St’ART UP – Building Pathways for Street-Art to Foster Inclusive Resilience and Enterprise through Creativity Erasmus Project

Project Title

St’ART UP – Building Pathways for Street-Art to Foster Inclusive Resilience and Enterprise through Creativity

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Partnerships for Creativity

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

The context of the project lies in the Europe 2020 strategy, which emphasises smart, sustainable and inclusive growth as a way to strengthen the EU economy and prepare its structure for the challenges of the next decade. Poverty reduction is a key policy component of the Europe 2020 strategy. By setting a poverty target, the EU has put social concerns on an equal footing with economic objectives. However to achieve the Europe 2020 strategy target to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion the strategy’s other priorities, such as providing better opportunities for employment and education, must also be implemented successfully. The Europe 2020 strategy has set the target of ‘lifting at least 20 million people out of the risk of poverty or social exclusion’ by 2020 compared to the year 2008. Although the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion fell by 3.1 million between 2008 and 2017, the EU remains far from its Europe 2020 target of reducing this number by 20 million by 2020 In this context the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been felt globally, affecting the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI’s) directly as the convening of people is a natural aspect in the delivery of creative art.
At the heart of our objectives, the St’Art up project aims at using street art as a tool to combat social exclusion and isolation as well as stimulating active citizen participation and social entrepreneurship for members of the primary target group – disadvantaged young adults (18-35 years old). This target group has been identified in the context of the needs identified in the Europe 2020 strategy. A special eye will be given to migrants and people coming from territorial-geographic, marginalised and deprived areas of the countries involved in the project.
The value of this being carried out transnationally comes from a core aim in our work, engaging them in an inclusive and European context, using their life experience to stimulate their creativity as street artists, then developing the commercial application of such activity expansively – especially at a European level to embrace mobility and freedom of movement. In the context of Covid-19 and European development in the decades that follow the current peak in the pandemic, St’ART UP seeks a common European solution, developed by a strong transnational partnership. New methodologies and new strategies need to be put in place to support socially disadvantaged young adults from across our continent so they are better able to avoid isolation and be more in charge of their own destiny.
The project is anchored by the production of two major Outputs. First, a common street-art learning pathway to involve young adults specifically addressing any vulnerability to isolation and exclusion. The pathway will enable them to express their feelings and thoughts as well as ideas and fears by gaining new creative/digital skills and gaining entrepreneurial knowledge. The pathway will be based in digital activities as preparation for work on walls and surfaces. Second, a virtual web portal dedicated for creative industry participants and youth services providers so they can work together to enable transitions and the professional growth of the target-group members. This will include a range of resources (including the learning pathway) and a dedicated forum for participants to exchange ideas and practices. The range of other actions the project will undertake are identified throughout this application.
Art in its myriad forms plays a vital role in creating more inclusive, culturally diverse societies, supporting disadvantaged young adults with the tools and competence needed to come up with creative, innovative solutions to their challenges. It allows them to face unprecedented risks as well as unveiling opportunities.
Research and studies demonstrate that artistic creativity increases mental acuity, enhances relationships with those people around its participants, bolsters self-esteem and motivates participants to reach objectives and aims.
According to Hughes (2009), a study on street art with young people reveals that for most of them street art was a challenging activity that stimulates critical thinking, the will to learn and improves their own social development. https://dspace.uevora.pt/rdpc/bitstream/10174/20544/1/Santos_et_al-2016-Journal_of_Research_in_Special_Educational_Needs%20%283%29.pdf
Moreover, the contemporary cultural economy authorises Street Artists, to be independent entrepreneurs, and clearly delineates creative productions like street art to fulfil the criteria of being a specific brand. Street Artists operate using similar strategies as those of branding companies: making a personal mark and presenting an identity that is instantly recognizable, creating cultural visibility. Our project seeks to ensure that this element is used positively in the context of community as well as identity.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 273676 Eur

Project Coordinator

Ecole de la deuxième chance Normandie & Country: FR

Project Partners

• N.E.T. (NETWORKING EDUCATION AND TRAINING) ASSOCIAZIONE CULTURALE
• PCX COMPUTERS & INFORMATION SYSTEMS LTD
• Stichting art.1
• Searchlighter Services Ltd
• DUNDEE AND ANGUS COLLEGE
• Asociación ACE (Aprende, Coopera y Emprende)