The project “Culture and Art: Bridges to Solidarity” (CABS) aims to highlight the seriously undervalued influence of European culture, history and art as means towards a comprehensive inclusion of all citizens in Europe – regardless of social level or origin. Unquestionably the most effective way to accomplish this objective is through education and by raising awareness within the educational community.
As worldwide social mayhem seems to be growing, partners want to break this trend and adopt a positive perspective through culture and art using them as the social pillars of a more inclusive and solidary Europe and to propose adequate tools to support this scheme.
CABS intend to do away with biases associated to age, social status and background. Partners are determined to give European cultural and historical roots more visibility by creating a range of downloadable pictorial “patchworks” approaching specific topics – from mere facts (European historical events) to a more intimate and individualized approach (individual reminiscences). CABS will also touch on specific significant events in each of the member countries as well as the development of the European Union, thus achieving a sense of unity and belonging.
Specific tasks related to awareness include the creation of a European Art Nouveau “patchwork” which will inevitably be linked to social and historical events within each of the partners realities. EU historical events will unquestionably be associated to traditions, celebrations and be reflected on paintings from different aesthetic movements. In other words our patchworks will intertwine European art and culture so that we may appreciate that it is our differences that make us unique and at the same time undividable. Individual reminiscences will give CABS the personal touch as younger participants will be able to live, first hand, historical biographies that do not appear in books. Information, getting to know other social realities will contribute to acceptance and support inclusion and integration.
This partnership is a logical continuation of former successful partners´ projects like “Boosting Individual Competences” (BIC–2016-2018), “Voices in Pictures” (VIP-2013-2015) and “Visualisation” (2011-2013) as well as “Moving language” (2016-2018). It considers art, visuals and pictures and their use in education while addressing ways to facilitate social unity.
CABS lasts 24 months (01-11-19/31-10-21) and focuses on exchange of good practices.Tasks will be democratically distributed within the 5 partners which are experienced institutions in adult education and completely aware of the need to implement a positive approach to an adverse social issue. CABS is a joint venture in which these institutions will combine their expertise and know-how to respond to an unacceptable social state of affairs. In other words CABS aims to address issues of social isolation or exclusion in all social strata, more significantly among senior citizens, migrants, refugees or underprivileged.
In the same way that CABS aims to make learners from different social realities an enriching and necessary piece of our “patchworks”, teachers will also be granted the opportunity to develop their methodological competence in using art and visuals while teaching different disciplines e.g. 2nd languages and their cultures.This interdisciplinary approach will inspire a culture of international networking.
In respond to the inclusion policy of the European Commission CABS shows a particularly high relevance because of its multigenerational and multicultural approach and follows the 2019 Global Education Monitoring Report recommendation: “Inclusion should be at the centre of education policies and systems”.
Finally we would like to mention the 5 institutions involved in the partnership:
Patchworks, that is to say, combining artistic, historical and cultural heritage as if they were the European map itself, will be a valuable tool to build a better understanding of our enriching multicultural reality while intensifying participants´ feelings of their common identity as Europeans.
Culture and Art do not know frontiers so we will build bridges and NOT walls towards an even better Europe