Abstract
While United Nation’s 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights cites participation in cultural, social, and scientific community life as an entitlement for all, global destabilization generates complex intersectional challenges for migrant families and their host communities. Psychological trauma, low socio-economic status, language barriers, and public bias undermine integration into the social fabric of society. International research indicates that creative, intercultural engagement fosters social cohesion between host and migrant communities, addressing linguistic and socio-cultural barriers, and supporting education, health, wellbeing, and economic growth. These findings inform the development and implementation of the two-year ArtsTogether Project, funded by European Commission’s Asylum Migration and Integration Fund. ArtsTogether’s partnership of five European countries, promotes societal integration of migrant communities through expressive arts participation, increasing third country nationals’ educational, cultural and social engagement, and challenging discrimination through shared intercultural experiences and plurilingual dialogue. This paper disseminates ArtsTogether’s research ethos, structure and data, intercultural pedagogy and resources, pilot studies and findings. Initially generating data on migrants’ needs within Greece and Italy, ArtsTogether’s Curriculum team at Bath Spa University, UK, created an inclusive curriculum, in collaboration with educators, museums and cultural centres across EU. Piloted within migrant centres, camps, schools, nurseries, and cultural and community settings, ArtsTogether promotes global plurilingual strategies to support individual and community empowerment and social integration through the arts. Following pilot tests and dissemination at Parlamento Europeo Spazio Europa, ArtsTogether’s Curriculum is available to support diverse communities, facilitating inclusive intercultural practice, and initiating recommendations for international policy and practice.
Presenters
June BianchiSenior Lecturer in Arts Education, Education, Bath Spa University, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2022 Special Focus: Intercultural Learning in Plurilingual Contexts
KEYWORDS
Creativity, Culture, Arts, Empowerment, Migrant Communities, Integration
