The main goal of the project was for the participating organisations to inspire each other, get to know each-others practice and share their experiences in the following areas: art education, school cultural and artistic projects involving extern artists, facilitating school inclusion. Important objective was to gain international project experience, working together with colleagues from other cultures. The project was also meant to be a preparation for a larger, multi-partner project to develop a complete tool-box with methodology, curricula, ideas etc. in this topic. While working together, we had to collect ideas continuously on a professional platform, while creating a methodology based upon our practice inspired by each other. To be able to measure change in attitude towards more inclusion trying out the newly learned methods and activities. The aim of the joint professional work has always been to discover, formulate and make available for other schools the idea-box for putting arts education and school projects at the service of inclusion and talent management.
It is very difficult to create an inclusive school environment in practice, especially in schools, which are struggling with teacher shortages. Teachers are extremely busy; they have no time to develop unusual forms of education and projects. It is also difficult in many cases to shake them out of the many years of routine and the usual methodology, even they have difficulties with SEN children in traditional classroom education. We were applying for this project to develop and pass on to our fellow teachers specific, tested, easy-to-use, effective teaching methods, ideas and experiences. We have chosen art and culture projects, workshops and lessons, because art gives free space for creativity, nothing is good or bad, so children with special needs can participate as equal members of the class/group without struggling with difficulties or exclusion. We believe that creativity, freedom and self-expression help children to be more confident, happier and accepting. We hope that such an environment will also facilitate inclusion.