The CREATIVE AGORA: empowerment and education through participatory and community arts

<< Background >>CREATIVE AGORA was driven by the desire to promote the European dimension in non-formal participatory arts education for adults, particularly targeting disadvantaged and diverse communities. It aimed to address the unique intrinsic ability of community and participatory arts and creative expression to engage adults alienated or excluded by traditional adult education offers and to promote transnational exchange and transfer of practice. The project specifically focused on developing 'artists as educators' to foster educational and social inclusion for all, addressing challenges faced by these educators, such as precarious employment, lack of professional recognition or validation, barriers to accessing professional development and isolation. It promoted innovations in formal and non-formal adult education in Europe through creative practices in various art forms, breaking down barriers to learning for adults in disadvantaged and migrant communities, thereby contributing to social inclusion, empowerment, and recovery from the Covid pandemic's impacts.<< Objectives >>CREATIVE AGORA aimed to enhance the professional development and recognition of artists as educators within non-formal adult education, focusing on participatory and community arts. Its concrete objectives were (a) the creation of innovative, new learning materials supporting educators, particularly sessional and freelance tutors working as 'artists as educators' in formal and non formal adult education settings, (b) developing a European learning 'community of practice' that fostered transfer and exchange of best practice between artist educators at a transnational level, and (c) design and transfer of learning and practice between fields of community education, the arts and technology. The objectives also included promoting social inclusion and empowerment through arts, targeting disadvantaged and diverse communities, thus contributing to a more inclusive and creative Europe.<< Implementation >>CREATIVE AGORA implemented a range of activities to achieve its objectives, combining both traditional Erasmus+ activities with innovative concepts. These activities included:•Facilitating exchange and learning among artist educators across borders to share and co-create solutions, methodologies, and learning materials.•Developing open-access resources for broader dissemination and use in adult education, particularly in participatory and community arts including case studies and learning modules on Internationalisation, Health and Wellbeing and the Social Impact of participatory arts practice.•Engaging with ultimate beneficiaries to validate the developed learning materials and methods, ensuring their effectiveness and relevance.•Focusing on the professional development of artist educators to enhance their skills and competences in adult education through participatory arts.•Conducting extensive outreach programs to share project outcomes and engage wider communities, leveraging festivals and cultural projects for broader impact.•Establishing a digital platform for ongoing collaboration, knowledge exchange, and co-creation among artist educators, fostering a sense of community and shared learning.•Implementing local groups for peer review and collaborative development, tailored to national and linguistic contexts, to extend participation and ensure the relevance and applicability of methodologies.These activities were designed to create a flexible engagement process, supporting casual to deep participation levels, and were underpinned by core principles of adult learning through participatory arts. The approach aimed to innovate adult education practices, promote social inclusion, and support the professional development of artists as educators, addressing their unique challenges and leveraging their potential to contribute to educational and social objectives.<< Results >>CREATIVE AGORA resulted in significant outputs and achievements, as outlined below:1. Technical Framework for Participatory Arts Education: Led by Folkuniversitetet, this framework established a technical foundation for the digital environment and communication tools supporting a community of practice for transnational exchange and learning among adult learners in community and cultural settings outside formal education.2. Open Educational Resource (OER) for Digital Learning Community: Spearheaded by Rinova Málaga from Spain, this OER provided a digital learning platform and resources for the digital learning community, making project outputs and results accessible and available transnationally.3. Digital Learning Suite for Artist Educators: Managed by DIMITRA Education & Consulting from Greece, this suite comprised three blended learning modules focused on internationalization and intercultural awareness, health and wellbeing, and the social impact of participatory arts education.These outputs were designed to support artist educators and engage adult learners from marginalized and disadvantaged communities, facilitating the transfer and exchange of best practices among educators at a transnational level. The project fostered the development of professional competences for independent artist educators, enhancing their ability to access professional development and internationalize their practice, significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.The digital platform and community of practice it created offered unrestricted access to learning resources, peer mentoring, and support, ensuring sustainability beyond the project's life. The outputs validated, tested, and disseminated through various activities, reached an extensive audience and contributed to raising awareness of innovative adult learning practices embedded in participatory arts education methodologies, promoting social inclusion, civic competences, and critical thinking.