RECULT - Online Blended Method of Visual Education for Recycling and Rebuilding Cultural Identities of People with Migrant and Minority backgrounds

Re-Cult addresses the multifaceted needs of its target groups: 1) People with migrant, refugee, and minority backgrounds. 2) Educators, teachers, and social workers engaged with the first group. Group 1 needs the stabilisation of their cultural identities, integration into the host countries, improvement of their mental and social well-being, communication, and intercultural skills. Group 2 needs to learn new tools and techniques for enhancing an intercultural bridge between group 1 and the host society. Re-Cult was launched through local blended workshops where partners could specify these needs. ARM-BG identified mental health challenges of refugees and the risk of burnout of asylum-related professionals. Asnor realised the need for career guidance as a tool for communication and integration. COTA identified the specific intersectional needs of refugees with gender issues and LGBTQ+ backgrounds. Koopkultur discovered the need to find self-confidence and business ideas of women with refugee backgrounds. STANDO enhanced the challenge of digital literacy as a means of communication. CRN identified the challenges of refugees and migrants in finding their physical and mental orientation in a European city.

Re-Cult supports educators, facilitators, and social workers engaged with people with a migrant and refugee background to enhance their integration by using the power of art and visual creation. We achieved this goal in creating specific tools which is also the result of our work in Re-Cult: creation of Re-Cult blended learning tool including a digital platform, video tutorials and a curriculum, the direct involvement of people with migrant and refugee backgrounds and educators, the creation of a wider community, and the formulation of policy recommendations. Specific goals that were achieved by partners were: focusing on improving the mental health of refugees through art therapy (ARM BG); enhancing career guidance practices for migrants and refugees (ASNOR); embedding green and gender approaches in art-based teaching and learning for refugees (COTA), empowering women of migrant backgrounds through art creation (Koopkultur), improving knowledge and skills linked to refugee integration (STANDO), and developing hybrid and blended learning methods for supporting migrants (CRN). The ultimate goal was to create a sustainable, inclusive, and culturally aware community, fostering social cohesion and cross-cultural exchanges.

Re-Cult involved a variety of activities, each led by different partners, in the frame of the different activity groups, contributing to the overall outcomes and objectives: A1: Project Implementation: Transnational Project Meetings (TPMs) Kick-off meeting in Germany (February 2022): Discussed overall project objectives and roles. TPM 2 in Cyprus (June 2022): Discussed local blended workshops and online structure. TPM 3 in France (October 2022): Presented local workshop results and good practices. TPM 4 in Bulgaria (June 2023): Evaluate video tutorials and start discussions about the curriculum Final TPM in Italy (April 2024): Curriculum handbook and final steps Online Steering Committee meetings were held bimonthly Impact Assessment - the impact assessment was realised following the achievement of the main milestones of the project - local blended learning workshops, creation of the video tutorials, completion of the second LTTA and local test workshops and the final check at the end of the project. Quality Control and Evaluation took place following all TPMs and LTTas and also after the accomplishment of the main project results. A2: Extracting and Sharing Skills and Knowledge Local Blended Workshops based on three parts organised by each partner organisation between June and October 2022 Continuous follow up of the results of the workshops during several online discussions Set up of the Re-Cult Interactive platform - codesign of the main structure and uploading of the first information, creation of the shared space A3: Video Course Building Co-design of the content and scripts of the videos based on the results of the local blended workshops in the form of consecutive online meetings C1 in Bari (January 2023) - co-creation of the raw material of the videos Post production on the videos coordinated by COTA: collection of the raw materials, writing and translations of the dialogues, double check and finalisation of the videos. A4: Re-Cult Blended Method and Curriculum C2 in Paris (November 2023)- co-creation of the corpus of the curriculum: units and learning paths Learning paths testing workshops on the local levels (December 2023-January 2024) Co-design of the curriculum structure, division of tasks and writing of the Chapters (January-April 2024) Translations, language editing, design: May-June 2024. A5: Dissemination and Outreach Dissemination Plan design and co-creation_ April-May 2022 Creation of project logo and flyer - Spring 2022 4 Newsletters: December 2022, June 2023, January 2024, June 2024 Facebook and Social media Campaigns - continuously maintained, linked to the main project events Creating the Re-Cult EPALE platform Continuous local dissemination and monitoring through the Re-Cult Dissemination Log Re-Cult Policy recommendations Multiplier events in Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, France and online in Cyprus

Re-Cult has three major outputs: An interactive platform including all the project information results, including the description of learning units, learning paths and good practices and that serves also as an interactive platform for people interested in using art and visual creativity in social inclusion and education: https://www.re-cult.eu/ 9 + 1 micro lesson video tutorials with subtitles in all project languages, presenting 9 +1 practices for using visual creation for social integration. The video tutorials are available on the project YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBnDxNVCZEEFDSAApSjL4cXR-FOWFhAZf and are also embedded into the Re-Cult Curriculum Re-Cult Curriculum, a digital handbook edited in English containing the followings: A conceptual part with the description of the main theory and practice based concepts used during the Re-Cult project A detailed description of 21 learning units developed and tested in the frame of the project Description of some learning paths using the learning units Recommendations for teachers, educators and facilitators on the use of the curriculum and the learning units and learning paths. The Curriculum is provided with an ISBN number, and is downloadable in printable version on the project platform. Further outputs are as follows: The organisation of 6 local blended workshops one per each partner, described based on a commonly agreed grid and serving as a basis for a) understanding the needs and skills of people with different migrant, refugee and minority background and b) mobilising around 70 people in 5 countries around the Re-Cult community. Collection of Good Practices about the use of art, visual and digital creativity for social inclusion. Currently 15 GPs are available on the project platform, and the interactive platform provides the possibility to upload further ones. Co-design and delivery of 2 transnational co-creation workshops and staff trainings: C1 held in Bari was dedicated to learn about video making from scenario building, script writing, video making, preparation and filming of the activities C2 held in Paris was dedicated to working on curriculum building, reflection on the needs, skills and competences of the target groups, collection and description of the learning units, creation of learning paths based on the needs and skills. Delivery of local learning part test workshops by several partners (Germany, France, Italy) Co-design of 4 Newsletters providing information on the project follow up, articles The project’s main results are: The Re-Cult blended method dedicated to trainers, facilitators, social workers and other people working with the inclusion of people with migrant, minority and refugee backgrounds is created, tested and made available on the Re-Cult interactive platform. The Re-Cult project partners improved their skills and methods using visual art and creativity in their social inclusion projects/activities, and they also learned more about the needs, the skills and competences of people with migrant and minority backgrounds. Approximately 20 organisations and further individuals, engaged in the inclusion of migrants and refugees and/or working with visual and art based educational methods have been connected to the Re-Cult project An online community has started to develop around the project based on social media and the project platform. Globally, the outcomes and results achieved during the Re-Cult project contributed to the improvement of the practical and conceptual use of visual art in education and social inclusion and provided a new approach for trainers, social workers and facilitators dealing with this target group. Outcomes and results achieved correspond to the original expectations of the project.