Business and culture united: how Uman creates a competitive cultural product
22 October 07:35
Partnerships between business and the cultural sector are gradually growing in Ukraine. The goal of such projects is not only to support creativity but also to create a competitive cultural product that contributes to the development of regions and local communities. One example of such interaction is the Voices of the Native Land art project, which is being implemented in Uman, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
The Voices of the Native Land project is implemented by the World of Competencies NGO with the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and the MHP-Hromada Charitable Foundation as part of the Culture. Regions” competition program.
The focus is on creating a modern cultural product that will popularize Ukrainian songs, in particular those performed by the male vocal trio Gonta, and expand access to culture outside of large cities.
Since 1998, the members of the male vocal trio “Gonta” from Uman have been recording, arranging and singing old Ukrainian folk songs and creating modern compositions. Thanks to the Voices of the Native Land art grant, they were able to turn part of their work into a video clip, an audio album, and a digital music collection.
The band members Valentyn Kupchyk, Vasyl Semenchuk, and Petro Voloshyn say that this is their first experience of participating in a grant project, and so far, all their expectations are being met.
A cultural project with an economic impact
The goal of the Culture. Regions program, within which this project is being implemented, is to increase the competitiveness of the regional cultural and artistic product, stimulate community development, and expand cultural engagement beyond agglomerations. In fact, it is an investment in local identity through music, traditions, and history.
In total, since its establishment in 2017, the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation has funded about three thousand projects in seven sectors: audial arts, visual arts, audiovisual arts, cultural heritage, literary affairs, performing and stage arts, cultural and creative industries.
The MHP-Gromady Charitable Foundation, which, together with the UCF, funds art projects under the Culture. Regions” competition program, was founded in 2015 to help communities solve their social, economic and environmental problems.
“It is important for the MHP-Hromada Charitable Foundation to develop Ukrainian culture, revive artistic traditions and strengthen national identity. By supporting initiatives such as Voices of the Motherland, we preserve our roots and help Ukrainian music develop and sound louder,” explains Oleksandr Pakholyuk, Director of the MHP-Gromadie Charitable Foundation.
It should be noted that the Voices of the Motherland project is being implemented on a co-financing basis. The main part of the amount is provided by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and the MHP-Gromada Charitable Foundation – 850716. The local company AVANGARD LLC provided UAH 121,489 for the project on a co-financing basis. Thus, the total amount of funding is UAH 972,205.
“Culture has always been the basis for the development of Ukrainian society. Today, the issue of self-identification has gained particular value, so preserving Ukrainian songs and traditions is an important component of our strength,” says Yevhen Klimov, director of AVANGARD LLC. “Supporting projects such as Voices of the Motherland strengthens Uman’s position in the cultural space of Ukraine. It is equally important that these initiatives form a connection between generations: when young people hear a Ukrainian song and join folk traditions, they feel roots and continuity. And this is the basis for a confident and conscious future of the community, nation and state.”
The vocal trio is being assisted in the organizational preparation of the grant application and the implementation of the Voices of the Native Land project by the World of Competencies NGO, which has been operating since 2018 and is engaged in cultural and educational projects.
In 2021, they received a grant from the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation for the first time to implement the Miracle on the Wall cultural and artistic project. So, this is the second grant project from the UCF that the World of Competencies is implementing in Uman.
“When the members of the Gonta trio approached us to support their idea for writing a project and implementing it, we were very happy. Of course, we’ve never made music videos or recorded audio albums before. For us, it’s an experience. And for the Gonta trio, it’s an opportunity to support their band, because they haven’t had a professional video or audio album before,” says Tetiana Polishchuk, head of the World of Competencies NGO.
From idea to realization
All the songs that the Gonta trio records as part of the Voices of the Native Land project are united by a common theme, Cossack Fate, which is ancient folk songs performed in a cappella and accompanied by the band members and modern Ukrainian songs, including the well-known “Tryzub” and “Slava Ukraini”.
“This is our first project of this kind, and we are the Honta trio, so the Cossack theme is logical,” explains Valentyn Kupchyk, “In general, the field of work is large, we have ritual songs, lyrical, spiritual songs for men’s performance, etc.”
As part of the project, they created a video for the song “Tryzub,” an audio album “Cossack Fate,” and a digital music collection with these songs.
Therefore, the main expenses are the funds for the sale of these products. In particular, the budget provides one hundred thousand hryvnias for the creation of the video, 120 thousand hryvnias for the recording of the audio album, and about 15 thousand hryvnias for the digital music collection.
The Voices of the Native Land project also hosted a concert, so up to UAH 200 thousand is provided for its implementation, including equipment rental.
In addition, the project budget provides funds for the rotation of the video and audio album, which is about 50 thousand hryvnias.
“We have gained new experience in both organizational and creative matters. It’s very useful for us, because it’s the first time we’ve worked in a grant format,” says Valentyn Kupchyk, the trio’s leader.
The Gonta Trio, founded in 1998, is known for its authentic performance of folk songs and for its victories at national and international festivals. The group actively promotes Ukrainian art, and their song “Tryzub” has already become recognizable among Uman residents.
