how and experiences between the organizers and stakeholders helps when overcoming obstacles.

CREATION OF A NEW WANDERING FESTIVAL Wandering festival is a festival organized annually, always at a different location. This new festival would be held each year on different sites in Slovakia that are part of THETRIS project. Guarantors in every community would organize the event together, always working

29

with their communities and culture they can share between each other. Thus strengthening the bond between the guarantors and communities.

CREATION OF TOURISTIC PACKAGE Partnership with Regional Organizations of tourism brings forth many possibilities on how to help sustain cultural heritage by making it more interesting to the public. Their potential to be a place of last visit is not big due to limited services a church provides, other than sermons.

The key to complex touristic visits is a creation of touristic packages. Such packages usually include accommodation, dining, entrance fees and so on. Creation of packages including bed and breakfast with entrance fees would increase the number of visitors.

Packages can also be of smaller value, meaning, they would only include entrance fees to monuments, museums and other knowledge or culture based organizations or places in one area, or region as a whole. This is up left for the consideration of guarantors and Regional Organizations of tourism.

WORKING WITH KIDS AND YOUTHS As mentioned above, it is crucial to teach kids and adolescents about their cultural heritage. Even when they move out of their homes, they are the only ones that can bring the heritage to a light of a new day. Bond between a child and culture of his forefathers must be strengthened for this to happen.

In the light of this information, we propose the idea of presentation is schools for children aimed to popularize heritage by presenting stories, myths and so on. Excursions set in monuments and other heritage sites would act on kids cognitive skills and functions, making the knowledge from the presentation more memorable and attachable. Historical fares and events organized in smaller sizes for kids would create a feeling of timelessness and make the kids feel, as if they actually lived the time of their great great grandparents. Such events would include historical clothing, crafts and competitions for children.

FINANCIAL RESOURCES The question of financial resources varies from different place to another. Not every priest is able to persuade his believers to work voluntarily, in some place, there are no people capable of manual work and so on. The ways of funding are thus uncertain from church to church, depending on the environment it is settled in.

30

- Voluntary work : keeping the church open, working as guides for visitors, small to medium activities needed during event organization.

- Sponsoring : Sponsor gifts by local entrepreneurs given in exchange for promotion time/placement on a billboard, poster, flier etc. Sponsoring given as means for event organization.

- Organization of beneficial concerts and similar events : Events organized with a focus on preserving heritage, preserving the work of civic organizations and other NGOs working for public benefit. This requires creation of image, reputation for the organization that is being promoted/financed this way.

- Paid visits to monuments : setting a fee to enter the church or other monuments connected to stakeholders.

31

THEMATIC TRANSNATIONAL CHURCH ROUTE DEVELOPMENT WITH THE INVOLVEMENT OF LOCAL COMMUNITY IN PREŠOV MUNICIPALITY REGION

Prešov Municipality region

Regional strategy of cultural developement

Issued by Regional Development agency of Prešov, Prešov, 2014

Mgr. Jakub Ivančo and collective: PhDr. Štefánia Migašová Mgr. Ľubica Dojčárová Dr. Michal Kapusta PhDr. Soňa Kostrábová Mgr. Danica Hajduková Mgr. Daniel Dzurovčin

Thetris project is implemented through the Central Europe Programme co-financed by the ERDF. For more information visit: www.central2013.eu .