CREATIVE ACTION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION

Anti-racism work becomes more relevant in the face of populist tendencies in many European countries. In the polarized political debate, it is important to broaden the spectrum of anti-racism work in order to increase the sensibility for this issue in society. We believe that anti-discrimination work must be a central issue in adult education across all sectors.

We understand anti-discrimination as the raising awareness, objection to, and fighting against discrimination on a societal level. Our working definition of discrimination doesn’t just mean the unequal treatment of people but is based on the construction of groups based on differences in socially relevant categories like gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, religion, age etc. as supposedly intrinsically different from each other. These differences are used as reasoning and legitimation of unequal treatment of entire groups of people resulting in social inequality. Power and power inequality are inscribed into discriminatory actions, structures and systems.

Our approach towards this problem is to foster reflection and enhance understanding by creative means. Our workshop designs propose formats that link artistic methods with anti-discrimination work. These are co-created among professionals in four different European countries: Spain, Italy, Hungary and Austria. With experts in the fields of participatory video, theatre and theatre of the oppressed as well as social media, we bring our own experience together in four hands-on tool-kits for educators and trainers. Furthermore, we offer a collection of innovative evaluation tools that are specifically adapted to the needs of such workshops in the ambit of non-formal adult education.

With this, we offer trainers and educators a new set of techniques to expand their field of action. Creative means have a strong potential for personal development and offer space for personal reflection on a very profound level. Our aim is that more teachers, trainers, and educators become aware of this potential!