Eurointegration Association is a member of the Rehabilitation and Social Integration of People with Disabilities Public Board, the National Social Services Network and the National Equal Opportunities Network.

At present, there are a significant number of children and youth with disabilities in Varna who are talented but are deprived of opportunities to interact with their coevals, to participate in activities, to be independent and equal. As result their abilities remain undeveloped.

The main partner in the project was the municipal Youth Activities and Sports Directorate. The proposal, aimed at establishing an Art Therapy Social Center that would work with youth of unequal status was addressed to the Directorate and accepted with interest.

Subsequently, conditions were created at the Youth Home enabling the youth with disabilities to work and achieve their creative aspirations. The project is consistent with the Ordinance on the Terms and Procedures of Protecting Gifted Children (January 1, 2004), the National Plan on the Integration of Children and Youth with Special Educational Needs, the Equal Opportunities for People with Disabilities Act, the European and the international legislation.

The target group included people with disabilities aged 16 to 29 who wished to work in music and arts.

The following activities were implemented under the Art in Us Project:

- Psychology of the creative process individual and group activities with the participants on building motivation, personal restructuring and formation of the creative process;

- Implementation of a model for alternative theoretical and practical training on all aspects of modern arts;

- Organization of a theoretical module on psychological motivation and building motivation for a creative process by the young people with special needs;

- Social consultations on re-socialization;

- Work on music;

- Work on fine and applied arts;

- Organization of Art in Us, a celebration comprised of an exhibition of the art created by the participants and a Christmas concert.

The youth with disabilities were accompanied by parents, friends, personal or social assistants. Different methods were used to create an environment of assistance and mutual assistance not only in the target group but also in the parental community. A psychologist and a teacher helped the young people and worked on strengthening the parental community. In focus groups the parents, personal and social assistants shared their experience with the group. This has resulted in forming empathic attitude and willingness for mutual assistance within the community, i.e. the parents acting as assistants to their children became also assistants of other young people. This helped restructure the parental community and created models and techniques for mutual assistance.

The institution breached the marginal circle and, with the help of volunteers, helped the youth see a new world in a different way : during tours of the Sea Garden, collective visits of different events, musical performances, art exhibitions, etc.

• The youth involved in the project were educated to develop their talents. They have proven their capabilities in an environment of equality with their coevals. By their examples they have influenced other marginalized groups to develop higher self-esteem and social achievements;
• Positive attitudes were developed by the young people of unequal status with regard to developing their musical skills and using their creative abilities to initiate wide coalitions for social changes;
• These methods have helped the young people accept their health problems and focus their positive energy on personal accomplishments and integration.