After almost two decades of the adoption of the Racial Equality Directive and almost a decade of the Framework Decision on Racism and Xenophobia, Romani community continues to face widespread discrimination across the EU. At large, EU perspective sees Romani community as an outsider. Nevertheless, Romani is Europe’s largest minority, with an estimated population of 10 -12 million across EU and established since around 1,000 years ago. Thus, they are part and add value to our Cultural European diversity. However, Romani community has been portrayed mostly with negative aspects that make it difficult for Society at large to recognize them as part of our EU heritage. They have had a small representation in the framework of the agenda for cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue. Therefore, PAL Art aims to provide capacity building trainings and work base learning experience to trainers and educators to provide skills and opportunities for Romani to express and create their integration through Arts. Art Inclusive approach is essential to provide Romani learning positive habits for their integration process, based on the principle that quality education should fit the learner rather than requiring them to fit into an existing system. The project is the outcome of different efforts dealing with the integration of Romani Community with support of PAL Network (e.g. PAL - JUST/2014/RDIS/AG/DISC-, PAL Push Entrepreneurship -2017-1-CZ01- KA204-035425- and Romani Ambassadors -2017-3-CZ01-KA205-046733-). The project is looking to put Romani participation as the key to their integration through Art positive narratives. During the implementation of the project -24 months-, it will be organized two transnational training activities to transfer the outcomes: C1) " PAL Art Capacity development" and C2) "PAL´s pilot International training". The content of the activities is the reflection of a benchmarking of a transnational strategy from 6 organizations –NGOs, educational institutes & privet entities- from 6 different EU countries –Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belgium, Greece, France and Croatia- that are actively working in Romani inclusion and Art field. At the end of the project, the 30 selected trainers and learners will be able to further transfer good practices regarding PAL Art inclusive education to more beneficiaries besides the 135 Romani Adults involved in PAL Art Labs. As the goal is to shed light in a wider audience, it will be prepared and shared 1) a Guide for positive narrative on Romani integration through Arts and 2) Facilitator Programme for working in Romani integration through arts. Also 3) PALArt MOOC Training open courses will be provided. STAKEHOLDRS will have a robust programme as it will be implemented and evaluated with their participation. Finally, to reach the main objective -which is to support Romani portrait through a positive narrative for enhancing their EU integration-there will be 6 PAL´s Exhibition to disseminate the outcomes and to reach a wider EU society audience.
The main objectives of the project PAL ART were linked to supporting Romani in Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Belgium and France to portrait their positive narrative and enhance their EU integration by empowering their creativity in different art fields. This was achieved by completing the specific objectives of the project: • To examine and moderate different art methods and techniques to support social tolerance practices and inclusive adult education for Romani community in different artistic fields. • To empower Romani community to uptake an active role in their POSITIVE image across EU. • To incorporate Roma artistic expression in the framework of mainstream EU cultural agenda (representation in national, regional, and local cultural activities) • To enhance the role of the art teachers in the process of social incorporation and involved them in tailor-made approach for intercultural education and upskilling of their communication competencies • To elaborate an innovative training materials and curriculum plans linked to six different art techniques • To pilot the art techniques trainings using the methodology of ‘learning though art’ at local and international level
Roma is Europe’s largest minority, with an estimated population of 10 -12 million and they have been present since around 1,000 years ago. Thus, they are part and add value to our Cultural European diversity. However, Roma community has been portraited mostly with negative aspects that make it difficult for Society at large to recognize them as part of our EU heritage. This since they have had a small representation by themselves in the framework of the agenda for cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue. The PAL ART project aims to support and empower Romani community to uptake an active role in their POSITIVE image across EU, examine and moderate different art methods and techniques to support social tolerance practices and inclusive adult education for Romani community in different artistic fields and incorporate Roma artistic expression in the framework of mainstream EU cultural agenda (in national, regional and local cultural activities).The art expression and learning through art are innovative techniques, which were never used to present Romani culture and identity, and this was the main challenge but also innovation of the current initiative.