The strategic partnership set the following main priorities for the program: 1. Inclusion and diversity in all fields of education, youth and sport; 2. Addressing digital transformation through development of digital readiness, resilience and capacity; 3. School Education: Supporting teachers, school leaders and other teaching professions. These priorities were intrinsically linked with the following concrete objectives: 1) Strengthening the capacity of music teachers/choral leaders in order to be able to recognize and identify underlying issues concerning disadvantaged youth and social exclusion 2) Enriching music teachers’/choral leaders’ and subsequently students’ social, communicational, intercultural and musical skills and competences to foster social inclusion 3) Strengthening teachers’/choral leaders’ and consequently students’ digital capacity to enhance arts-based creative practices 4) Raising awareness of the effectiveness of innovative arts-based programs enhanced with novel multimedia and digital technologies for fostering social inclusion, 5) Promoting cultural heritage equality and new cultural production at the European level through inclusive choral practices.
The In-Voice4Empowerment project arose from the partners' common vision to foster social inclusion through the development of an innovative multidisciplinary arts-based program. Discussions with the Project’s Partners outlined the following needs and challenges regarding field of teaching and learning in choral pedagogy and support for socially excluded youth: There is little novel material and resources available, such as specialized vocal pedagogies or digital technologies, to assist the choral pedagogue in the effective inclusion of socially disadvantaged youth in choral groups. Moreover, due to a general lack of policy, teachers /choral leaders feel uninformed and not sufficiently equipped to recognize underlying issues concerning the nature of social inclusion. Regarding choral pedagogy, the need for a broader understanding of inclusion was acknowledged, taking account of gender issues, including non-binary self-identification, established minorities, language issues, social class, potential barriers to access and inclusion, different vocal styles and choral genres choral practices within and outside schools The need to create opportunities for all choral participants to be creative was also addressed.