New European Bauhaus Prizes

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Arts, Culture, and Heritage as Drivers of Change

Project title

Roof Offline by AGORA

Full Project Title

ROOF OFFLINE: Catalyzing Social Change through Media-Driven Cultural Dialogues

Describe your project in a short and engaging way. This will be used in communication towards the public.

ROOF OFFLINE: A hybrid event series that transforms urban rooftops into vibrant public squares, bridging the gap between digital information and offline community action through art, critical thinking, and social dialogue. A trusted project that brind social change from the independent media outlet AGORA on the Moldovan market. RoofOffline happen in the capital city Chisinau and bring together influencers, journalists and cultural workers in real dialogues with urban, young population.

Where was your project implemented?

Moldova

At which level is the project implemented? (e.g., does the project cover the entire national level, one or several regions, city(ies)/village(s) etc.)

Local

Please indicate which city(ies)/village(s)

Chisinau (the capital of Republic of Moldova).

Does your project address mainly urban or rural issues?

Mainly urban

Does your project involve a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment), or does it focus on other types of transformations (soft investments)?

It involves other types of transformations (soft investment)

Is your project fully completed?

Yes

Please indicate the date your project was completed

2025-06-13

Has your project benefited from EU programmes and/or funds?

Has your project received an EU prize that included a monetary award?

Are you interested in participating in the ‘Water Resilience’ special prize?

Please indicate on whose behalf you are submitting the application. This name will be used in all communications and will appear on certificates and any official material. Please enter the main person(s) or organisation(s) responsible for the project. You may list up to 3 individuals/organisations.

Organisation

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROJECT Please provide a comprehensive summary of your project. Make sure to focus on already achieved results as well as long term impact(s).

Roof Offline has successfully transitioned from a media experiment into a cornerstone of Chișinău's cultural life. Over 13 editions, we have reached an audience of over 500,000 via digital platforms and hosted thousands in person.
• Results: We have facilitated dialogues on gender equality, digitalization, urban transformation, and business ethics. By 2026, the project will specifically target the "ART" theme, supporting Moldovan artists and providing a "soft" infrastructure for cultural mediation.
• Impact: The project has fostered a sense of belonging and critical thinking, moving the public from passive consumers to active participants in social change.

TELL US THE STORY YOUR PROJECT How did your project come about and how was it implemented on the ground.

Founded in 2017, the project arose from the need to break the "digital wall". We realized that while AGORA informs 250,000 monthly readers online, social change requires physical proximity. We chose rooftops, underutilized urban spaces, to symbolize a higher perspective on social issues. The first major edition in 2019, "Hybrid Businesses," proved the appetite for such gatherings. The pandemics paused the project, but the audience requested live, meaningful interactions.

Please indicate the main themes of your project with 5 key words.

Community Engagement

Please indicate the main themes of your project with key words

Independent Media

Please indicate the main themes of your project with key words

Social change and engagement

Please indicate the main themes of your project with key words

Civic Participation

Please indicate the main themes of your project with key words

Cultural Mediation

NEB value: Sustainability How does your project concretely address environmental, social, cultural, or economic challenges and opportunities? In what way can your project be considered exemplary in terms of sustainability?

Our project addresses social sustainability by building a self-sustaining community of 260+ members who fund independent journalism. Economically, the model uses "soft" resources—media reach and social capital—to create cultural value without heavy physical footprints.

NEB value: Aesthetics How does your project concretely contribute to making life more beautiful for people, communities and neighbourhoods – both in the everyday and in the longer term? How does your project contribute to creating a sense of belonging and care for the place? In what way can your project be considered exemplary in terms of aesthetics?

We contribute to a "beautiful" everyday life by reclaiming urban rooftops, turning them into spaces for art and sunset dialogues. This aesthetic choice creates a sense of pride and belonging to the city, making complex social topics more approachable through high-quality visual and auditory curation.

NEB value: Inclusion How does your project concretely address challenges and opportunities related to accessibility and affordability for all? How does it promote inclusive governance systems, design for all principles, or new societal models? In what way can your project be considered exemplary in terms of inclusion?

Roof Offline addresses accessibility by using AGORA’s multi-platform reach (web, Instagram, TikTok) to democratize culture. We specifically target emerging artists and students from the Academy of Music, Theatre, and Fine Arts, providing them a professional debut platform. A special edition about inequalities in the workspaces for women drove many public discussions and important key female leaders were promoted and shared their voices.

NEB working principles: Participatory How has your project involved citizens, communities and civil society organisations who benefit from your project, or are affected by it? What was their role and level of involvement? What has been the impact of their involvement in the project?

The project is built on direct interaction. In 2026, we are introducing "micro-workshops" (e.g., "How to read a work of art") where the public isn't just a spectator but a co-creator of meaning.

NEB working principles: Multilevel governance How were stakeholders at different levels (local, regional, national, and European) involved in the design and implementation of the project? What was their role and level of involvement? What was the added value of their engagement?

Public figures from the President Maia Sandu and MPs and other female leaders participate, are pormoted and their voces are shared under the RoofOffline and AGORA portal.

NEB working principles: Transdisciplinary What disciplines and/or knowledge fields (e.g architecture, design, engineering, social sciences, arts, education, digital technologies, environmental sciences) were reflected in the design and implementation of your project?

Implementation requires a mix of journalism, event management, digital technology, and fine arts. Our team of 16 includes editorial, technical, and managerial experts working with curators and artists.

BUSINESS MODEL Please describe the business model behind your project. What makes your project financially sustainable over time (e.g. activities generating revenues, public funding, donations, crowdfunding, specific financial instrument, etc.)?

The business model for Roof Offline is a diversified, resilient framework that ensures financial sustainability through four main pillars:
1. Direct Revenues: Ticket sales from attendees and community contributions.
2. Membership Model: AGORA’s pioneering membership program (260+ active members) provides a stable financial base for the editorial work that supports the event.
3. Partnerships: Strategic collaborations with the private sector and NGOs (e.g., Media Blend Hackathon, cultural grants).
4. Digital Asset Monetization: The project creates a "digital archive" of cultural content that generates long-term value and visibility for partners and artists.
Costs are primarily associated with event logistics (space rental, AV equipment) and content production (video/text teams). By integrating event promotion into AGORA’s existing media infrastructure, we drastically reduce marketing costs, making the project highly efficient.

SCALABILITY Which elements of your project could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries, or contexts (e.g. aspects of the methodology, technology, processes, products, tools, or key learnings etc.)?

Roof Offline serves as a highly transferable model for media-led social interventions. Its scalability relies on several core elements:
• Methodology: The "Digital-to-Offline" funnel can be replicated by any media organization or cultural entity. The process of using online platforms to curate a physical dialogue is a universal tool for community building.
• Adaptability: While we use rooftops in Chișinău, the "Roof" is a metaphor for any underutilized or symbolic urban space. The concept can be adapted to parks, courtyards, or historic buildings in other geographies.
• Technological Framework: The digital gallery and multi-platform distribution strategy (Instagram/TikTok/Facebook) we developed can be applied to various themes beyond art, such as climate action or local governance.
• Partnership Ecosystem: The model demonstrates how to unite media, artists, and the public, a framework that requires only local cultural actors and a committed communication partner to function in any city.

Web link

https://agora.md/RoofOffline

Please attach at least 6 high resolution images (or other types of visual representations, if images are not possible) to your application.

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