Inclusive Pedagogy in Arts – Europe (IPA-E) Erasmus Project

Project Title

Inclusive Pedagogy in Arts – Europe (IPA-E)

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 : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Quality and Relevance of Higher Education in Partner Countries; Inclusion – equity; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Background/context of the project; number and type/profile of participants: In 2002-04 with funding from The Finnish Board of Education, Kuopio Conservatory was given the task as a pioneer in Finland to create administrative and pedagogical guidelines for the Individualized tuition (IVT) in the curriculum of Basic Art Education. This was the starting point to develop Kuopio Conservatory into an inclusive music school. It especially was focusing on teaching methods for pupils with intellectual disabilities. IVT required novel ideas into the education of music pedagogues as well. The Savonia University of Applied Sciences started in cooperation with Kuopio Conservatory to develop the inclusive pedagogy in the training of music and dance pedagogues. In the same time the need of knowledge and practical experiences of teaching pupils with special needs was recognized at European Music School Union (EMU). There was a lot of international and national conventions, public contracts and laws, which oblige to give the opportunity to high class art education to everyone.
The experiences of Kuopio Conservatory were presented at several Capacity Building seminars of EMU. Five project partners of IPA-E project were founded through these forums. It was clear from the very beginning that the project partners will representative both practical pedagogy (music/dance schools) and teacher´s training (universities). Nevertheless, the focus was in music education.
In IPA-E Project the partners were pioneers in developing inclusion in their own countries both in music schools and other art pedagogue education. Each organization had a slightly different approach to inclusion. All project partners had versatile and innovative pedagogical solution of inclusive pedagogy.
Objectives: The best practices at the music/dance schools and at teachers training at the universities were collected for to find out solutions for promoting inclusion in art education.

Description of undertaken activities: There were five project meetings during the project; two in Finland, one in Germany, Lithuania and Austria. The last one was The International Final Seminar in Kuopio, Finland. The core of the team working was the reflection during the whole project. The reflection was done by observing,discussing (round tables),writing,reading, analyzing and learning by doing in the workshops. After every meeting the homeworks for the next meeting were sorted out.
Results and impact attained: Because of a different approach to inclusion, both an extensive theoretical and practical competences and excellent team working skills of each project participants, the best practices were noticed not only as concrete pedagogical and methodological exercises. To find out the best practices for influencing on attitudes and promoting the accessibility were important as well. It was stated that inclusion in pedagogy means change in attitudes, teachers training, curricula/syllabus, administrative operations, development work in methodology, strengthening the practical and theoretical skills of pedagogical staff. The challenges of the accessibility proved to be cultural differences (lack of the knowledge), economical and geographically. For promoting accessibility the cooperation especially with the kindergartens, schools, art institutions (museums, orchestras) and NGOs perceived very important. It seemed that however the most difficult thing in inclusion is to change the attitude which is the starting point to develop inclusion. In the teacher´s training the practicing with different people with different special needs (mixt groups) and in the multi-professional teams was found necessary. The public informing of IPA-E succeeded well. The interest of media exceeded all the expectations. About IPA-E -project it has a been written on national and international level in newspapers, trade journals and publications of international conferences.
The best practices of the inclusive art pedagogy were led to the follow-up application ALIISA (Erasmus+ KA201,strategic partnership). If relevant, longer-term benefits: The Final Seminar was an excellent forum for national and international networking for teachers,students, researchers, artists and workers of different culture organizations. New project and co-operative ideas were founded. An increased interest of the teaching staff for Erasmus Job shadow exchange. After the seminar the participants have got many requests to come to speak about inclusive art education and inclusive teachership. In the application of IPA-E the question was asked:Who is entitled to high class music education? In the Final Seminar this question was answered but a new question was asked: Is a person with special needs entitled to perform as an artist? The long- term benefit of the IPA-E project was to be aware and convinced that inclusion is sharing the humanity and loving people with all restrictions and special features. Making all kind of arts together.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 67900 Eur

Project Coordinator

Kuopion konservatorio & Country: FI

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITAET VECHTA
• SIAULIU UNIVERSITETAS
• UNIVERSITAT FUR MUSIK UND DARSTELLENDE KUNST WIEN
• SAVONIA-AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU OY
• Musikschule des Landkreises Vechta e.V.
• Siauliu 1-oji muzikos mokykla