European Digital Cultural Heritage and Values for Migrant Empowerment and Inclusion in Adult Education

<< Background >>COVID-19 pandemic had a sudden and substantial impact on the arts and cultural heritage sector. By March 2020, most cultural institutions across the world were indefinitely closed. One of the key aims of the European Agenda for Adult Learning (renewed in 2015) is the social inclusion and active participation in the community and society of all adults, including those with a migrant background. The project builds upon this crucial aim by incorporating to its core the European cultural heritage, and values. Its aim is to support the social integration of immigrants, and to equip educators and/or non-formal trainers who support adult learners with tools for raising awareness of the European cultural heritage, and values which are considered universal. As pointed out in the “Settling In 2018: Indicators if Immigrant Integration” Report (EC & OECD, December 2018), immigrants and ethnic minorities are among the most vulnerable groups to poverty and social exclusion. Promoting adult learning as a means of fostering solidarity between cultures and people of all backgrounds is becoming more urgent than ever and creative non-formal and informal learning environments could play a crucial role.<< Objectives >>The project builds upon this crucial aim by incorporating to its core the European cultural heritage to stimulate European awareness and values and making it accessible to less privileged communities. The project’s general objectives were to:• Support the social inclusion of adult immigrants considering the underlying European values;• Stimulate their participation in civic and social life;• Encourage intercultural dialogue and build mutual understanding between new arrivals and receiving communities;• Promote tolerance, mutual understanding, social cohesion, and support the fight against racism and xenophobia by cultivating critical thinking• Develop transversal skills and competences in order to support the socio-educational and personal development of immigrants and locals, particularly young adults.The project’s specific objectives were to:• Help adult immigrants learn about and make European values their own;• Provide adult educators with tools in order to raise awareness on the importance of Europe’s cultural heritage, and values;• Develop (young) adults’ creativity skills through video recordings of cultural heritage products;• Organise National and European events to spread the project’s products and results.<< Implementation >>During the project lifecycle, following activities have been implemented:- A number of 158 adult educators participated in the project's activities, e.g. trainings, workshops, video production with their groups, production of content for the Europe4All Multimedia Manifest with their groups, dissemination events etc, supported the overall development of the project and had access to all outputs.- A number of 326 adults (with a focus on young adults) including migrants and natives, were engaged in project activities (e.g. trainings, workshops, video production, production of content for the Europe4All Multimedia Manifest, dissemination events etc) and had access to all outputs.- Multiplier events in each partner country and two final conferences in Cyprus were organised.- An LTTA activity for adult educators has been organised in Greece- Four intellectual outcomes (PR1: Europe4All Digital Filmmaking for Beginners ; PR2: Europe4All VIDEO Library ; PR3: Europe4All handbook for Adult Educators ; PR4: Europe4All Multimedia Manifesto) have been co-created through an intensive collaboration between the partners of the project and their network partners in the different countries<< Results >>The project impact is as follows:•Participants:Diverse Empowerment: Participants, including (young) adults, both migrants and natives,culture experts, adult educators, non-formal trainers, education managers, and migrant support workers, experienced substantive professional growth. The project surpassed its outreach target, engaging over 2886 individuals, fostering cross-cultural understanding and enriching their skill sets.(Young) adults’, both migrants’ and natives’, awareness of the positive impact European cultural heritage makes to society has been raised, their understanding for European values has raised and their competences in video making has raisedAdult educators, non-formal trainers, education managers, and migrant support workers awareness of new methodologies and educational tools has been raised, especially their competences in working on the topics of European values and cultural heritage with groups of migrantsParticipating Organizations:Strategic Collaboration: Collaborating entities (K8, Hub Nicosia, VAEV, Pressure Line, EU Relations, Innoved) witnessed positive outcomes. Active participation in project activities facilitated the exchange of best practices, nurtured networks, and contributed to the development of innovative educational methodologies.Target Groups and Stakeholders:Inclusive Impact: The Europe4All project effectively engaged specified target groups, including adults (migrants and natives) and adult educators. The inclusivity of these diverse groups ensured a comprehensive impact. Stakeholders, encompassing local communities and organizations, directly benefited from the project's outcomes, fostering inclusivity and cultural awareness.The following project results have been produced:1) Europe4All Digital Filmmaking for Beginners: This practical multimedia Guide to Video Production is a consolidated set of materials and tools that guide both adult educators and all interested (young) adults (locals and immigrants alike) to create a video about the topic of cultural heritage. It explains step-by-step how to support oneself in making her/his video productions, while engaging with the different forms of cultural heritage (both tangible and intangible) in Europe. It includes tips about content (“how do I choose a topic?” “which different forms of videos can I produce?”) and about practical video production (“What equipment do I need?” “Which program can I use for video production?” and also tips how to promote your video.)2) Europe4All VIDEO Library: is a collection of minimum 25 participatory videos produced by migrants and natives together. The participants have created videos exploring cultural heritage in the different countries of the project and setting them in relation with the topic of values in Europe. The videos deal both with tangible (monuments, architectural specificities, archeological artifacts,...) and intangible cultural heritage (dance, theater, food habits, sport, languages,...)3) Europe4All handbook for Adult Educators is an integrated set of materials designed to give adult educators specific tools on how to use the Europe4All videos to work with groups of adults (with the focus on newcomers) on the topics of European values and European cultural heritage. The handbook includes background information for the educators, examples of other projects dealing with similar topics, examples of techniques of storytelling that can be used to work on those topics and six propositions of learning paths based on six of the Europe4All videos that educators can implement with their learners.4) Europe4All Multimedia Manifesto : includes a set of declarations on issues about Europe important to groups regrouping local natives and migrants. The Manifesto presents statements by young adults in the six partner countries on issues related to their cultural and social participation in life in Europe through multimedia formats such as videos, pictures and audio materials. Interviews at national level have been conducted in each country with individuals to gather statements about the following topics: In Europe, the following aspects work really well… In Europe, the following areas need to be improved… My suggestion for improving the situation is… My message to the Members of the European Parliament is…The statements have been curated by the consortium and presented in the Europe4All Manifesto clustered in five topics:1: Right of access to all educational levels for everybody2: Support migrants and refugees in their integration process, also through a fairer refugees’ policy which respects human rights3: The environment has to be protected4: Equal employment opportunities5: Enhance the representative power of the European Parliament: it should be an institution closer to the European Citizens