The Art EQUAL project is based upon a shared need for qualified methods to create learning environments that foster young children’s well-being, self-empowerment, participation and sense of community. The partners in the project are rooted in the arts and cultural sector and have many years of experience with art- and culture-based programmes for and with children. The partners have experienced how these programmes can have a positive impact on the learning environment, the individual child and the child group. The children experience they have a voice that interacts with other voices in a way they might not find in other learning situations. This is especially relevant when working with inclusive education. The partners have experienced that artistic and cultural activities can have a natural inclusive approach by providing a room for all expressions. There is a lack of competition, and nothing is right or wrong. The children can participate in new ways, and when it works well the children are free to explore, play, follow their own motives and find their own expressions in a group with others. The aim of the Art EQUAL project has been to integrate the partners’ experiences into the pedagogical practice of early childhood education by setting up interdisciplinary collaborations between professional artists/culture workers and early years professionals. These collaborations have proofed to have a strong impact on the way artistic and cultural activities become present in children’s everyday lives, and in general how these activities can have a positive influence on pedagogical practice, especially in connection with the social integration of children with disadvantaged backgrounds or special educational needs.The aim of the project has thus been to help early years professionals to develop a new perspective on how art and culture can be integrated into their daily practice, and the other way around to help art and culture professionals to get an insight into and learn from pedagogical approaches and ways of working. The project has provided a range of practical workshops in local nurseries, kindergartens and schools based on collaborations between the pedagogical staff and invited artists or culture workers. The partners developed a common method to ensure a room for equal collaboration and involvement of the professionals’ different experiences, skills and perspectives on working with children in art and culture-based activities. The method is based upon the principles of action learning with the aim of analysing and reflecting on your own practice and learning from your experiences. Throughout the project the practical workshops formed the content of the project’s intellectual outputs. This process was supported by an external evaluator from VIA University College in Denmark who pointed out several recurring values and introduced the partners to relevant evaluation frameworks, such as writing narratives. The experiences from the workshops were collected and formed the basis of the project’s educational resource. The resource includes: - An online platform including a reflection and documentation tool “Let’s Collaborate” for early years professionals: http://artequal.eu/en/- A process guide describing the different steps in collaborative processes based on action learning principles and inspirational models to use in joint reflections- A methodology handbook as an extended version of the process guide including the background of the Art EQUAL project, essays by relevant experts, case studies from the local workshops and basic tips and ideas from the partners- A training course curriculum including a methodological description and practical ideas of implementing the material in training at various levels: national, regional and local.Along with the project’s educational resource the project partners have set the framework for an Implementation Strategy with the aim of encouraging early years professionals, artists, culture workers, decision makers and other relevant stakeholders to implement and make use of the Art EQUAL methodology and resources. In the longer term the aim is to improve and empower the development of inclusive education for children through art- and culture-based activities, at local, regional, national as well as international level. The strategy presents the partners perspectives on how to ensure the project’s results go into real-world practice and benefit both adults and children. It describes the different aspects of implementation in the Art EQUAL project and presents the partner’s basic ideas and recommendations to relevant professionals and stakeholders in early childhood education and care.

"""Jobs for Young Artists"" is a innovative project, which approaches in 2 different ways the employment issue for young adults from the 10 partner-organisations:a) by training and upgrading the individual skills as both performer and trainer, while creating and implementing a 2 weeks Baltic Sea Youth Performance Tour for 20 professional artists age 18-30.b) by doing research on the actual job-world within arts and entertainment-world which, since the 80'ies with ABBA exporting for more money the car-company Volvo, has exploded even more.10 Organisations from DK, EE, FI, IT, LV, LT, PL, PT & SE and will meet in June 2020 to decide a call for young, professional artists and in October 2020 to decide from the incoming applications the 20 participating artists.These will meet for 1 week in January 2021 in FI and in DK for 2 other weeks of training in April, where they basically improvise together on the theme ""International Communication & Cooperation"" towards the play/performance assisted by an external paid dirtector. Straight after April rehearsal the performance will go on a 2 week paid performance-tour with 11 performances around the Baltic Sea, where they also will do at least 3 x 20 school-workshops for students.Meanwhile a team directed by Mr. Bo from Arttrain, who is cand.phil. in musical science and previously has researched and edited about ""Music as a socio-pedagogical Tool"" will do the research, which will to some degree be incorporated in the performances, and presented both there, at conferences and through newspapers, newsletters and TV."

The Global Roots project aims to empower children in primary education (8-13 years) to understand, reflect and act on their rights and responsibilities as citizens in a constantly changing world. As we move through the 21st century, the world is becoming more and more complex to all of us. Technology is bringing new conditions of life as well as new challenges, paradoxes and ethical dilemmas. Political and democratic systems are under pressure, and the ecosystems and the climate are endangered to a limit that can cause serious consequences for humanity in the near future. We know we live in extraordinary times. How do we prepare for and find solutions for the times ahead, and how do we involve children in this progress?With reference to the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child and 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the project deals with the educational framework for teaching children the role and responsibilities of being an active global citizen of today - and helping them to find a place in the high-speed, competing and multi-facetted society. The aim is to engage teachers in primary education to provide sustainable learning environments where children through reflection and immersion can build a relationship with the world and make responsible choices. The project will reinforce the development of key competences in primary education by providing concrete methods to develop children’s insights and basic skills, such as empathy, imagination, resilience and cognitive thinking, so they learn how to navigate in and respond constructively and critically to the present-day development.The focal point of the Global Roots Project is to set up collaborations between professionals in primary education (teachers in humanistic subjects and science) and professionals from the art and culture sector (artists, culture workers, museum educators). The aim of the collaborative processes is to develop new methods of involvement for 8-13-year-old children in primary school. Solid research and practice show that art and culture can play a vital role in communicating and dealing with complex issues, such as increasing inequality, climate changes, consumption of food and technology. Art (in all its genres) can challenge habitual thinking and pave the way for empathy, social intelligence and critical thinking – and most important art can develop, train and strengthen our imagination. More than ever we need to imagine what does not yet exist and to believe that our actions can make a difference in the world. The Global Roots project also focuses on the interplay between humanistic subjects and natural science in primary education, and how collaborations with external art and culture professionals can bring new dimensions to the addressed subjects. Based on practical workshops, the project will develop an educational framework for how to host and facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations with the aim of involving children in present-day agendas and sustainable development.AIMS AND OUTPUTS:The key aims and objectives of the project are:- to empower and give voice to children through methods of involvement based upon the interplay between humanistic subjects, natural science, art and culture;- to increase all children’s understanding of equality and democratic rights, and to enhance their basic knowledge of the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child;- to provide a learning environment where children can relate to, reflect and act on sustainable development, and to develop their knowledge of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals;- to facilitate and qualify interdisciplinary collaborations between professionals from the school sector and professionals from the art and culture sector;- to develop intellectual outputs that promote the inclusion of children’s voices in sustainable development and develop their attitude towards the world and how they choose to be active global citizens;The project will develop two main intellectual outputs:1.An Educational Resource, incl. a model on how to host and facilitate cross-curricular collaborations, a bank of opportunities (good practice examples, tools, tips and ideas), a model on how to curate exhibitions, a methodology handbook and a curriculum for a live training course;2.An Implementation Strategy to promote and support interdisciplinary collaborations and the implementation of the project’s results at local, regional and national level; By offering well-tested methods on how to integrate qualified art and culture in primary education, the project has the potential to develop joint European solutions to support children in their navigation in the 21st century’s realities, challenges and opportunities. In the short term the project will provide a platform for exchanging knowledge, experiences and skills and making visible the potential outcomes of working across sectors.