KéK Világ AlApítVány – Blue World FoundAtion (Budapest, Hungary) was established in 1992 to promote fraternity, unity and development through formation, cooperation and action. It promotes a culture of peace and social inclusion in all its pro-jects including supporting families, caring for older people, child and youth protection and advocacy, cultural and edu-cational activities and heritage conservation. It has a track record in increasing sports among young people and child-ren, and works with disadvantaged groups to improve social opportunities and build equality.

MAriApolis AssociAtion (Bucharest, romania) a not-for-profit NGO, works through educational and social projects to promote active citizenship, intercultural and in-ter- religious dialogue, and common human values. It offers training courses on conflict prevention to schools and fami-ly groups. A recent social inclusion project involved Roma, Hungarian and German ethnic minorities. In 2010, the asso-ciation led a nationwide violence prevention programme for school-age children and their teachers, using artistic work-shops and performances as an educational medium.

Modo (udine, italy) is a cultural association of young professionals bringing to-gether the creativity of photographers, graphic designers, musicians, filmmakers and the practical skills of technicians and economists. It was set up in 2008 in order to create a local network, linked to the region, which would provide mu-tual support, the skills and knowledge for long term planning and opportunities to collaborate on projects. These have included the “n42_numeroquarantadue” – “number 42” pro-ject, promoting culture through social networks, and the ma-gazine “Dire Fare Cambiare” designed to create a platform for innovative cooperation and partnerships.

stArKMAcHer e.V. (Mannheim, germany) is a not-for-profit organization working to strengthen and empower young people in particular. Its main focus is on educational and youth work in different social and educatio-nal environments. A key priority is addressing youth-unem-ployment and the social integration of disadvantaged young people such as juvenile delinquents and young offenders. It has developed expertise in project and event management and network building, including its international initiative on violence prevention “Strong Without Violence”, for young people with educational and social difficulties, their youth workers, teachers and families.

uVuo - union oF VisuAl Artists oF oloMouc (olomouc, czech republic) is a not-for-profit association of artists, art critics and ar-chitects mainly from the Central Moravian region, but also from other parts of the country and beyond. It is a partner member of the Union of Visual Artists of the Czech Republic (UVUČR). Its main aim is to develop visual arts in a broad cultural and social context. UVUO plans and delivers regular exhibitions of local, national and international artists, buil-ding up collaborative and creative networks across regional and national borders.

VolKsHocHscHule Hietzing (VHs) - Hietzing coMMunity college (Vienna, Austria) is an adult education centre participating in European projects for more than 10 years. Each semester the school offers up to 600 courses for more than 3000 learners in languages, gymnastics, computer skills and art. Art trainees are given ac-cess to a variety of different painting styles and techniques. Its exhibition gallery provides space for students and local visual artists to show their work with one floor for photography and another for paintings. VHS College uses art to stimulate lear-ner creativity and as a tool for social and political expression. Last year their innovative ‘Punch’ puppet theatre production about fanaticism toured Europe.

Fiore AssociAtion (lublin, poland) is a non-governmental organization established in 2007 by a group of people committed to the idea that seeking so-cial synergy rather than social rivalry is an intrinsically hu-man attitude. The main aim of the association is to work with children, adolescents and adults from different envi-ronments, both urban and rural, from different occupations and family status, including single parents, married couples and families, and to promote a culture of cooperation. Fiore Association is part of an informal network of groups bringing together like-minded established NGOs throughout Europe ensuring access to a vast pool of best practices and expe-rience.

FoKolAr BeWegung e.V. (solingen, germany) is an NGO that has an established training centre offering courses to promote peace, dialogue and life-long learning. It is part of an international network that has organized campaigns to combat violence, racism and xenophobia in schools and other institutions. It works to empower disa-dvantaged youth, promote social inclusion among all age groups and holds events for intercultural and inter-religious dialogue. For several years it has implemented the ‘Together For Europe’ event involving 170 groups and organizations throughout Europe.

insieMe per un Mondo unito - togetHer For A united World AssociAtion (udine, italy) is active in promoting community-building among citizens. It runs awareness-raising events and training courses for adults and young people, to contribute to the development of attitudes and qualities necessary for the building of solida-rity and peace in society. It supports initiatives with similar objectives, inviting into the region a range of contributors and artists including international musicians and influential thinkers in the fields of social economy, development and education.

GRUNDTVIG

Learning Partnership Communicating Europe (COMART)

»Art as a tool for adult education«

PaRTNeRs

Acciones de FAMiliAs nueVAs (Madrid, spain) is an organization supporting families both in its practical activities and in its support of policy-making in favour of family life. Run by families for families, it offers a range of activities and formation courses for families and engaged couples, and offers a support network to marriages in crisis and to the widowed or bereaved. It is active locally, nati-onally and internationally in the organization of congresses which promote family life and is a partner in international seminars to study the role of the family in society, child pro-tection, adolescence and intergenerational cohesion.

cHArisMA coMMunity projects ltd. (st Helens, united Kingdom) is a not-for-profit organization experienced in cross-cultural, youth and intergenerational work. Its citizenship projects in-clude the production of broadcast quality documentary films integrating media training for young people. Its heritage dvd projects like “Cherish Our Roots” and “CRAIC” are cited as national examples of best practice in the use of media to address issues such as youth disaffection, social inclusion, ethnic, faith and cultural divides. It offers lifelong learning communication skills training to people of different ages and educational, cultural and social backgrounds. Charis-ma draws on a team of experienced media and IT professio-nals and artists, as well as health and educational professio-nals to broaden horizons and create learning opportunities.

drustVo zA zedinjen sVet – society For A united World (ljubljana, slovenia) works in the Ljubljana region to promote a culture of peace and unity through conferences and events for all age groups. Focusing on areas of modern life, such as work, politics, education and the arts, the organization holds conferences to promote open dialogue and debate in the shared quest for sustainable solutions. Its methods include artistic re-creational activities, music and song, group leisure activities and sporting events.

to deVelop And excHAnge ‘Best-prActices’An additional motivation is the opportunity to provide a plat-form for learners, trainers and other representatives of the participating organizations and institutions, to develop ex-amples of best practices, in tandem with their partners from other European countries, throughout the course of the pro-ject. To explore and demonstrate how art can be a vehicle for addressing questions arising from migration, social exclusion and other pertinent issues.

Art As A MeAns oF coMMunicAtionArt plays an important role in connecting people, in building bridges between different cultures and in enabling adults, trainers, learners and others to express themselves and their educational goals. Art represents a means to convey atti-tudes and meanings, acting as a membrane through which diverse subjects and themes can be communicated and dis-cussed. The project will provide the opportunity to explore the essential role of art as a tool in educating people and art as a teacher in itself, both in raising awareness of issues such as racism, tolerance, gender and urban development and through artistic presentations of such issues.

CoNCReTe objeCTIVes of The PaRTNeRshIP

The learning partnership COMART has the following objectives:

COMART wants to:• use art as a means of communication to reduce the ex-

perience of foreignness and to address European topics such as migration, racism, social exclusion and urban change and development

• promote intercultural dialogue among the participating in-stitutions, their staff, trainers, and other multipliers

• foster networking among adult education institutions, and support the exchange of best-practice examples among partners from different European countries

• establish a creative pool and think-tank among European partners thus enabling an exchange on relevant aspects of the project in adult education; to advance the educational capacity of each participant and to facilitate accessibility of information among the partners.

The learning partnership COMART examines art as a tool for communication and looks at its contribution to adult edu-cation through the use of different art forms (film, visual and performing arts etc). The COMART partnership wants to identify art as a key element in adult education, and to explore methods of incorporating artistic pedagogical ap-proaches into adult educational activities.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the informa-tion contained therein.

aboUT GRUNDTVIG

The Grundtvig Learning Partnership is a framework for small-scale co-operation activities among organizations working in the field of adult education in the broadest sense. Compared to the Grundtvig multilateral co-operation projects, which are more ‘product’ or outcome-orientated, the partnerships focus more on processes and aim to broaden the participation of smaller organizations which want to include European co-operation in their educational activities. In a Grundtvig Learning Partnership, trainers and learners from at least three participating countries work together on one or more topics of common interest to the co-operating organizations. This exchange of experiences, practices and methods contributes to an increased awareness of the varied European cultural, social and economic scene, and to a better understanding of areas of common interest.

Learning Partnerships focusing on management of adult edu-cation and/or teaching methods, provide teachers, trainers and adult education managers with the opportunity to exchange experiences and information, to develop together methods and approaches which meet their needs, and to test and put into practice new organizational and pedagogical approaches.

The Grundtvig Learning Partnership Programme addresses different European topics and challenges and, for instance wants to:• broach the issue of an ageing population in Europe• help provide adults with pathways by improving their know-

ledge and competencies• improve the quality and accessibility of mobility throughout

Europe of people involved in adult education• improve the quality and increase the volume of co-operation

between organizations involved in adult education throug-hout Europe

• assist people from vulnerable social groups and in marginal social contexts

• facilitate the development of innovative practices in adult education and their transfer

MoTIVaTIoN foR ThIs PRojeCT

netWorKingThe main goal of this partnership is to foster networking among representatives of organizations and bodies engaged in adult education. It aims to create a fertile space for the exchange and discussion of best practices in which partners can learn from one another. The idea of networking is rein-forced by the different partner countries working together to achieve high European visibility for this project.

Forging A europeAn identityA further motivation of the project is the shared commitment to support the continuing development of a deeper Euro-pean identity among the European member countries and within Europe in general. The number of partners and their diverse cultural backgrounds provide an important opportu-nity to promote the formation of a European identity.

trAining oF Adult leArnersThe project is devised to train teachers, artists and trai-ners already active in adult education and to enhance their personal development and performance. Given that adult education covers a broad spectrum, this project will focus particularly on creating political and intercultural awareness and social education. Within this context, art is used as a medium to achieve these ends and to bring new impulses to learning in a rapidly changing society.

supporting interculturAl diAlogueYet another important motivation for the project is the im-provement of intercultural dialogue and exchange among European organizations and institutions active in the world of adult education. The participating partners each have dif-ferent cultural backgrounds with a variety of approaches and methodologies for delivering educational content. The pro-ject will use art as the connective tissue to bring these practi-ces together and effectively foster intercultural dialogue in Europe.

sUMMaRy of The PRojeCT

This project deals with the analysis of the particular role of the arts in adult education. By building networks it wants to integrate and improve formal and informal learning methods and pedagogic approaches. The project therefore supports a partnership of institutions working in adult education and promotes an exchange of methods and practices among their representatives. The partnership consists of 12 organizations from 10 EU Member States (DE, CZ, IT, SI, RO, AT, GB, ES, HU, PL), all of which are active in the field of non-formal edu-cation. The project is concerned with reflective practice in the use of art as a medium of communication. It wants to address topics such as migration and social exclusion and other issues relevant to adult education in a European context.

Every artistic form has its unique characteristics, be it film, visual arts, performing arts etc. and each European country has its own cultural and national background and particular approach in its artistic expressions. Nevertheless art remains a universal means of communication.

And it is between these two poles that the COMART project operates. Through our partnership, different organizations and their staff, who all have different backgrounds, will use six con-ferences as a communication platform in order to engage in a low-threshold intercultural exchange.

This will maximize the value of the transnational exchange, promote the transfer of good practice, and ensure the wider impact of the project’s outcomes: building bridges between knowledge and practice, between theory and application in daily life.

Brigitte gadnik-jiskra 2007

„Working class Hero“

200 x 120 m Acrylic and structure on linen

lyrics by john lennon

As soon as you‘re born they make

you feel small

By giving you no time instead of it all

‚Til the pain is so big you feel nothing at all

A working class hero is something to be

A working class hero is something to be

They hurt you at home and they hit you at

school

They hate if you‘re clever and despise a fool

‚Til you‘re so ****ing crazy

you can‘t follow their rules

A working class hero is something to be

A working class hero is something to be

Cover picture: St Helens‘ artist Peter Kennedy demonstrates the art of Pyrography for the COMART project