IN-VOICE 4 Empowerment: Fostering social inclusion in youth through the development of innovative choral pedagogies and digital technologies and practices.

The In-Voice4Empowerment project arose from the partners' common vision to foster social inclusion through the development of an innovative multidisciplinary arts-based program. Discussions with the Project’s Partners outlined the following needs and challenges regarding field of teaching and learning in choral pedagogy and support for socially excluded youth: There is little novel material and resources available, such as specialized vocal pedagogies or digital technologies, to assist the choral pedagogue in the effective inclusion of socially disadvantaged youth in choral groups. Moreover, due to a general lack of policy, teachers /choral leaders feel uninformed and not sufficiently equipped to recognize underlying issues concerning the nature of social inclusion. Regarding choral pedagogy, the need for a broader understanding of inclusion was acknowledged, taking account of gender issues, including non-binary self-identification, established minorities, language issues, social class, potential barriers to access and inclusion, different vocal styles and choral genres choral practices within and outside schools The need to create opportunities for all choral participants to be creative was also addressed.

The strategic partnership set the following main priorities for the program: 1. Inclusion and diversity in all fields of education, youth and sport; 2. Addressing digital transformation through development of digital readiness, resilience and capacity; 3. School Education: Supporting teachers, school leaders and other teaching professions. These priorities were intrinsically linked with the following concrete objectives: 1) Strengthening the capacity of music teachers/choral leaders in order to be able to recognize and identify underlying issues concerning disadvantaged youth and social exclusion 2) Enriching music teachers’/choral leaders’ and subsequently students’ social, communicational, intercultural and musical skills and competences to foster social inclusion 3) Strengthening teachers’/choral leaders’ and consequently students’ digital capacity to enhance arts-based creative practices 4) Raising awareness of the effectiveness of innovative arts-based programs enhanced with novel multimedia and digital technologies for fostering social inclusion, 5) Promoting cultural heritage equality and new cultural production at the European level through inclusive choral practices.

In the project, the following activities were implemented: 1st TPM in Klaipeda, Lithuania, on June 3–6, 2022, by Lithuanian PO, the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, in collaboration with coordinator MoESY CY. 2nd TPM in Cyprus on February 6–8, 2023, by MoESY CY with the support of CSI. The TPM took place back-to-back with the Learning Teaching Training Activity (LTTA) that took place in Cyprus on February 6–10, 2023. 3rd TPM in San Sebastian, Spain/Basque Country by Musikene in collaboration with coordinator MoESY CY. 4th TPM in Nicosia and Limassol, Cyprus, on November 27–29, 2022, by MoESY CY with the support of CSI. Multiplier Event in Valmiera, Latvia, on August 18, 2023, by SIA LA VOCALE as part of the Latvian Voice a-capella Festival. Multiplier Event in San Sebastian, Spain/Basque Country, on October 7, 2023, by Musikene with the support of coordinator MoESY CY. Multiplier Event in Klaipeda, Lithuania, on November 3–4, 2023, by the Lithuanian PO, the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, with the support of coordinator MoESY CY. The Latvian partner, SIA LA VOCALE—Latvian Voices, was invited. Multiplier Event in Cyprus on November 28–29, 2023, by MoESY CY with the support of CSI. The TPM took place back-to-back with the 4th TPM that took place in Cyprus on November 27–29, 2023, so all partners were present. Multiplier Event in Portugal, on January 27, 2024, by APEM, Portugal, with the support coordinator, MoESY CY. Partners DCU (Ireland) and SIA LA VOCALE (Latvia) were invited. Multiplier Event in Ireland,on January 20, 2024, by DCU, Ireland, with the support of coordinator MoESY CY. Learning Teaching Training Activity (LTTA) that took place in Cyprus on February 6–10, 2023, with 27 trainees from 6 countries. Development of webinar blended-learning activities for trainers in preparation for the LTTA and the following pilot implementation. Online meetings took place January 9–31, 2023. See webinars on the application BandLab on the website platform. Organizing Dissemination Activities (SEE FOLDER DISSEMINATION: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1KTuq-m-2BGN7mAvmOYrxhzbiSbFtuOyi?usp=sharing) including the Dissemination Report. MoESY CY co-organised with the European University Cyprus a workshop with Laura Jekabsone (on behalf of the Latvian PO) on November 9–11, 2022, in preparation for the In-Voice Training Event planned for February 6–10, 2023 (SEE FOLDER DISSEMINATION https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1rBON1y_HbOl0KykN38uRMXQPHxXpheVD?usp=sharing) Highlight of the Dissemination Activities: the Symposium presentation under the title Creativity in the Choral Classroom, at the EAS Conference, on May 25 (4:30 pm) 2023, in Lyon, France (See FOLDER https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hpUMG4dWNlvQXmM-SJXsOChIz4DJdgdq?usp=drive_link. Organized by MoESY CY, presentations by POs in Cyprus, Lithuania, Ireland, and Portugal.

The In-Voice4MPowerment project developed as planned the following Project Results: PR1: Inclusive Vocal Choral Multimedia Pedagogy Framework (IVCMPF): The proposed Framework was developed as policy recommendation and guidelines for European music curricula in primary and secondary schools. It reflects relevant theory and good practices and includes methodologies and approaches that can be effectively implemented in practice in the school educational context as well as in community music programs, vocal, choir, and multimedia projects. PR2: A Teacher Training Module for inclusive vocal/choral/multimedia teaching pedagogy: Deriving from the LTTA, this Module, consisting of 4 units, is available on the website and free to implement as a self-directed learning tool. PR3: A Teacher Performance and Effectiveness Assessment Tool: An assessment tool developed for teachers following the teacher training course, as a self-reflective, supplementary tool to the Module, in order to be able to assess its impact. PR4 - E-Book Sound and visual material for inclusive vocal/choral/multimedia teaching and learning: This resource book was developed, comprising all resources created for the LTTA course and during the implementation of its activities.It gathered vocal/choral material from a variety of sources and cultures, especially selected for use in the context of an inclusive choral pedagogy. Moreover, new material was created especially for use in the context of an inclusive choral pedagogy. PR5 - The Collaborative Learning Digital Platform (CLDP): The platform was created: a) to offer teachers/choral leaders various resources, including digital tools and materials, especially collected and developed to enhance inclusive choral practices; and b) as a collaborative, creative space for students to train themselves with the support of their teachers/choral leaders in digital composition and multimedia technologies, enhancing thus a sense of ownership and self-efficacy, strengthening agency, and empowering disadvantaged youth. During the implementation of the In-Voice project, music teachers/choral leaders were trained according to their identified needs with regards to early recognition and identification of vulnerable youth and how they could approach and embrace them in choral environments employing appropriate sociological, intercultural, and educational tools. Trainees at the LTTA and participants in Multiplier Events have been introduced to novel pedagogical approaches and choral practices. At the same time, many of them had the chance to create strong bonds with teachers/choral leaders from partner countries, sharing and exchanging their experiences, resulting in improved quality in their teaching. Participating organisations gained greater knowledge of partner countries’ choral pedagogical backgrounds and had the chance to exchange experiences, knowledge and learning on multi-disciplinary, inclusive pedagogies, methodologies and approaches with each other, as well as knowledge on each other’s cultures.