Through further education in new ways of working and methods, we wanted to create better conditions for working across disciplines in our organisation. In addition, it was desirable to increase the team's knowledge of the role of art in society and history. The project would clarify our set goals and provide added value for both students and staff: We wanted the students to become more involved in socially important issues by actualising them as a living part of the education. We wanted to find partners and explore the possibilities for job shadowing and networking and future student exchanges, to reduce the distances within Europe and to increase the understanding of democratic processes among our students. We wanted to develop a strategy to let our students and their creative skills be part of the current community building in Skellefteå. We wanted to develop methods and ways of working to increase students' critical thinking and analytical skills. We wanted to make contacts and network in order to create opportunities for international contacts and exchanges, both physically and digitally, in the future.
We applied for this project to develop our way of working across subjects with art as a starting point in the classroom and also outside the framework of school. Our goal was for the students to become more active, create an interest in the role of art and development of society, and increase the understanding of democratic aspects of historical and contemporary art. Something that is becoming increasingly important in a society where art and the right to the democratic contemporary comment that art constitutes are restricted in many places. We saw a need to better disseminate the students' productions, and to take part in the art in a larger geographical perspective. The students will feel that art is more than a school assignment, perhaps an opportunity for change or as inspiration to others. We applied for this in order to actively work in different ways in order for language and communication to meet aesthetic activities in a practical and meaningful context. Further education through the course Teaching and Learning through Art - theory and practice would enable the development of our working methods with subject integration and significantly improve the education of our students in art, communication and analysis.