CREATIVE AGORA aimed to enhance the professional development and recognition of artists as educators within non-formal adult education, focusing on participatory and community arts. Its concrete objectives were (a) the creation of innovative, new learning materials supporting educators, particularly sessional and freelance tutors working as 'artists as educators' in formal and non formal adult education settings, (b) developing a European learning 'community of practice' that fostered transfer and exchange of best practice between artist educators at a transnational level, and (c) design and transfer of learning and practice between fields of community education, the arts and technology. The objectives also included promoting social inclusion and empowerment through arts, targeting disadvantaged and diverse communities, thus contributing to a more inclusive and creative Europe.
CREATIVE AGORA was driven by the desire to promote the European dimension in non-formal participatory arts education for adults, particularly targeting disadvantaged and diverse communities. It aimed to address the unique intrinsic ability of community and participatory arts and creative expression to engage adults alienated or excluded by traditional adult education offers and to promote transnational exchange and transfer of practice. The project specifically focused on developing 'artists as educators' to foster educational and social inclusion for all, addressing challenges faced by these educators, such as precarious employment, lack of professional recognition or validation, barriers to accessing professional development and isolation. It promoted innovations in formal and non-formal adult education in Europe through creative practices in various art forms, breaking down barriers to learning for adults in disadvantaged and migrant communities, thereby contributing to social inclusion, empowerment, and recovery from the Covid pandemic's impacts.