This project involves 5 organizations from 3 countries: cultural associations and schools. It intends to promote basic and transversal skills/competences, promote the empowerment, participation and the active citizenship of young people. The main target group for this project is young people aged 15-19, at the peak of their ability to develop and interiorise new skills and competences that will be fundamental to their future. This target group will allow to address three very relevant European needs: Reduce the early school leaving rates, responding to the ET2020 strategic framework “the rate of early leavers from education and training aged 18-24 should be below 10%” Reduce the number of adult workers with lower skills and competences, responding to what is stated in the 2015 Joint Report of the Council and the Commission for the implementation of the ET2020 strategic framework “one in four adults in Europe is caught in a low-skills trap — one that limits access to the labour market while simultaneously closing avenues to further education or training” Reduce the number of NEETs through identifying and quickly acting with those at bigger risk. Taking into account both the mentioned needs and the target group, the project directly aims to: Develop and enhance different skills and competences: communication, languages (namely English) critical thinking, interpersonal and intercultural competences, creativity and innovation, tolerance and respect for human rights, feelings of European citizenship Form adults that will view lifelong learning as an important and useful path to follow Form adults that will actively participate in their community life and that understand how acting locally might produce and have strong impacts in the European and World stages Form adults that understand international mobility as an opportunity for personal growth and improvement Contribute to the inclusion of all youngsters (special needs, disabilities or socioeconomical) Project outputs, multiplier events and learning/training activities are: OUTPUTS Letter of recommendation Art in Education – produced by youngsters/youth workers and school staff for local and European authorities Art Camp toolkit – produced firstly for the youth worker’s training and improved throughout the project length, it will support those implementing an Art Camp Local Festival (local contest with cultural heritage as main theme and developing theatre, dance and music performances, promoted by both schools and associations, each participating team will have 20 youngsters) LEARNING/TRAINING ACTIVITIES International youth workers training – to capacitate the youth workers with the needed toolkit to organize each local Art Camp Festival Blended Mobility – learn about local cultural identity and heritage, and common European ground Art and performing arts in education – production of the Letter of recommendation. Reflecting in international group about the learning they did and the new competences and skills. MULTIPLIER EVENT I Forum for the Arts in Youth and Education – final conference/Art Camp International Show with local/national authorities on youth and education The main impacts are: YOUTH WORKERS / SCHOOL STAFF (participating in the short term training) More competent in interpersonal relations in international context Improved teamwork skills, namely international teamwork Greater communication competences Development of transversal skills Language skills More competent in knowledge/skills/attitudes cementing strategies with youngsters YOUNGSTERS (participating in Art Camp/blended mobility) More skilled and competent in: communication, languages (namely English) critical thinking, interpersonal and intercultural competences, creativity and innovation, New positive behaviours: tolerance and respect for human rights, feelings of European citizenship Understanding lifelong learning as an important and useful path to follow Active participating citizens Inclusive youngsters Understanding the importance of acting locally to produce impacts in the European and World stages More willing to participate in international mobility Understand international mobility and intercultural relations as an opportunity for personal growth and improvement Acquired liking for all art forms, specially performing arts PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS (including youth workers/school staff) Improved and enlarged scope of work developed (nationally and internationally) Implementation of innovative responses to mitigate existing issues (school abandonment, school result, NEET related issues, youth unemployment) Expansion of the local network for youth related issues Experience in international project management Improved teamwork skills, namely international teamwork Willingness to implement new projects and develop new and different responses Expansion of international network Motivated skilled staff with a sense of innovation
Artcamp was created to inspire empowerment and entrepreneurship on the participating student´s, using consecutive activities that where built on the relation between Art, Education and Cultural Heritage. After these experiences the student´s had to participate in the Multiplier Event – “I Forum for the Arts in Education” where they had the opportunity to discuss there vision on the subject with local and national public authorities that work with youth and education Creativity and culture. The last activity was the writing of the “Letter of Recommendation on the role of Art in Education” to be send to all each Government of the participating countries and to the UE Parliament. In order to fulfill the designated outputs, goals, other achievements and, finally, the multiplier event, we selected as partners schools from three countries: EPVL - Escola Profissional Vasconcellos Lebre, from Mealhada, Portugal, IES Ibarrekolanda BHI, from Bilbao, Spain, and Liceo Classico Manzoni, from Lecco, Italy; and one other cultural association: Specchio Magico, from Italy. 68 students between the ages of 15 and 19, teachers from their schools and youth workers (from both associations) and project managers participated in local and transnational activities. The project proposed two outputs: the letter of recommendations for Arts in Education and the ArtCamp Toolkit, as a good practice manual for art shows in and with schools. This document 1th draft was presented at the short term training activitiesd and improved throughout the project duration. As multiplier event the project had the “ArtCamp Show” and the “I Forum for the Arts in Education”, both presented at the Municipal Theater. To reach our goals, the project had several local learning / training activities - where each school went through the process of choosing the students, within a methodology that we explain later on this report, and then took part in the activities like research, preparing the show, rehearsing the show, local Art Camp Festival, writing the letter of recommendation, and dissemination Regarding transnational activities, we had three transnational meetings in which the teachers and association workers monitored what was “going on” and prepared the next steps, a short term training and one Blended mobility. Finally, the multiplier event took place during the Blended Mobility that lasted one week. During that week, the participants had the opportunity to participate in several workshops of Portuguese traditional culture (instruments and dance), several group activities, perform at the ArtCamp Show, present their point of view at the I Forum for the Arts in Education” and, after all these experiences, when they had the chance to realize what what unites them and what separates them, they where asked to finish the “Letter of Recommendation on the role of Art in Education”. We believe that with this project, the participants became more aware of the role they can play in their communities and the role that arts can have in education. At the end of this project we saw more conscious youngsters, better prepared to embrace new European challenges (among, of course, local challenges), to be part of the solution to a more open-minded European Union. This achievements were possible with the a new understanding of international mobility as an opportunity for personal growth and improvement, that they view as lifelong learning.