Express! Explore! Expand!

"<< Background >>With this project we aimed to foster partnerships, dialogue and finding community and common interests, language and culture across the Scandinavian countries. Through painting workshops, using the techniques of Peace Painting, we wanted to challenge and discuss what it means to be young in Scandinavia, build an inclusive Scandinavian identity - and challenge current views of what that means. And thereby giving young people the opportunity to find their place and identity in a co- created space by having dialogues about inclusion and diversity.This project was a pilot project and the beginning of a partnership, where the project partners, the young partners and local participants: explored our common stories, culture and languages but also the barriers many face when trying to identify as Scandinavian (mainly linked to issues of racism) through workshops and dialogue, expressed our stories, identities and challenged racism and prejudices and tried to expand the sometimes rigid views of what it means to be Scandinavian.<< Objectives >>As mentioned in the previous section, our objective was (together with both project partners, youth partners, and local participants) to explore our common stories, culture, and languages but also the barriers many face when trying to identify as Scandinavian (mainly linked to issues of racism). Through workshops and dialogue, we wanted express our stories, identities and to challenge racism and prejudices and try to expand the views of what it means to be Scandinavian. In addition to this, we also wanted to foster a new partnership between the Scandinavian countries, and hopefully expand this project to include the rest of the Nordic countries. Because we believe that these objectives are relevant throughout all the Nordic countries. And as this was a youth project we also wanted to explore how young people can be included as project partners - since it is their stories and experiences that needed (and still needs) to be in the forefront of projects like this.<< Implementation >>In the project application, we proposed 4 activities.Project management - Included: local meetings, preparatory visits, evaluation meeting, and digital meetings.Training workshop for youth partners - Included workshops on; stereotypes and prejudices, how to facilitate workshops, the Peace Painting technique, and planning of the exhibition and local workshopsLocal implementation and exhibition - Included 2 local workshops (one with a specific group, and one open), an open exhibition in the library in Narvik (where politicians, media, and the general public were invited)Youth-led digital storytelling - The young partners decided on an Instagram account, where they took turns being in charge of creating the content. Mostly they created “stories” that presented their everyday lives. During the local implementations, the young partners also created video interviews with some of the local participants as well as written articles for the local newspapers.Due to the fact that the Swedish partner had to withdraw from the partnership (see attachments for new project description and budget - as approved by the Norwegian NA), we created and additional activity - local workshops and exhibitions in Kolding, Denmark.<< Results >>Youth partner workshops (both in Narvik and in Kolding) on the topics of: prejudices and stereotypes, how to facilitate, peacepainting techniques, exploring our cultures - commonalities and differences, expressions of youth cultures.Local workshops:Narvik; 1 with an invited group at a local school of 31 students, 1 open with 12 participants.Exhibition in Narvik Library; 100 visitors on day 1 - with over 50 paintings and written stories Kolding; 1 with an invited group (11 participants), two open (13+6 participants) Local exhibitions: 3 at different locations - total number of visitors: approx. 2401 published article A social media page (Instagram) with currently 105 followers Digital exhibition with the created paitings and texts2 videos with interviews of both participants and local young people2 youth partners have been offered jobs at the organization PeacePainting after the project endedPresentation/discussion of the project at the Nordic Erasmus+ seminar in Oslo, December 2022All youth partners have created and received youthpasses More more details on the youth partners describing some of their learning outcomes of being a partner of this project, see the attachment, ""Youth partner learning outcome"""