ART-BASED TRAINING METHODS FOR EMPOWERING ADULTS IN THE DIGITAL ERA

The ATMEADE project reinforced the response of adult training to one of the main challenges of today’s world: the need for creation of inclusive environments where socially aware people can peacefully co-exist through mutual understanding and respect for diversity and inclusion. This project aimed to provide adult trainers in art and culture with alternative art-based methods which will help adult learners, including adults with fewer opportunities, raise social awareness and better conceptualise social values. This project responded to the cultural participating organisations’ need for the use of innovative digital tools by cooperating with the technological partner (NTUA), and also responded to NTUA’s need to enable its researchers’ capability to create 3D software for projects with a social footprint. The participating organisations also addressed the needs to enhance: professional development for their staff, synergies with organisations active in different fields, and capacity to work at the EU level. The needs and expectations of all the participating organisations were addressed by the objectives and the corresponding outcomes of the project, and were met through its implementation.

The project aimed to achieve the following objectives: 1. to foster innovative synergies between formal education (university) and the cultural and creative sector, 2. to enhance the capacity of adult trainers in art and culture to help adult learners, including those with fewer opportunities, develop social awareness, mutual understanding and respect for inclusion and diversity, by using art-based methods, 3. to enhance the capacity of adult trainers in art and culture to strengthen the ability of adult learners, including those with fewer opportunities, to conceptualise social and humanistic values stemming from philosophical, sociological and psychological texts, by using the borderless language of expressive kinesiology, 4. to support organisations and adult trainers in art and culture to exploit opportunities offered by digital technologies, 5. to enhance the access of open source digital tools to adult trainers and learners, including those with fewer opportunities, 6. to promote equal opportunities and access, inclusion and diversity across all stages of the project by involving participants with fewer opportunities, 7. to reinforce cooperation with partners from other countries and other fields of education and training.

The project implemented the following activities: 3 transnational meetings, creation of two project results, 3 short-term joint staff training activities, 3 multiplier events, management activities, research activities, virtual communication and training activities, activities for the sharing, promotion and sustainability of the project results, as well as quality assurance and evaluation activities.

The project produced two concrete outputs-results: PR1 and PR2. “PR1 – Kinetic methodology for social awareness” includes: - The creation of a digital handbook with interactive linking with video tutorials for adult trainers in art and culture on how to use a kinetic methodology expressing feelings and emotions stemming from philosophical, sociological and psychological texts in order to help adults raise social awareness and conceptualise values such as mutual understanding and respect for inclusion and diversity. - The development of a case study by using the kinetic methodology which expresses feelings and emotions stemming from certain philosophical, sociological and psychological texts. “PR2 – DigitMove” includes: - The creation of a digital handbook with interactive linking with a video tutorial for adult trainers in art and culture on how to use specialised software for online/distance teaching of the kinetic methodology, which expresses emotions and feelings inspired by social and humanistic values. - The development of a virtual case study by using the kinetic methodology, expressing feelings and emotions stemming from certain philosophical, sociological and psychological texts.