Our transnational project I’n'Arts is part of the implementation of European and national policies as regard the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs. The project weaves two main strands, diversity and artistic creativity, in order to promote other awareness. Integrating children with special needs into a general education project and getting to know people with other cultures and languages both mean addressing the politics of diversity. Both are at the core of learning how to accept a plurality of points of view. Learning through experience what a diverse school will enable each and every one to progress and manage in a diverse world. The focus on the arts – music, dance, drama and staging especially, aims to give the artistic dimension a leading academic role. A joint creating enterprise means exchanging ideas, skills and expertise but also sharing imagination(s) and dreams. Two schools in Rome (Italy), a school in Berlin (Germany) and two schools in Paris (France) will join forces to carry it out. Three artists, one from each country, will assist pupils and teachers in their creative effort. Twelve to fifteen pupils (half with special needs) in each of the schools will be involved over a period of a whole school year to write and act out a drama piece focused on the notion of Touch. The concrete end result will be the staging of performance of that drama piece to be shown in a theater in Paris. Those pupils will start and maintain a close working relationship via digital means. In addition, they will also all meet three times, once in Rome, once in Berlin and once in Paris. These mobilities will enable them to share practices, strengthen working ties and initiate personal friendly links. Their schools will also take an active part in the project. Various tasks will be given and monitored so as to include most pupils and staff and families. We are determined to have a project that will be: - learner-centered: encourage ‘learning by doing things’ and active involvement of a wide panel of pupils within the schools; - task-oriented: inter-disciplinary (study of a common theme in more than one content area) and multiplying approach within the school and through transnational co-operation; - self-reflective: have pupils keep a working diary of the project; - expert guided: professional artists to work with pupils and teachers - result –oriented and flexible: focus on actual needs and obtainable results; - monitored : appropriate assessment by steering committee at diverse stages to measure the progress and quality of the activities and their outcomes. A communication plan designed to adverstise and inform on the project before, during after completion will be constructed with focus on target audience (internal or external) and various dissemination channels, either in print or in digital form, especially via etwinning. Local education authorities and the inspectorate as well as associations linked to special needs education or to the arts will be privileged actors. The expected benefits for pupils with special needs is a large boost in self-confidence. At last, they will be part of the cast and not cast aside. Pupils in general education who will carry out the project with them will have a new perception of what ‘difference’ is. All pupils will gain better awareness of body and self, an enriching experience in team work and improved social skills. They will also advance in their knowledge of artistic creation which can only help them maintain a long lasting general interest in all forms of arts. They will also experience foreign language learning in a non-formal context and will be able to back their more formal learning with reflexes acquired outside the classroom. Added value is also expected for teachers as teaching means learning from students Teachers who do not usually work with students with special needs will see, discuss and perhaps acquire different teaching methods. The motivation of all teachers to work in team will be boosted. All will also have the opportunity to build strong bonds with partner country teachers The schools will equally benefit from the project. We hope to see increased support from family members in school life and a developing parental interest in actions involving the whole school and not only their own children. All this will lead to an improvement of school climate based on stronger relationships between pupils, between pupils and teachers and between families and school. Last but definitely not least, the project will be a powerful tool in the learning of autonomy in making and implementing decisions contributing to a common goal. It will enhance European awareness through the thoughtful reinforcement of social skills founded on a renewed attitude to diversity.
The Erasmus+ project I’n’Arts stems from a joint consideration between the « Académie de Paris » and its institutional partners in Berlin and Rome. Two schools from each country, cultural organisations and artists have also joined. It falls within the national and European priorities for the improvement of school inclusion and weaves two main strands: diversity and artistic creativity. This project has involved students from Paris, Rome and Berlin, half of them with special needs. During one school year they have worked together on creating an artistic performance with a stage director, a choreographer and a musician. Thanks to workshops in their schools throughout the school year and to European mobilities, they were introduced to different art practices and could experiment and get to know better both others and themselves. The project and all activities aimed at a better school inclusion and greater acceptance of difference and disability through participating in an inclusive and global project focusing on European gathering and experimentation of artistic practices. I’n’Arts also sought to create a network of professionals concerned with inclusive issues. In order to meet these objectives, 82 students have been involved in European mobilities in each capital city of the project where they took part in artistic workshops so as to create the final performance combining drama, music and dance. Almost half of these students suffer from disabilities (visual impairment, disorder of cognitive function, physical handicap, dys-type disorders). Hence, participants went to Rome in December 2018 where they met all project stakeholders and could experiment the artistic workshops, taking into account the group’s special needs. In March 2019 the group met again in Berlin so as to begin creating the different scenes, that were finalised during the last mobility in Paris in May 2019. This last meeting ended up with an emotional final performance in Sorbonne on Europe Day which was a huge success. Transnational project meetings enabled project’s implementation and follow-up: in November 2018 in Paris to launch the project and agree on various points; in November 2019 in Rome to assess the project and write the transnational report; and in December 2019 to identify results and impacts and for a final dissemination event. The Erasmus+ project I'n'Arts has greatly exceeded expected results. The first objective was to gather European students, with and without special needs. 203 mobilities of students and accompanying persons were realised for activities during the project while the application predicted 171 mobilities. The blended partnership and synergy created by the association of local education authorities, cultural and artistic organisations, schools and artists have clearly been a driving element to address targeted issues through a wide perspective and to meet the expected results: raising students artistic awareness, reducing inequalities through a cooperative and artistic project, encouraging cultural and linguistic exchanges between students from different countries. The project has thus contributed to greater acceptance of differences and has enhanced European awareness. Exchanging practices and brainstorming led to the writing of a transnational report going back over the milestones of the project and identifying sustainable and transferable good practices that could serve as a basis for education community willing to foster school inclusion through arts. A documentary film featuring the project’s main steps and its artistic and human dimensions is also available online, together with the film of the final performance. The project brought concrete examples of possible results when putting artistic practices and European exchanges at the heart of an inclusive school project. It contributed to reflecting on the role of arts in inclusive education. Finally it supported the creation of a network of stakeholders who have developed strong relationships and will keep on brainstorming on these issues and on future actions and projects.