Art of Inclusion
Start date: Sep 1, 2016,
End date: Aug 31, 2019
PROJECT
FINISHED
The last years, following among other factors the EU’s non-discrimination regulations have brought progress for inclusion of persons with disabilities in several fields, but there are still grave problems and obstacles. Inclusion is an “art” in each society as well for people responsible for social and political developments as well for the individuals who need a certain “art of life” to overcome obstacles. Our partnership – organizations responsible for day centers and leisure time activities for people with disability based in Germany, Italy, Portugal and Romania - aims at the exchange of best practises among the partner organizations in the field of social inclusion of people with disability, through the creation of a common learning path for their staff, users and volunteers who will explore art as a vehicle for learning and sharing; this path will lead the reflection about the art of inclusion in the participating Countries and in the participant's life. "Art of Inclusion" wants to give a concrete response to the still perceived barriers to mobility (creating physical short term mobilities (6 days) and virual mobilities for the beneficiaries), to education and leisure (creating an international and inclusive learning process), to the fruition of art and culture, to employment (through a deepening on the possibility of matching art and income); it will also promote the use of easy language and ICT technologies to overcome language and physical barriers. The international cooperation created by this project will lead to identify effective, shared and generalizable operative strategies in the perspective of a European Strategy for social inclusion of people with disability, while empowering its learners, giving voice to their needs and suggestions, and making them aware of their power to produce a change.The project will have a duration of 3 years (September 2016 - August 2019) and will involve 100 participants (25 adult learners for each partner) among peple with disability, volunteers and staff members. They will be involved in some local workshops and activities, and other joint activities and meetings realized during the 4 blended mobilities on the topic of art and/as social inclusion: - analysis of cultural sites/artistiacal objects to be found in the local area and how to encounter them with disabilities- deepening on local artists for the creation of reports- art wotkshops with artistic guidance- case studies about disability and art of life; - whorkshop about the European regulation and politicians and opinion leaders attitude about the art of creating a more and more inclusive society; - workshop about the possibilities to create an income from artistic and artisanal activities for people with disabilities; - comparisons about the state of social inclusion in the partner countriesThe implementation of the project will be based on a collaborative approach among the four partners who will share tasks and responsibilities: each partner will host a blended mobility and all the partners will work on common local activies sharing tecniques and results through a constant communication using different channels. The project activities will be based on non formal learning methods: group work, task division, open discussions, learning by doing, group or individual analysis under the guidance of local artists and/or pedagogycal specialists. The results of the local activities will be constantly shared inside the partnership. An inclusive approach will be adopted in all the undertaken activities: the use of easy languange will be encouradged and the use of technology will be promoted as a mean to overcome the physical barriers.The results of our discussions as well as the art objects encountered and produced together will be shown and disseminated via many barrier-free ways in the partners’ local communities as well as on a broader European scale; the main product of the partnership will be a final booklet containing validated tools and strategies to enhance social inclusion through the use of art.The project will have a strong personal and social impact on the participants in terms of knowledge and competences related to the topic of the project, soft skills and entrepreneurship. The partner organizations will have opportunity to cooperate, exchange good practices and to create strong partnership, disseminating the results to the main stakeholders in the social field at an European level. The impact will be sustainable for the entire duration of the project and it will continue to produce positive effects even after its official conclusion thanks to the wide process of dissemination; furthermore the follow-up plan is to create an extended project able to put in practice the acquired competences and to expand the operating range of the project.