Promoting inclusion in adult education through artistic and cultural Social Action Projects

We were delighted to start our new #Motivate2CreateEU Erasmus+ project over the summer. We were even more delighted when, taking advantage of a relatively relaxed period during the Covid-19 for travel, we were finally able to get together with our European partners ‘face-to-face’ last month, in Rijeka, Croatia!

Motivate to Create (M2C) combines the traditions and values of Europe’s Community and Participatory Arts (CPA) practice with Social Action Projects (SAPs) in non-formal adult education.  Our overall aim is to generate a new suite of integrated learning activities, tools, resources and courses for community artists and community workers who are active in neighbourhood settings, supporting young adults aged mainly 18-25  with arts-led, social action projects.

In M2C, we are taking combining forces with partner organisations in Europe to foster creativity and nurture talent through learning methods that draw out the creativity of diverse groups, acting as a catalyst for change within a community through ‘place based’ neighbourhood development. we are working together in a new Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership for Creativity.

We are combining forces with our partners Urbane Separe in Rijeka, Croatia; ACEPS in Barcelona, Spain; Materahub in Matera, Italy and RDA Senec-Pezinok in Bratislava, Slovakia.  Here in London, the partnership is completed by ourselves at Rinova, as overall coordinators of the project, and Rosetta Arts in Newham, with whom we are working on the local implementation programme.

M2C has been developed in a situation where our communities and neighbourhoods face many challenges. There is an urgent need in Europe to overcome social forces and tendencies that lead to conflict, division and social alienation. Across the generations, in communities most affected by the economic downturn and the isolation forced upon them by the Covid-19 pandemic, people with creative talent are feeling marooned and isolated.

Covid-19 is both a social crisis and a justice challenge for cities and neighbourhoods, shining a light on the uneven distribution of resources, opportunities and inequitable outcomes. Amongst many, this has brought about a shift towards a more collaborative mindset – from diverse communities coming together to help one-another through the formation of Mutual Aid Groups through to the emergence of ‘Corona Creativity’ as a means for thinking differently or tackling social injustices through social action movements. Many are using creative mechanisms to share ‘lived experience’ stories and bring about social change.

The Covid-19 crisis has led to many people in the cultural and creative sectors losing their employment due to the consequences of lockdown and restrictions. Yet, at the same time, the arts and cultural sector – together with those it supports through artistic and cultural expression- have a critical role to play in the post-pandemic recovery in society.

By the end of the project in May 2023, M2C will generate three new multilingual co-produced Intellectual Outputs, as follows:

• IO1 Methodological Concept – an innovative and transferable method and practice for creative, andragogical approaches in non-formal adult education settings
• IO2 The M2C Online Learning Curriculum – an interactive, e-learning environment as a ‘Train the Trainer’ programme
• IO3 The M2C Community Leader ‘Pocket Guide’ – provides accessible, digital resources from an online platform for enhancing social capital, social cohesion, integration and democratic participation.

In doing so, M2C addresses three key priorities of the Erasmus+ programme:

• (a) Skills development and inclusion through creativity and the arts
• (b) Common values, civic engagement and participation and
• (c) Social Inclusion.

If you are involved in socially engaged artistic practice, there are many ways you can get involved in Motivate2Create.