«My Satka» International Festival received grant from the President of the Russian Federation for implementation of the projects ART-SATKA and ARCH-SATKA in 2018.

My Satka is an annual International Festival started by Sobranie Cultural Initiative Supporting & Preservation Fund. My Satka has been held in the Chelyabinsk Region since 2016.

History

2016. Events of the first Festival were warmly welcomed by town residents and the participants – group of volunteers headed by professional architects and urbanists were developing and building functional facilities to improve urban environment, all in the form of a workshop. Result – four wooden architectural facilities were designed and installed in various parts of the town during 10 days.

2017. The second Festival was held in several stages, with festival facilities concentrated on two sites – the town pond bank in the old part of the town and in the center of the town. Simultaneously with My Satka, the first International Street Art Festival “Satka Street Art Fest” was held in the town.

The festivals’ common goal – to transform elements of the existing urban environment into modern and comfortable art spaces – became the basis for their unification on a single platform for town transformation projects. Two main areas – creation of hardscaping facilities and transformation of existing facilities’ view using street art – are now called ARCH-SATKA and ART-SATKA.

The main principles of My Satka are:

• creation of projects that meet demands of local residents;

• expansion of range of opportunities for existing urban environment’s facilities;

• attraction of attention of local intergenerational community to and their involvement in the Festival’s events;

• paying maximum attention to local features – flora and fauna, materials and way of life.

2018 – the year of new scales

In 2018, programme of both areas of the Festival tripled in scope and will cover all town districts and even a part of the production site. On June 5, the second International Festival of Street Art “Satka Street ArtFest” started as a part of ART-SATKA. And events of ARCH-SATKA aimed at important for local residents locations both in the center of the town, and in recreational areas on its outskirts, will start in July.

Implementation of My Satka programmes in 2018 includes a total of 13 town environment transformation projects.

The Presidential Grant Fund is a unified operator of civil society development grants of the President of the Russian Federation since April 3, 2017. The presidential grant competition is held by the Fund in accordance with order of the President of the Russian Federation No. 32-rp dated February 19, 2018, “On ensuring in 2018 of state support of non-profit non-governmental organizations which participate in development of civil society institutions, implement social projects and projects in the field of protection of human and civil rights and freedoms.”

The Fund holds competitions among non-profit organizations in 13 nominations, including support of youth projects, support of projects in the field of science, education, enlightenment, and support of projects in the field of culture and art.

Sobranie Cultural Initiative Supporting & Preservation Fund was established in 2011 by Magnezit Group and private investors to promote cultural, aesthetic and social development, first of all, of the Satka Municipal District of the Chelyabinsk Region as the location of the Group’s core production complex.

The main goals of the Fund is to preserve historical and cultural heritage, and to implement art projects and potential of various categories of persons. To achieve these goals, the Fund implements social and cultural programmes, carries out activities in organizing volunteer movement, organizes exhibitions, fairs, festivals, opening days, and carries out publishing activities. The My Satka project won the 2018 Champions of Good Deeds competition in the Local Communities category.