CONTACT Erasmus Project

Project Title

CONTACT

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: Inclusion – equity; Disabilities – special needs; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

CONTEXT
While our 21st century societies have come a long way to create more equality and overcome several layers of exclusions, some remain. Disability is one of them. In many places people with disability are hidden, excluded, practical or symbolic borders keep them away from public space.
Theoretical research and experience have both shown that merely creating the occasion for people of different groups to get in touch does not necessarily lead to real contact, engagement and collaboration. It can also lead to the reinforcing of stereotypes and differentiations. It is our contention that artistic creation can become the necessary catalyst to turn such occasion to real contact.
The accessibility of engaging in artistic activities is present to different degrees in our partner countries. But even where there are opportunities for people with special needs, these rarely imply inclusive settings in the sense of welcoming people with and without disability. It seems that with very rare exceptions in all the cities the artistic activity scene is quite divided as most actions are only for persons with or without disabilities. Consequently there are very few opportunities where people with and without disability encounter each other on an “equal footing” that is outside of a formal framework where one would become the mentor of the other. And such spaces for encounter are crucially needed as “Only by encountering difference is it possible to learn to treat it as a natural thing » (Virtanen, PIrkko. 2009, 236)
Our project has the ambition of showing how that is possible, on three levels. First, on interpersonal level, second on small group level, third on wider social level through public space art events.

NEEDS ADRESSED
YOUNG PEOPLE According to research, people without disability are often apprehensive in entering contact with disables people, by not knowing “what is appropriate”. Similarly, young people with disabilities may be apprehensive about encounters as they anticipate the embarrassment of the others.
YOUTH WORKERS, EDUCATORS who have no “specialisation” in disability may be reluctant to involve young people with disability, out of concern that they lack the appropriate preparation, skills and knowledge to welcome them. This is particularly prone to happen in areas where the body is relevant: sports, dance, theatre (as opposed to seated activities such as IT..). Our project wishes to remedy this problem by bringing a viable model of body-based (dance-based) workshop activities capable of welcoming young people with and without disability.
WIDER SOCIETY still too many apprehensions and preconceptions remain concerning disability, and beyond the physical barriers these representations constitute another obstacle of a positive coexistence.

OBJECTIVES
For young people with disability: positive experiences of contact, collaboration, engagement with young people without disability, an experience of “power within” (valorisation of own resources) of “power with” (sharing with others) and “power to” (readiness to act, to dance, to travel, to meet etc.). Reduced stress in social situations.
For young people without disability : positive experiences of contact, collaboration, engagement with young people with disability, overcoming possible apprehensions about contact with people with disability
For youth workers: reducing apprehensions about welcoming young people with disability in different education activities for young people where the body is relevant, examples of collaborations with organisations from the artistic field
For the larger audience / local communities: countering preconceptions about disability (such as people with disability cannot dance or cannot offer an aesthetic experience)

PARTICIPANTS
During the project period we will work together closely with 30 young people, some of them with and some without disability. We’ll also work closely with 30 youth workers, on whom we count to help us prepare the transfer of the methods in the lost adapted way possible. Through our multiplier and dissemination events we plan to reach at least 500 people face to face and more than 10.000 people through online communication.

ACTIVITIES
The core of our methodological development is envisaged through co-construction sessions with three groups of young people with and without disability, who will accompany us through the three phases of the project: first exploring how dance becomes a means to get in contact and engage with each other. Second, using collective choreography to learn collaboration, building on everyone’s contributions, and sharing it with an audience. Third, bringing our to the public space. Based on these experiences we’ll create toolkits and video lessons and share them with youth workers so they can enrich their practice.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 297747 Eur

Project Coordinator

DK-BEL & Country: FR

Project Partners

• Dimitra Svigkou single member P.C
• ELAN INTERCULTUREL
• Esteetön taide ja kulttuuri ry
• Vimmart – yhdenvertaisen taiteen oppilaitoksen tuki ry.
• THEATRO ATOMON ME ANAPIRIA