REST_ART – Raising Environmental Sustainability Through Art

Timespan: 01/01/2023 – 31/12/2024

Donor: European Union / ERASMUS+ Programme

Call: ERASMUS-YOUTH-2022-CB

Budget: 228.247,00 EUR

Applicant: United Societies of Balkans (U.S.B)(Greece)

Partners: LDA Mostar  (Bosnia and Herzegovina); Zelena Akcija (Croatia),  ZID Udruženje (Montenegro), Lesvos Solidarity (Greece), Together For Life (TFL) (Albania), Jovesolides Egypt (Egypt).    

Description: Environmental awareness is to understand the fragility of our environment and the importance of its protection. Aesthetic practices that take up political disruption are not simply raising awareness or communicating messages. This is not politics as propaganda. Instead, aesthetic practices operate through a ‘radical uncanniness’ that realigns, disrupts, and reinvents political engagement as material and sensible events (Rancière, 2004 [2000]). An artwork that is visually memorable, seductive, surprising, and shocking can etch itself in people’s minds in a way the written word can struggle to do.

Aims of the project: To present, raise awareness, sensibilize, and prevent harmful attitudes against the environment through artwork. Through the scheduled mobilities the project envisions acknowledging Art as a strong influence on issues related to environmental preservation. Artworks are essential tools for ecological activism that alert the population to urgent matters, facilitate understanding messages about sustainability, and help mobilize people to fight for this cause. In addition, a comparative approach and photography research to shed light on the plastic waste management of the respective cities will be implemented, as a tool to exercise pressure on the Municipalities through its dissemination and communication.

To create innovative tools focused on the use of grassroots sports and the promotion of education through sports (Handbook, Manual, and MOOC), used by practitioners working actively in the field and other interested parties working with young TCNs (Third country nationals). These tools will create a new perspective in the integration process and the skills-based education through sports and assist in the empowerment of the TCNs (Third country nationals), boosting their sense of belonging and their sense of European identity. To create the conditions of equal opportunities, upscaling and upgrading youth work and work with migrants and guaranteeing equal access to sports for all, regardless of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, color, religion, belief or sexual orientation. This can be achieved through the creation of synergies and networks at the European level, by promoting social interaction between locals and third-country nationals.

The projects specific objectives are:

• Introduction of young people and youth workers to environmental awareness;
• Creation of artworks from single-use of plastics, as a medium to tackle the use of single-use plastics;
• Adoption of good practices to reduce and manage plastic waste;
• Comparative research of the engaged countries to address major environmental issues and exercise pressure in the respective Municipalities.

Target Groups

Primary: Practitioners working directly with refugees, Youth workers and others working in relevant NGOs, NGOs working with immigrants and refugees, Interpreters, Translators and educators working directly with migrants.

Secondary: Sports organisations, coaches, and staff members of sports clubs

Tertiary: Relevant stakeholders and policymakers, workers of NGOs from other sectors, European Commission.

Results: It aims to produce innovative educational and sports tools through work packages that would increase the quality of the work, activities, and practices of organisations. At the same time, through this transnational partnership and the development of these tools, the partnership and other organisations (through the dissemination and the involvement of associated partners) will exchange good practices and at the same time build their capacity and improve their work towards their beneficiaries.

 IMPLEMENTED ACTIVITIES

Kick-Off Meeting in Thessaloniki, Greece 22.-25.02.2023.

Youth Exchange in Stratoni, Greece

1st Newsletter

Training in Mostar, BiH/18.09.-24.09.2023.

Study Visit in Zagreb, Croatia 16.-20.10.2023

Midterm Meeting in Cairo,Egypt – 19.12.-22.12.2023.

Study Visit in Mytilene, Lesbos, Greece – 03.03. – 09.03.2024. 

Final Evaluation Meeting in Podgorica, Montenegro 09.-12.10.2024.

Multiplier Event in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina 30.11.2024.

BOOKLET “Art as a medium for environmental awareness in local communities”