Next Generation, Please! Erasmus Project

Project Title

Next Generation, Please!

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: Social dialogue; Creativity and culture; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy

Project Summary

NEXT GENERATION, PLEASE! (NGP!) was conceived in 2014 in response to rising populism and euro-scepticism as an ambitious civic engagement project that brings together artists, decision makers and a target group of citizens to explore Europe as a theme vis-à-vis democratic practice.
Next Generation, Please! is the latest version of two initiatives that aim to gather thinkers, activists, policy makers and politicians around current topics: Narratives for Europe and New Narrative for Europe.
On the Narratives for Europe website, you will find writers, artists, journalists and analysts who speak on four pressing issues on which the European debate revolves today: historical taboos, stereotypes, migration and change. New Narrative for Europe was launched by the European Commission in 2013 and brought artists, scientists and intellectuals together to reflect on common values such as freedom, human dignity, democracy, equality and respect for human rights. This project was made in a statement in 2014 and in the book The Mind and Body of Europe, prepared by a group of prominent figures including CEO and artistic director of BOZAR Paul Dujardin, artists Olafur Eliasson, Michelangelo Pistoletto and Cristina Iglesias, writer György Konrad and architect Rem Koolhaas.
Inspired by those two projects, BOZAR decided,to set up its own citizenship project for young people. With Next Generation, Please! we want to stimulate the public debate on European citizenship and encourage young people to share their opinions and ideas about (the future) of Europe. In 2015-2016 the first edition of Next Generation, Please! took place.
The overwhelming success of the exhibition and the positive feedback from both artists and young people prompted us to start a new batch in 2017-2018 and scale up the project to an international level by integrating an in-person exchange in the project. .
The project entails a collaboration with artists, intellectuals and local and international policymakers. The aim was to stimulate new thinking among this younger generation around the complexity of living together and civic responsibility in the context of the European project. The overarching theme was Europe and work, present and future. Borders and migration, were some of the key issues explored in the creative projects. NGP! unfolded via the following actions:
• 2 parallel artistic projects in two schools, Institut Sainte-Marie and Lycée Rodin led by artists, teachers and experts and three cultural institutions (Fondazione Pistoletto, Centre Pompidou and BOZAR)
• 4 in-person exchanges for the young people
• 5 transnational meetings with the different stakeholders
• The creation of an intellectual output: a methodological manual for teachers and cultural workers
• One residency week at Centre Pompidou and BOZAR
• Two debates and various informal conversations at BOZAR featuring program participants, artists and politicians including Hermann Van Rompuy, Simone Susskind among others
• Final Exhibition at BOZA
Overall objective were creating new and exciting ways to bring together ordinary citizens, policy makers and cultural actors, in the spirit of responsible global citizenship, in order facilitate direct personal contact, build trust through understanding and change existing narratives.
Specific objectives include :
• Stimulate reflection around the challenges confronting Europe/Global Citizenship
• Use culture as a vehicle and multiplier for debate in order to circumnavigate roadblocks and stimulate dialogue
• Celebrate the ideas, talents and experiences of target stakeholders and help them develop the tools and desire to act as engaged and proactive citizens
• Create a new narrative for Europe with art
• Inform policy makers on recommendations of target
• Complement existing initiatives
• Transform cultural institutions into a more innovative and inclusion institution

The impact study showed that Next Generation, Please! is an effective means to help participants develop skills, reflect on European values, further practical knowledge of social and political issues, as well as connect with one another. The participants in clearly enjoyed and valued their participation in the Erasmus + project, strongly believe that it was worthwhile to continue.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 119139,5 Eur

Project Coordinator

PALAIS DES BEAUX ARTS & Country: BE

Project Partners

• Centre national d’art et de culture Georges Pompidou
• Institut Sainte-Marie
• LYCEE RODIN
• FONDAZIONE PISTOLETTO