Festivals as Social Innovation Incubators Erasmus Project

Project Title

Festivals as Social Innovation Incubators

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; Creativity and culture; Social entrepreneurship / social innovation

Project Summary

The OBJECTIVE of FUSION is clear: to unlock the potential of festivals as social innovator incubators to amplify the creative potential of young people to become confident social innovators making the most of digital technology available to them. Though a new digital-first collaboration model, we will open up the power of festivals as non-formal learning incubators to reach and teach young audiences. By developing a new pan European online festivals youth education initiative, we can assist festivals to give value to their audiences in this period of physical disconnection and use their unique relationship with young people to amplify job creation through social innovation and inclusion and sustainable development in the creative industries sector, regardless of social and cultural background.
The Council of Europe Youth partnership, through the Knowledge Centre for Youth Policy (EKCYP), has shared worrying insights into the multitude of effects of the pandemic on young people. They conclude the Covid-19 pandemic and related lockdown measures have produced significant interruptions in young people’s lives, changing their perspectives of connections to the community, impact on well-being and mental health, employment, participation, activism, youth organisations and many other areas of young people’s lives. Across the EU 49% of young people have their working hours reduced and over 23% lost their jobs and50% are at risk of depression.

FUSION builds on the natural credibility of festivals as relevant to young people’s lives to encourage them to tackle social issues in innovative ways. By using the relatability and attractiveness of festival culture and its unique relationship with young people, we can amplify job creation through social innovation and inclusion, regardless of social and cultural background. We are determined that FUSION will bring those on the margins of society, NEETs, those from ethnic minorities or migrant backgrounds, and those from deprived neighbourhoods – into both social innovation training and meaningful economic activity. Though a new digital-first collaboration model, we will open up the power of festivals as non-formal learning incubators to reach and teach young audiences. We also benefit festivals to give new value to their audiences in this period of physical disconnection.

Our goals and target groups are:
a) Raise the motivation and knowledge of 500 festivals & youth organisations (non-formal learning), youth educators (formal) and regional stakeholders to offer learning opportunities for youth social innovation. (IO1 All you need to know Guide to Social Innovation). Not just any static Guide, it will be created with festival energy and dynamism.
b) Work inter-sectorally to unlock and revitalize the role and reach of festivals as social innovation incubators. This builds the capacity of festival organisers, youth leaders and social inclusion/economic development bodies to boost social entrepreneurial innovation, social inclusion in their regions and enable young people to be central to post Covid recovery solutions (IO2 Reach and Teach Toolbox and OERs).
c) Provide really dynamic digital tools and engaging pedagogic approaches in a first of its kind REACH and TEACH Toolbox and OERs which will enable 500 festivals, youth leaders and social inclusion/ economic development agencies to introduce the FUSION approach to their organisations in the short term, to reach and teach at least 2,000 young people.
d) Develop the social innovation skills of 2,000 young people who are adrift because of the Covid 19 impact on their lives or are normally alienated from education because of their low-skills background or status as NEETs. We equip these young people to set up a no/low-capital social innovation venture that is connected to the regional ecosystem.

While many of the young people we wish to reach as emerging social innovators are almost by definition “self-excluding” from mainstream education, their popular culture connection to festivals is a credible connection which we can utilise to maximise their participation. Festival organisers have a unique understanding of understanding their attitudes towards and interaction with the project’s resources.
FUSION is a cross-sectoral cooperation partnership bringing together the festivals sector for the first time with formal, informal, and non-formal education actors in the cultural and creative sectors. Through a new digital-first collaboration model, we will open up the power of festivals as non-formal learning incubators to reach and teach young audiences. We also benefit festivals to give new value to their audiences in this period of physical disconnection. We share a commitment to addressing major societal challenges as a result of the COVID crisis and for the first time, on a pan European basis, lever the power of festivals as learning incubators.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 295220 Eur

Project Coordinator

Delta1 gUG (Haftungsbeschränkt) & Country: DE

Project Partners

• MOMENTUM MARKETING SERVICES LIMITED
• BACKSLASH
• Foreningen Roskilde Festival
• CANICE CONSULTING LIMITED
• İstanbul Ekonomi Araştırma ve Danışmanlık A.Ş.