OASES for change – Organising Artistic Self-Empowerment Spaces Erasmus Project

Project Title

OASES for change – Organising Artistic Self-Empowerment Spaces

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: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy) ; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

The Partnership for Creativity “OASES for Change – Organising Artistic Self-Empowerment Spaces” will collect, exchange, further develop and disseminate quality criteria, guidelines and tools for organising diversity-aware and diversity-inclusive exchange projects bringing together young people in the medium of arts and creativity. Specifically, know-how for designing environments which, as safe spaces and creation laboratories,
– invite young people from different countries, from different social, cultural, religious, socio-economical backgrounds, from diverse genders and sexual orientations,
– engage them in collective exploration and discussion of topics relevant to them,
– inspire them to collectively create artworks (including performances, movies, installations, digital stories and more) based on the topical work, unfolding their creative potential; and thus
– connect them across national and societal border lines, and
– support their self-empowerment; by giving them space, by offering constructive guidance by highly skilled educational and artistic professionals experienced in diversity-aware and diversity-inclusive youth work, and by offering them tools, stages and audiences for articulating their artistic and socio-political ideas, visions and demands;
– thus, supporting them to become changemakers in their local environments and in a globalised world.

We strongly believe in the power of non-formal education projects combining arts and youth empowerment work while taking both aspects seriously: Individual/social/political learning as well as arts and creativity as fundamental ways of expression, communication and being human. We believe in the right of young people to be heard, and we take them serious as artists. Based on these values, organisations in the OASES consortium have been hosting international exchange projects for young artists – “artists” in a wide sense, fostering especially young people with less access to formal or privately paid artistic education – since 17+ years. A lot has been learned and developed during those years, specifically during 65+ international youth exchanges, residencies and seminars hosted within the context of the international ROOTS & ROUTES network, linking 5 of the OASES partners, and connecting contemporary arts with urban culture.

We feel it’s time to secure and share the experiences we gained so far; to develop further and share our approaches; and to give international youth exchanges combining serious artistic and socio-political approaches a new boost.
We will develop and exchange concepts, procedures and practices in a first phase, culminating in a first international seminar connecting old and new partners. Then, shared know-how will be piloted in international exchange projects. In the final stage of the project, kicked off with a second transnational seminar, we will develop the OASES project results:

A. Quality criteria and guidelines for several aspects of hosting, and sending groups to, arts-based international youth exchanges; including:
– Artistic and educational standards for inclusive, intersectional and diversity conscious arts-based youth work.
– Quality criteria for methods/practices to be used.
– Quality criteria for communication with participants and partners, and for physical environments for exchanges (accomodation and working spaces).
– Guidelines for host organisations to create inspiring and inclusive environments.
– Guidelines for host organisations to create safe spaces, to manage risks and to protect participants.
– Guidelines for sending organisations to prepare their participants and group leaders.
– Guidelines for debriefing processes after the actual exchange, for both hosts and sending organisations.
– Guidelines for reaching and finding participants.

B. Tools facilitating hosting, and sending groups to, arts-based international youth exchanges; including:
– Suggested processes/structures between partners (from calls for partners, through selection of participants, up to handling financial aspects and travel arrangements).
– Templates for calls for project partners, for fact sheets for exchanges, or for Terms and Conditions for Participation (including handling of image rights and authorship/copyright).
– Spread sheets for cooking for groups, for making equipment insurances, and for other concrete aspects of hosting youth exchanges.
– A few selected practices and methods, focussing on specific steps required for certain exchange formats; like, how to split up a full group into functioning creation groups; or how to develop a big common performance with a large group.

These results will be made available online; and will be disseminated through multiplier events and through the general work of the consortium partners, and their communication with their national networks; as well as through the wider work of the international ROOTS & ROUTES network, including the member organisations not involved in this project.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 299126 Eur

Project Coordinator

ROOTS & ROUTES Cologne e. V. & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Streetdance Center
• SZUBJEKTIV ERTEKEK ALAPITVANY
• VIESOJI ISTAIGA KAUNO IVAIRIU TAUTU KULTURU CENTRAS
• SYNERGEIO MOUSIKOU THEATROU ASTIKIMI KERDOSKOPIKI ETAIREIA
• Royal Court LiverpoolTrust Limited
• EMPREINTE
• Centro di Creazione e Cultura