Opis organizacji

Association Etno - forma from Serbia is a non-profit, non-partisan, civic association operational since 2010 in the Pomoravlje region. Our work and mission are multifaceted in the sense that we work in four main areas: 1. Promotion and revival of old crafts from the Pomoravlje region (handcrafts, natural building crafts etc.) 2. Platform for learning about other cultures, traditions and etno crafts (esp. through our annual international etno fair, and theatre plays) 3. Encouraging creativity, hand crafting, entrepreneurial values and entrepreneurship 4. Educational activities, workshops and theatre plays where we promote recycling and upcycling as a response to hyper production and over-consumerism; human rights issues, tolerance and respect for others; promote European values and multiculturalism. One of our main focuses is to promote crafts, handcrafting and traditional etno artworks from the Pomoravlje region in Serbia (Central Serbia, Sumadija) and to create a platform for showcasing traditional etno atworks from different regions and countries in the world. Moreover, we use crafts as a medium in our regular educational activities we have for children and youth (eg, we make puppets and write screenplays for our puppet theatre where we deal with topics such as tolerance and respect for others, promote education, human rights etc). Our activities are open to everyone, but we strategically work on including youth and children, and marginalized women (women who are longterm unemployed, or unemployable because of their age, and women with disabilities). Etno-forma also works as a social enterprise as well since it engages vulnerable groups (disadvantaged youth and marginalised women) during its annual international Etno fairs in Jagodina, Serbia. Etno-forma has been recognised locally and nationally and has been awarded the Cristal Prism by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, for its outstanding achievements in promoting and popularizing traditional etno crafts, and culture, and for organizing a leading international etno fair in Jagodina. Our regular activities include: - Workshops for children and youth, women, and everyone who is interested, in which we teach handicrafts (type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools), studio crafts (textile, sewing, pottery, metal work, weaving, wood turning, paper, puppet making, and other forms of wood working, glass blowing, and glass art etc.); - Regular presentations and plays about traditional artworks and crafts we hold in schools in Jagodina - Provide a space where our members can come and engage in any creative activity they wish - educational activities and theatre plays that mostly deal with human rights, tolerance and active citizenship, recycling and upcycling. The underlying concept of our NGO is to promote an open, tolerant, multicultural mindset where different traditions will be respected and understood. This is why we think that our international etno fair is crucial for our local environment because many young people who face economic difficulties cannot afford to travel and discover different cultures are given the opportunity to learn and meet people from different countries in their hometown. Also, we are firm believers in upcycling and recycling, a concept we promote amongst children and youth in trying to show them a different perspective to hyper production and consumerism.