Art is seen as a significant means of connecting people with environmenta concerns (Johnson and Manoli, 2007) and at the same time, by offering a series of workshop opportunities for artists (cyanotype workshops with a focus on environmental awaereness and using art as a teaching tool), networking opportunities and exchange of good practices as well as preparation of a mini exhibition at the end of the project, the project addresses the following (professional development related) identified needs of our main target group (visual artists). The objectives of the project were: - To use easy art-techniques, like cyanotype, as an educational tool to spread awareness about environmental issues and embrace sustainability; - To improve artistic skills of artistis and educators, as well as to increase teaching skills for the artists that also work as teachers (Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, 2016); - To develop a european network of visual artists that can empower their professional careers and that reinforce the interpersonal relationship of the participants, and at the same time their multidiciplinary skills.
Environment and the fight against global warming is one of the main priorities of EU. With carbon dioxide levels exceeding planetary thresholds, the United Nations (UN) finding 1 million species at risk of extinction and climate change marches happening globally, the state of the environment is an extremely concerning issue. Creating environmental awareness (to spread information about the fragility of our environment and the importance of its protection) is one of the ways to tackle this huge problem. It is an easy way to become an environmental steward and participate in creating a brighter future for our children. Scientific data related to this issue, which are easily available throughout the internet, or the cognitive mode of knowledge can make us aware of the threat human activities represent to the environment. However, they cannot pretend to connect us to our emotional self. Artistic expressions such as painting, dance, photography, or music have this power. They mobilize our senses and our emotions. In other words, they enhance our sensibility, and in this sense, they represent another mode of knowledge based on emotions and perceptions.