European Academy of Participation Euro-skepticism, populist forces, nationalism and the fragile cohesion between majority and minority cultures are often fueled by a negative use of the human need for belonging and inclusion. The European Academy of Participation (EAP) consortium believes in a more inclusive Europe, in which people live together in mutual respect of their differences. The EAP project sees participatory practice in art and culture as a tool to involve communities in a positive process of constructing identity: non-populist, moderate, pro-European and culturally inclusive. Nothing is needed more in the current climate of Europe. EAP brings together organizations, groups and individuals concerned about the current educational offers in the field of Higher Education (HE) in the Arts and the Humanities. They have identified a skills gap between the profile of graduates and the employment needs of the third sector. Participatory practice is, if at all, a marginal aspect of these programs. The consortiums main objective is to help bridge the identified skills gap. This will lead to enhanced employability of graduates as well as real partnerships between HE and third sector organizations. The project especially aims at 1. recognition of participatory practice as a distinct aspect of graduate profiles relevant for employment and expressed in terms of knowledge, skills and competences on various levels of the European Qualification Framework. 2. developing and broadly implementing an exemplary intensive course for postgraduate and mature students in the arts and humanities that involves both theory- and professional practice-based learning. 3. becoming a self-sustainable platform organization advocating and championing participatory practice in arts and culture across the EU sustaining the project outcomes and impact beyond the eligibility period. EAP targets postgraduate students from the humanities and the arts and practitioners like artists, trainers, teachers, curators etc. of cultural organizations from the third sector that seek further education in lifelong learning provisions. EAP will implement three strands of activities: 1. Drafting a QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK for programs geared towards participation. Representatives of HE and employers will together investigate what is needed for graduates to be fit for employment in participatory practice. Following the Tuning template they will describe participatory practice across Europe, graduate profiles, access requirements, a qualifications framework of the HE levels 6, 7 and 8, assessment methods and criteria, employment possibilities, ethical issues and quality assurance. 2. Based on the tuning document an exemplary INTENSIVE COURSE PROGRAMME will be developed that involves both theory and practice; to be delivered as a low residency module as part of a flexible part time CPD activity based on blended online and face-to-face learning, including live project work. 3. Setting up a support-structure to broadly implement the course modules across Europe, complemented with an ONLINE AND LIVE PEER EXCHANGE PLATFORM to ensure currency of the program and its positions through the exchange of best practice, peer coaching and mutual learning. The ambition of EAP is to tap into the existing potential of higher education and the unique and hard won endeavors of creative projects and organizations scattered across Europe that are engaging the public as active agents in their work. Through their cross-fertilization both sectors impact on the diversifying societies of Europe, capitalizing on participatory practice in the arts. EAP will build on the outcomes of the LLP Multilateral Project “Time Case” (2012-14) with its online resources of participatory practice case studies, a toolkit and the Spectrum of Participation. EAP will use these outcomes and the network built during the first project cycle to reach out to new areas of Europe. As a significant new step EAP will help establish participatory practice as a focus area of the humanities and the arts, a sustained peer-exchange platform between theory and practice and an innovative intensive course program. EAP will support cultural organizations from the third sector to build sustainable creative partnerships with higher education institutions, which will enhance their own participatory practice projects and Higher education institutions like art schools will enhance their curricula and course offers to better enable graduates to find a job in the field of community work and collaborative art practice.