<< Background >>The project, CRESTART - CReative rESilienT leARning communiTies meeting COVID challenges, involves partner countries from Bulgaria, Hungary, Netherlands and Cyprus.Context: COVID situation brought unexpected and new challenges for local communities in almost every field of their lives. We selected local cultural activities as subject of our project: because of lockdown and keeping distance policy cultural activities needed to be rethought. Our project focuses on these changes and all the novelties it brought in local communities, which will definitely shape the cultural life after the pandemic as well. We will collect and share the best practices we find.The aim of the project is to map the cultural changes before and after COVID that have developed and will develop in certain dimensions of the institutional and national culture of the participating countries.Furthermore we aim to develop and share a complex, participatory and user-friendly toolkit for strengthening the creativity and innovativeness of local societies on how to successfully tackle similar challenges and reduce cultural risks. We plan to involve different types of local communities: big cities (Nicosia, Rotterdam), a town in the metropolitan area (Érd) and a medium size town (Lovech).Objectives- Understanding and mapping the old cohesive traditions of the local societies and their chances to survive in the 21st century.- Mapping the impact of the COVID pandemic on the culture of local societies in the participating countries and pilot settlements.- Mapping the community resources in the pilot settlements, with special regard to the creative capacity among the target groups.- Cultural consumption and culture shaping best practice collection in the participating countries, with particular reference to geopolitical and cultural differences in the Netherlands, Hungary, Bulgaria and Cyprus.- Searching for opportunities to involve locals by target group (young people, the elderly, working-age adults) in order to achieve the main goal.- Assessing the possibilities of offline and online activities and developing new solutions by target group in the pilot settlements.- Capacity building of local residents to become active culture shaping stakeholders and community organizers locally.- International exchange of creative solutions, adaptation of new creative methods in local level. Our direct target group consist of1000 (250/country) persons in total who will participate in the (online-offline) mapping during PR1 research work.120 adult learners in total (30 professionals and active residents / country) who will take part in multiplier events and want to take an active part in shaping the community and cultural life of the municipality.120 adult learners in total (30 participants / country) who complete the e-learning curricula (PR3) and learn new methods, tools and attitudes60 adult learners in total (15 participants / country) who will participate in the training workshops during the multiplier events and dealing with cultural and community events in the municipality. Our indirect target group consist of: · people who will benefit from the changes taking place in their towns;· toolbox users;· reached audience through dissemination activities.<< Objectives >>We want to equip local community organisers and stakeholders with the knowledge and toolkit to organise local communities’ events, activities in challenging times: that will have an effect on the mental health of the community, also will contribute to the community cohesion. Our project focuses on community organisers from the field of culture, but knowledge can be used in other fields as well.<< Implementation >>We will carry out online and offline research in the 4 participating countries to map the local communities: traditions and impact of COVID-19 on local communities (related project result PR1). Our plan is to develop an online platform: design and implementation - training materials, elearning, creativity toolbox, etc. (related project result PR2). Connected to the eLearning platform, we also plan to develop eLearning and contact training curricula by target group (related project result PR3). A collection of good practices will be carried out and also sharing experience between participating countries (related project result PR4). At the end of the project we prepare a Social Impact Report (related project result PR5). Capacity building among local stakeholders is crucial, to support it we will organise training workshops, multiplier events in all participating countries, etc. To provide smooth implementation of professional activities we are organizing five Transnational Partner Meetings (TPM1-TPM5), and short online meetings, if needed.<< Results >>We are planning to design and develop five project results, these are the tangible results of our project: PR1 Online and offline research report on the local communities and cultural life before, during and after COVID-19 pandemic;PR2 eLearning platform for active citizens;PR3 Curricula on public involvement for community organizers;PR4 Creativity development toolbox;PR5 Social Impact Report;We also expect that as a result of our project, local communities involved will be more prepared for unexpected events and will have a wide range of tools to use during “normal” and “extraordinary” times. Involvement of local residents in community (cultural) activities will increase. We hope that the involvement of local residents will result in a better psychological state (in general) of the residents involved in “extraordinary” times. Community cohesion will raise.