The main goal of the project "JAMMIN" is to develop capacities of youth organizations and youth workers to work with young refugees and migrants by using arts as a tool for social inclusion and to develop new innovative approaches where non formal education methodologies are combined with artistic tools (theatre, poetry, storytelling, clowning…) in different learning contexts (both formal – schools – and non formal – youth centers). Through this cross-sectoral approach we aim at reaching out young refugees and migrants and to empower them to be proactive and recognized actors in local communities, changing the negative narratives into positive ones. Specific Objectives are: • To explore the complementarity of arts and NFE tools and approaches aimed at better supporting young migrants and refugees in local communities to become actors of change and to develop innovative combined tools • To explore and test the benefits of using art as a tool for social change and for engaging and empowering young migrants and refugees in local communities, schools, youth organizations/centers • To empower young migrants and refugees through arts and provide them with the opportunity to advocate for their rights and their role/position in society/local communities • To promote a culture of healing and bringing together communities through arts as methodology that is strengthening the feeling of belonging, progressive values and equality in society/local communities • To promote quality, beneficiaries and needs centered youth work by boosting and exploring creative and artistic tools for social inclusion and positive changes in society/communities • To extend the “power” of arts and non formal education in a number of different contexts (schools, municipalities, cultural centers, youth centers, etc.) Throughout the project, we aim at developing the following intellectual outputs: - a research on integration and inclusion practices in the 4 communities, with a specific focus on good practices in different sectors (schools, youth organizations, youth centers, cultural centers, local municipalities) - a documentary, that will include interviews to participants (young refugees and migrants) from local communities and will follow their specific stories before, during and after the project - a toolbox, that will include the methodologies and tools developed throughout the project: we will focus on the creation of tools that will use complementary approaches from arts and from NFE in order to foster inclusion of young refugees and young migrants in local communities and to counter fight current negative narratives – the toolbox will be targeting youth workers, educators, teachers and will propose activities that could be implemented both in formal and non formal settings - 4 final performances, one in each country, that will be combined in a common performance through a blended mobility of young people – the performances will be part of the final documentary as well as the core content of the multiplier events. The project targets different groups and a total number of around 2500 direct and indirect beneficiaries: - youth workers and educators from partner organizations and associated partners (local schools, youth centers, cultural centers), who will be involved in the development of the toolbox as well as in the different trainings proposed throughout the project - young refugees and migrants, and other young people from the local communities, all aged between 14 and 30 years old, who will be involved in the initial research, in the pilot local activities, in the creation of the performances and in the final blended mobility - local stakeholders, including schools, youth centers and cultural centers, where the tools will be tested and most of the activities will take place, and that will be involved at different stages throughout the project - local communities, that will be the final target group as we aim at creating change within them, challenging the current negative narratives over migrants and refugees and creating new positive ones The project will last 18 months, from Sept 2018 to Feb 2020. It will involve 4 transnational meetings, two mobilities of youth workers (trainings) and one blended mobility. All activities will support the development and implementation of the newly developed educational methodologies and will aim at creating real chances of encounter among young refugees/migrants/asylum seekers and the local communities, contributing to the creation of positive counter narratives of inclusion and integration. Through arts we can promote intercultural dialogue and strengthen the knowledge and acceptance of diversity within society, building resilient processes of empowerment and participation, we can transform challenges into strengths and opportunities… we can give voice to the outcasts of our society and at the same time reaching out in our communities, fighting fear, prejudices and radicalization.
Context: - Human Rights Education - Youth Arts - Inclusion: (Syrian) refugees, all sorts of inclusion (Arts & mental disabilities) Objectives: - SO1- To explore the complementarity of arts and NFE tools/approaches and to develop innovative combined tools to support young migrants/refugees integration in local communities and to promote twofold inclusion processes - SO2- To explore and test the benefits of using art as a tool for social change and for engaging and empowering young migrants/refugees in local communities, schools, youth org./centers, providing them with the tools to advocate for their rights and their role in the community - SO3- To promote a culture of healing and bringing together communities through arts as methodology that is strengthening the feeling of belonging, progressive values and equality in society/local communities - SO4- To promote quality and needs based youth work by boosting and exploring creative artistic tools for social inclusion and positive changes in society/communities - SO5- To extend the “power” of arts and NFE in a number of different contexts (schools, municipalities,cultural centers, youth centers, etc.) Number and profile of participants The participants that took part in the transnational mobilities were young migrants, volunteers, youth workers, refugees and artists. Some of the participants that took part in the local activities had then the possibility to participate in the transnational mobilities and present the results of their local action. In general the profile of the participants that took part in the Daquiedacolà and La Fenice’s local activities were young people at risk of social exclusion with different backgrounds (migrants, refugees, people living with mental disabilities, young people with problem in “fitting in” school/local community social dynamics and volunteers/youth workers eager to learn the JAMMIN approaches and methodologies). Training: 24 participants ME Bruxelles: 35 participants ME Tortona: circa 80 participants La Fenice’s local activities= +150 participants Daquiedacola´s local activities= +150 participants Undertaken activities Art Residency- Training Course with Inclusive Tour: presentation of theatre outcomes and 11 sessions of cultural debriefing upon HRE with youth and adults. Multiplier events in Belgium and Italy: performance and video outcomes were presented to a variety of audiences. Contribution to the World Refugee Day in Ghent. Capacity building and creative workshops for youth workers. Online and offline. Workshops in schools. Artistic workshops in youth centre for disadvantaged youth. Permanent cooperation in a school for 7 months. Cooperation of Formal and Non Formal Education for the Social Inclusion of 13 unprivileged kids through Arts. One website, collecting the tools, approaches and stories of Jamm-In: https://www.jamminproject.eu Several videos telling the experiences of Jamm-In and its participants. One performance, created from the stories and emotions of youth workers, volunteers, refugees and unprivileged youth. Results and impacts attained Significant experience for a group of unprivileged youth during the Art Residency and the Inclusive Tour. Several of these youngsters had never jumped into a stage, nor performed Arts nor had felt listened or appreciated before. The several tears were real and by sharing strength and vulnerability at the same time infinite messages were shared with the final beneficiaries audience who also felt emotional and also cried and also shared sweet deep insights. Youth workers and volunteers from partner organisations (above all Daquiedacola and La Fenice) acquired significant competencies in working with a combination of artistic and non-formal education tools. Young refugees, artists, youth with fewer opportunities and from unprivileged backgrounds were engaged and empowered through co-creative artistic processes. We turned back a narrative of impossibility (regarding youth work, regarding arts, regarding inclusion, regarding being socially active and committed in times of pandemic). We hosted a safe international event. We created in a short time out of (apparently) nothing a touching Art outcome worthy to be shared. We learned and taught to acknowledge emotions. We learned by doing and taught by sharing. We proved the benefits and importance of a good debriefing. Next project should focus strictly on learning to debrief and train youth workers to facilitate good debriefing sessions. Longer term benefits Positive impact at the schools, municipalities and final beneficiaries who took part at the Inclusive Tour and were involved at the different stages of the project. Positive impact and long-term empowerment for the direct beneficiaries of the Art Residency and of the multiplier events. Key competencies gained by youth workers and organisations involved, with long-term benefits for their work in the local communities, in the schools, in youth centres.