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Description
This project addresses the problem of stereotypes and prejudice in cultural institutions and among people conducting artistic classes in Śląsk. In the whole voivodship, there are approximately 400 cultural centers that operating youth groups, but the persons conducting the activities do not have the competencies to include vulnerable persons, react to discrimination, or use non-stigmatizing language. In the artistic community itself – in artistic schools and cultural institutions - harassment and abuse has been occurring for years, especially from superiors; due to the #metoo campaign, a number of cases of abuse came to light. In its project, the Project Promoter wishes to promote standards of equality during artistic classes and in cultural institutions. The foundation will organize a series of six training sessions for instructors working with young people in Śląsk. The workshops will concern human rights, civic activism in artistic work, counteracting discrimination, the language of equality, creating a safe space during classes, and inclusive artistic education. At the end of the project, youth groups, including people with special needs or in minorities, will create, working with trained coaches, ten artistic events that raise the issues most important to them, related to preventing discrimination. The project is intended for artistic class instructors (10 people) and young people attending artistic classes from Śląsk (100 people). The instructors will develop their ability to use the language of equality and to include vulnerable persons and persons at risk of discrimination in cultural activities. In turn, young people will become more sensitive regarding language and conduct that reinforces stereotypes and leads to exclusion, and will gain tools for combining creativity and activism. The cultural institutions themselves will improve their knowledge of how to incorporate an equality viewpoint into artistic activity.
Summary of project results
The project responds to the problem of prejudice and stereotypes in cultural institutions and among those running artistic activities in Silesia. , There are around 400 cultural centres offering activities for young people through the province, however workshop leaders lack the competences to include people at risk of exclusion, to respond to discrimination or to use non-stigmatising language. Unfortunately, change is not fostered by the preservation of the old order based on domination, obedience and violence in the artistic environment - in art schools and cultural institutions. Recently, several cases of abuse - including bullying, harassment and violence by superiors - went public in the wave of the #metoo movement.
The project promoter conducted a series of six trainingson equality standards in artistic classes and cultural institutions. The trainings were intended for trainers working with youth in Silesia - thirteen people took part in them. The workshops dealt with human rights, activism, anti-discrimination, the inclusion of people with special needs in cultural activities, equality language and non-violent communication in practice and during evaluation of activities. At the end of the project, youth groups, including people with special needs or those from groups at risk of exclusion or marginalisation, created - together with trained facilitators - nine artistic events (happenings and workshops) addressing the most important issues related to counteracting discrimination.
The project promoted equality standards in arts classes and cultural institutions. Thirteen instructors, developed skills in using equality language and including people exposed to the risk of discrimination and exclusion in cultural activities. The young people, in turn, were sensitised to stereotyping and exclusionary language and behaviour, and were given tools to combine creativity and activism. The events, which were prepared by the young people together with their instructors, were attended by people from their enviroment, employees of cultural institutions, local authorities, a total of around 3,500 recipients. The project has also had an impact on the cultural institutions themselves, by indirectly transfering the knowledge of introducing an equality perspective into artistic activities.