Община Девня

28.08.2025год.

WP 7 Transnational Partner activities

Took place in Kraków, Poland

Between the 14th of August to 17th August 2025

59 participants took part representing 7 countries who were represented through

KUNSILL LOKALI BIRGU (BLG), Malta,

GENISTA RESEARCH FOUNDATION (GF), Malta,

STOWARZYSZENIE AKTYWNA INTEGRACJA RURZYCA (SAIR), Poland,

SPORTSROOM ASSOCIATION (SA), Bulgaria

MITRA FRANCE (Mitra), France

EESTI PEOPLE TO PEOPLE (EESTI), Estonia

OBSHTINA DEVNYA (Dev), Bulgaria

Associated partners

AB Abacus Consultancy Ireland

Rural IE The Rural Centre Project Network CLG Ireland

Skills SKILLSLAB21 France

COGNITIVE ALLIANCES Serbia

EUROPEAN STORYTELLING: EXPLORING CULTURE, MEMORY, AND IDENTITY THROUGH FOOD, PEOPLE, AND ART

The WP7 transnational partners meeting took place in Krakow, Poland from August 14th to 17th, 2025, and was hosted by Stowarzyszenie Aktywna Integracja Rurzyca. The first day began with the arrival of participants, followed by a welcome dinner featuring traditional Polish cuisine at the Smakołyki restaurant.

On the second day, a transnational conference titled "European Storytelling: Exploring Culture, Memory, and Identity Through Food, People, and Art" was held, with presentations from partners representing Poland, Malta, Italy, Bulgaria, Estonia, France, Serbia, and Malta again.

Presentations by key speakers including:

• Krakow: The evolution of the town – Lidia Kozieł-Siudut, SAIR, Poland.
• Poland: European Storytelling through the legend of the Wawel Dragon – Anna Dubik, SAIR.
• Malta: Culture imitates art: Caravaggio exile and the Maltese story – Zuzanna Galicka, Genista Research Foundation.
• Italy: Presentation by Sabrina Sciarrini, Comune di Vignanello.
• Bulgaria: Mysteries of Bulgarian Folklore – Kancho Minchev, Devyna Municipality.
• Estonia: Myths and legends of Old Tallinn – Ruta Pels, Eesti People to People.
• France: Holidays and festivals of Côte d’Azur – Pavel Smulski.
• Serbia: Culture through folk art – Milan Ivković.
• Malta: Where it all began – Christine Valletta, Birgu Local Council.

The conference included discussions and a closing address by the project coordinator and the Mayor of Birgu. The afternoon consisted of project administration meetings that covered important topics, including timelines, reporting, and dissemination, followed by visits to Krakow’s Old Town and Kazimierz district, and culminated in dinner accompanied by traditional Klezmer music.

The afternoon consisted of project administration meetings that covered important topics, including timelines, reporting, and dissemination, followed by visits to Krakow’s Old Town and Kazimierz district, and culminated in dinner accompanied by traditional Klezmer music. The third day continued partner meetings and included visits to the National Museum’s Gallery of 19th Century Polish Art and the Krakow Pierogi Festival, offering a rich cultural experience. The event concluded on the fourth day with participant departures. The meeting successfully combined project collaboration with cultural exploration, strengthening partnerships and deepening understanding of European storytelling and cultural identity.

25.08.2025год.

WP 6 Transnational Partner activities

Took place in Devyna, Bulgaria

Between the 25th of July to 29th July 2025

59 participants took part, representing 6 countries, who were represented through

KUNSILL LOKALI BIRGU (BLG), Malta,

GENISTA RESEARCH FOUNDATION (GF), Malta,

STOWARZYSZENIE AKTYWNA INTEGRACJA RURZYCA (SAIR), Poland,

SPORTSROOM ASSOCIATION (SA), Bulgaria

MITRA FRANCE (Mitra), France

EESTI PEOPLE TO PEOPLE (EESTI), Estonia

OBSHTINA DEVNYA (Dev), Bulgaria

Associated partners

Skills SKILLSLAB21 France

COGNITIVE ALLIANCES Serbia

EUROPEAN STORYTELLING: Cultural Bridges: Stories, Food, and Heritage Across Time– Report

The WP6 transnational partners meeting was held in Devnya, Bulgaria, from July 25th to 29th, 2025, hosted by the Municipality of Devnya. The event began on Friday, with the arrival of participants, followed by a welcome dinner at the hotel. This opening gathering provided an opportunity for the partners to meet informally and establish connections ahead of the official proceedings.

The conference on July 26th took place in the Municipality Hall of Devnya city. The day commenced with a welcome ceremony led by Mayor Svilen Shitov, accompanied by an introductory speech from Aleksandur Saparevsky, coordinator for the Devnya Council. The Mayor of Birgu, John Boxall, emphasized the importance of the project’s themes in his keynote talk. The program featured a diverse series of presentations covering cultural heritage topics from different countries. These included “Food Connecting Cultures” by Lidia Kozieł-Siudut from Genista, the Estonian Song and Dance Festival by Ruta Pels, intercultural influences in Krakow by Kamilla Twardowska, nationhood in France discussed by Yacine Beral, stories of identity through Serbian traditional food by Obren Milić, and cultural heritage narratives from Nice presented by Pavel Smulski. The Polish contribution on the Lower Oder Valley National Park’s cultural and natural heritage was shared by Piotr Piznal, and Christina Valletta from Birgu Local Council spoke about food as a symbol of cultural identity and inclusion.

• Welcome Ceremony by the Mayor Svilen Shitov
• Introduction Speech by Aleksandur Saparevsky, coordinator for Devnia council
• Talk on the importance of the subject by the Mayor of Birgu, John Boxall
• Presentation: FOOD CONNECTING CULTURES Genista Lidia Kozieł-Siudut
• Presentation: The Song and Dance Festival as Estonian Heritage Across Time Ruta Pels, Eesti People to People (Estonia)
• Presentation: INTERCULTURAL INFLUENCES THAT SHAPED THE CITY OF KRAKOW OVER THE CENTURIES, Poland Kamilla Twardowska
• Presentation: THE NOTION OF NATION AND ITS CONSTRUCTION IN FRANCE-Yacine Beral
• Presentation: A TASTE OF INCLUSION: HOW TRADITIONAL SERBIAN FOOD TELLS STORIES OF IDENTITY AND COEXISTENCE- Obren Milić
• Presentation: The stories and legends of Nice- Pavel Smulski, Mitra France
• Presentation: Crossing Borders, Sharing Stories: The Cultural and Natural Heritage of the Lower Oder Valley National Park, Poland- Piotr Piznal
• Presentation: Stories of Diversity and Inclusion, Food as a Symbol of Cultural Identity, Birgu Local Council- Christina Valletta

After lunch, participants visited the Devnya Museum of Mosaics, which houses significant Roman and early Byzantine mosaics discovered during archaeological excavations starting in 1976, built on the remains of a large late Roman villa.

On July 27th, the partners focused on project administration matters. Discussions addressed timelines for upcoming meetings, reporting requirements—including boarding passes and invoices—and the dissemination of project activities. Later, the group traveled to Pliska, Bulgaria’s first capital, to visit the museum dedicated to the Cyrillic alphabet. The unique cultural and historical complex illustrated the widespread use of Cyrillic by nearly 300 million people across at least 50 languages, underscoring Bulgaria’s notable contribution to this important cultural legacy. The day also included continued meetings among the partners to consolidate plans.

The following day, July 28th, was dedicated to exploring good practice examples in Varna city. The Archaeological Museum of Varna showcased a vast collection spanning from the Paleolithic era to the Middle Ages, including the largest Mesolithic flint tools found in Southeast Europe and numerous ancient artifacts of significant archaeological value. Of particular importance were the finds from the Varna Eneolithic Necropolis, discovered in 1972, which represent a breakthrough in understanding ancient Bulgarian history and its place in broader European prehistory.

The meeting concluded on July 29th with participants departing, having exchanged valuable knowledge, strengthened partnerships, and gained deep insights into cultural heritage preservation across the transnational project regions. The event successfully combined academic dialogue, administrative coordination, and on-site learning to enhance the collaborative effort.

25.02.2025год.






18.10.2024год.

Press release WP1 Birgu activity

The Birgu Local Council Malta as coordinators of the European CERV-funded project ‘Build it Together’ hosted the transnational conference ‘Concept of Storytelling’ between the 10th to 14th of October 2024. Hosting 60 participants from 8 countries.

During the Concept of Storytelling Conference, after a welcome ceremony and Introduction Speech by the Mayor of Birgu John Boxall, the project was introduced to the partners by H.E. Dr Mark Causon.

A presentation of a storytelling video Witness: Echoes of Birgu- H.E. Dr Mark Causon, followed by From Lasagna to Łazanki - Ms. Edyta Bodnar & Mr. Ryszard Matecki Polish; Discovering Niš: A Journey Through Time and Tradition, Niš: A Mosaic of Historical Treasures and Modern Life-  Ms Aleksandra & Manojlovic Kocic representing Serbia; History of Bulgarian cuisine by Devnia Municipality- Mrs.Miglena Stoeva & Mrs.Yordanka Tsoneva from Bulgaria. This was followed by a Historical Perspective of Estonia and the movement of people- Mr. Aleksei Smulski Estonia; Food Influences in France- Ms.Louise Papadoperakis France;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Elderly People's Experience from Birgu, a group of elderly people from Birgu presented a storytelling video of life in Birgu throughout the ages. Food as an element of history and culture in Poland- Mr. Sylwester Machnio & Ms.Elżbieta Frydrychowicz; Interesting stories from elderly in Ireland- Mr Stephen Mungovan; The connection between different generations through history and tradition in the town of Gerace- Ms Valentina Staltari ; Bulgarian traditional dishes- Mr Ivan Ivanov       

A panel discussion took place where the participants discussed the various presentations and videos presented, how with different countries each presenting their own view, it shows the connections between people, and different cultures through the analysis of storytelling.

Good practice visit to the Inquisitor's palace which hosts a section on traditional food cooking from the 14th and 15th centuries, storytelling by people on various cultural and social life of the early 18th and 19th centuries.

This was followed by a visit to Fort Sant Angelo a 12th century forte which was hosting a candle light tour of the historical building and was explained about life and food during the 15th century.

The next visit was to the Naval bakery which was used as the bakery for the British forces during the WW1 and WW2 and which now hosts the maritime, and political museum.

In the afternoon a partners meeting was held to discuss the logistics of the coming activities, financial and other project management issues.