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Description
The project “JOVENS URGENTES” seeks to strengthen democratic culture through the creation of spaces that encourage civic and political participation among young people, allowing them to become agents of change in their own territories. Around 300 students between the ages of 12 and 18 from the municipalities of Maia and Valongo will be invited to participate in mobilisation actions, reflection meetings, artistic workshops (on topics such as democracy, political ideas, activism, partisanship, associations, advocacy, and fake news), presentations, public interventions and political debates together with political decision-makers and the wider community. The “beating heart” of the project is the Rebel Caravan – a van converted into an itinerant space that sets up in schools and public spaces and is one of the bases for the artistic creation processes.
Summary of project results
This project aimed to strengthen democratic literacy and the exercise of citizenship by creating opportunities (time, spaces, and activities) that brought young people closer to reflection, expression, and civic and political participation through artistic expressions. The actions were mainly carried out in two parishes in the north of Portugal, on the outskirts of Porto: Valongo and Maia. These efforts were made possible through partnerships with the City Councils and permanent dialogue with technical teams from the areas of Education and Youth in those territories.
By intersecting themes related to citizenship, art, and activism, the project created spaces for listening, sharing, and creativity where participants could express their thoughts, positions, worldviews, and explore new ways of expressing their concerns and utopias.
The intervention design supported the achievement of the objectives by being co-constructed with the specificities of each territory in mind, incorporating suggestions from partners and demands expressed by participants throughout the process. The artistic workshops explored different creative languages, allowing participants to experiment and express themselves artistically. Conversations and exchanges with activist movements stimulated debate and learning on social and political issues. At the same time, the meetings and experience-sharing sessions provided space for discussion on pressing issues identified by the young people.
Issues such as citizenship, human rights and participation through art were addressed, integrating themes and ideas brought by the participants themselves. The strategic involvement of invited experts and other collaborations throughout the implementation of the project enriched the approach, allowing their knowledge and experience to contribute to the learning and engagement processes of the young people.
The fight against misinformation was a transversal element in the planned actions: in the sharing circles, in the knowledge exchange with guests, in the collective creation processes, in the suggestions of the facilitation team during the mediations and in the recommendations of other repertoires. Reflections on the multiple ways of doing politics were provoked by reflections and, above all, by practical experiments focused on collective creation.
The creation of an artistic mural with "urgent messages" deepened the debate on respect for differences and gender inequalities in a school as a whole. The poster exhibition made the concerns and aspirations of the 10th grade students visible to the entire school community. The objects created by young people during creative workshops in Maia led to greater intergenerational proximity and revealed the desire for "good living" in the community. A performance/manifesto created by 9th graders allowed the development of a set of individual and collective skills, provoking a collective debate about the school routine in an intentional and creative way. By drawing, painting, writing, making posters, creating images, participating for the first time in a public march, occupying spaces, performing, and moving their bodies collectively, the youth were able to imagine and claim more current and plural ways of being, existing, and participating.
The link between the demands of the young participants and the local decision-makers was established in different dimensions: through the intentional sharing of the contents and artistic products resulting from the processes with teaching teams and school administrations; through the involvement of technical teams from education and youth, who were able to incorporate some of the youth''s proposals into the design of local policies and to scale up some of the proposals to more strategic levels with local decision-makers. The activist dimension of the actions carried out in the various intervention areas opened doors to greater awareness of social and political issues, allowing young people to develop a broader understanding of their role as agents of change in society.
Summary of the main actions and results: 117 young people trained in citizenship education, 109 workshops held, 14 civic initiatives carried out and 11 artistic products created, including posters, videos, a mural, an exhibition and a digital toolkit.
In quantitative terms, the following was achieved:
- 14 civic initiatives led by supported NGOs;
- 6 volunteers recruited;
- 117 people educated in civic rights;
- 77% share of target group showing civic concerns.
In terms of capacity building, the promoter had already developed an action plan based on a needs assessment conducted during a previous ACF project. This led to the development and implementation of an institutional communication plan, the training of seven professionals in social media communication and digital photography, the production of a video specifically for social media, and the creation of merchandise to boost the institutional image. In addition, imaging equipment such as a camera and projector were purchased.
All proposed targets were met and exceeded.