We know it’s been a while since we last hit your inbox! But we promise it’s because we’ve been incredibly busy putting our research into action.
We have so much to share, starting with one of the year’s core highlights!
Consortium Meeting: One of the Year’s Highlights!
We’re thrilled to share highlights from what was once again one of the year’s standout events: the Consortium Meeting in Chemnitz (July 2025)!
Hosted in the frame of the European Capital of Culture, this gathering provided a vital space to reflect on our achievements and solidify our future plans.
Introducing the “Decolonise This…” Game
Something new and incredibly exciting took place: we played the “Decolonise This” game for the very first time!
Developed by our amazing partners at the University of Auckland together with representatives from Makerere University and the University of Hildesheim, the game proved to be playful, challenging, and succeeded in bringing complex theory into real, embodied dialogue. It was a powerful way to engage with core project themes. Huge thanks to Ralph Buck & Sarah Foster-Sproull for making this inaugural game session happen!
The game is now on its way to our partners, and we can’t wait to play it together with our communities!
Public events
Our time in Chemnitz wasn’t purely internal. We were also delighted to host successful public events at the Open Space Chemnitz, enabling us to share our work and engage with the local community and wider networks.
Digital Playground Workshop
Led by Anita Jóri and Michael Ahlers (Leuphana University Lüneburg), this hands-on workshop introduced the Digital Playground — an interactive online platform designed to foster creativity, dialogue, and connection through playful and gamified elements. With contributions from artists and facilitators, participants explored how digital spaces can become sites of expression, experimentation, and exchange, especially for artists working across borders and differences.
Does Arts Education Make the World a Better Place? – Panel
This public panel discussion explored the promises and complexities of arts education today, with a focus on participatory practices in music, dance, and theatre. Moderated by Prof. Rose Martin (Nord University, Norway), the dialogue featured Dr. Cristina Balloi (University of Verona, Italy), Dr. Runa H. Jenssen (Nord University), Prof. Sylvia Nannyonga-Tamusuza (Makerere University, Uganda), Lena Rothe and Michal Sandor (Chemnitz 2025), and Milan Vračar (Kulturanova, Serbia). Together, they asked how cultural learning can support inclusion and what it takes to move from access to genuine participation.
You can catch a glimpse of the meeting and the energetic atmosphere by watching our video below!
Joint Symposium
Beyond our own project, we have also continued fostering connections with our sister projects in the Cultural Literacy Cluster of HORIZON Pillar II., Clivie and Expect Art.
We organised a joint symposium presentation at the European Conference on Educational Research (ECER) in Belgrade.
From d@rts, we presented «Dialogical Arts Education: Reimagining Cultural Literacy for Social Cohesion and Inclusion» with partners from the University of Verona, Centro Studi Interculturali – Università di Verona and Nord university.
The symposium discussed how to draw on the theoretical perspectives of Theory of Change, empowerment, and decolonial theory when developing and carrying out social justice-oriented research for cultural literacy in our communities.
Busy in the Communities
Beyond our consortium meetings, we have also been incredibly busy in the communities where our research is taking root. This essential, hands-on work ensures that d@rts is truly embedded in practice and addresses real-world needs.
In spring 2025, we began a wonderful collaboration with Lilleby School, a centenary elementary school located in the heart of Trondheim (Norway). Lilleby is a great example of how arts education can promote social inclusion and is our key partner for developing actions for social inclusion and cultural literacy in the city. To carry out these activities, we invited Cirka Teater to guide us.
Relive some of our other milestones of the past months
Spring dissemination
Representatives from the d@rts project continued to disseminate the project findings and activities at a variety of events all over Europe. Read the news item
d@rts in Serbia – KULTURUZ
Kulturuz (d@rts in Serbia) offers free acting and drama workshops for all age groups, developed by Kulturanova in collaboration with Balkan Producing House at the Balkan Retreat—a small creative homestead located in the tiniest village in the area, “Bešenovački Prnjavor. Read the news item
Associated Partners Corner
Spotlight on The Council for Municipal School of Arts, contributing specifically to d@rts work as a case study. Read the news item
International Survey on arts education
We’re inviting professionals in the arts, education, and cultural sectors to share their experiences through a short, 10-minute survey. Your insights will help us understand how cultural literacy is being practiced across Europe and reveal the true impact of arts education in schools, communities, and beyond. Read the news item
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