Culture, Participation and Transformation by Deirdre Walsh

CONFERENCE REPORT Culture, Participation & Transformationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 'Arts as a tool for participation, development and development education.'

CONTENTS Pages 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Cover Contents/ intro Programme/ People invovled Partners Welcome and conference context: Jessica Carson, Mayfield Community Arts Centre, Newbury House 6-7. Presentation: Carmel Madden, Irish Aid 8. Presentation: and Performance- La Cambacha 9-12. Presentation: Fredy Gutierrez and Walter Corporacion Cultural Renovacon, Colombia 12-13. Presentation Liz Meaney Cork City Council. 13-16. Presentation Lina Betancur, Desearte PAZ, Colombia 17. Workshop 1: Theatre of the Oppressed 18. Workshop 2: Painting for Change 19. Workshop 3: Art and Action 20. Workshop 4: Ideal Cities/ Recycled materials 21. Workshop 5: Reclaim the streets: Street performance 22. Issues Raised/Participants reflections 23. Closing Remarks, Matthias Fiedler, IDEA 24. Youth Project Launch 25. Conference Feedback 26. Resource List

INTRODUCTION ! The conference was organised by Mayfield Community Arts Centre, Newbury House in partnership with IDEA as part of MCAC"s annual Globalfest Event. During this event MCAC hosts young people from a range of arts organisations working in the field of development. Further information on MCAC is available on our website www.mayfieldarts.org were you can also follow a link to our Globalfest Programme. ! As part of our Globalfest programme we have collaborated with IDEA and our partner organisations to present this conference as a means of sharing our experiences and the experience of our partners. The conference explores themes, issues and approaches as well as presenting practical tools and methodologies for using arts as a tool for participation, development and development education. ! The participation of our local young people is key in our approach to training. Young people shared their experiences through participation in workshops and a presentation of a peer education project. ! Through out the day a creative visual time line depicted the process and also provided a platform for reflection on issues that were raised and for feedback and suggestions. We would like to thank Irish Aid for their participation in this conference and on-going support for our development education programme. Thanks also to Cork City Council for the use of Millenium Hall and to IDEA for collaboration and support. ! Irish Educational Development Association â&#x20AC;&#x201C; IDEA is an association of organisations and individuals involved in the provision, promotion or advancement of development education throughout the island of Ireland. www.ideaonline.ie !

PROGRAMME • •

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9:30 – 10:00 Registration Chair: Matthias Fiedler, Director of IDEA 10:00 – 12:30 Presentations 10:00 – 10:15 Welcome and context of conference 10:15 – 10:30 Input on Development Education by Irish Aid 10:30 – 10:40 Input on Youth Participation policy by City Council 10:40 – 11:00 Creative presentation by ‘La Cambalacha’ 11:00 – 11:20 Coffee 11:20 – 12:30 Presentations by Mayfield Community Arts Centre, Corporacion Cultural Renovacion and Desarte PAZ Programme, Centro Colombo Americano 12:30 – 13:15 Lunch 13:15 – 15:15 Workshops All workshops will include case studies and hands on experience of the methodologies see details below of workshop choices. 15:15 – 15:30 Coffee 15:30 – 16:30 Workshops: Sharing Experiences 16:30 – 17:00 Conclusions & Close of Conference 17:00 – 17:30 Refreshments 17:30 – 17:45 Youth Art Project Launch 17:45 – 18:00 Closing Performance by ‘Renovacion’

PEOPLE INVOLVED One hundred and twelve people attended the conference including visitors from partner countries, local youth, volunteers, individual artists, youth workers, educators, project workers and coordinators. The following organisations were represented: West Cork Arts Centre Art for Change Corridor Art Cork Printmakers Lesotho Cultural Journeys Kerry Action for Education Waterford One World Centre Complex Productions Cork City Council Arts Office University College Cork Ethical Development Action Cork Circus Puppet Power National Youth Council of Ireland IDEA Irish Aid Trocaire

Eco Unesco Arts Council COMHLAMH Lesotho Cultural Journeys New Ross Youth Service, FDYS Nasc Irish Immigrant Support Service

Cork Institute of Technology Crawford College of art and design Worldwise programme, Leargas Lourdes Youth and COmmunity Service YMCA Self Help Africa EIL, Intercultural Learning

PARTNERS Corporacion Renovacion Cultural, Medellin, Corporacion Renovacion Cultural is a community based organisation using arts for action, participation & transformation. Projects build youths capacity to dream, to create healthier co-existance to improve their quality of life and reclaim public spaces. The creative processes and dialogues open opportunity for inclusion, organised participation, and expression of desire for freedom. www.corporacionrenovacion.blogspot.com

Desearte PAZ: Centro Colombo Americano, Medellin, Colombia Desarte PAZ is a programme in the contemporary Gallery of the Centro Colombo Americano. It aims to build a sustainable platform for the production of contemporary art where artists can interact and create dialogue with social structures, academia and other institutions to create a peaceful culture.

www.deseartepaz.org

La Cambalacha, San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala La Cambalacha dedicates itself to supporting and facilitating artistic awareness, learning, exchange, training and production with the children and youth of rural communities. They work in areas of circus street performance and visual arts. Their unique arts scolarship programme offers young people the opportunity to participate intensively in artistic and peer education training.

www.lacambalacha.org

Mural Moral Group, Pecs,!Hungary Mural Moral Group was founded by Green-Bridge Foundation with the membership of 8 non-governmental organisation from PĂŠcs and Baja in 2007 following a training programme with FUNARTE in Nicaragua where they learnt the mural painting technique. During 2008 while Pecs was European Capital of Culture the group engaged many youth in street art projects. The organisation continues to work with young people in a range of arts projects.

www.muralmoral.org

FUNARTE, Esteli, Nicaragua FUNARTE runs a number of programmes that aim to develop personal and creative capacities of children, young people and the community. The project creates space for young people to explore issues important to them, to education the public and to advocate for their rights. Their programmes include: Art workshops, Murals/Public Art & Exhibitions. The city of Esteli has been named the city of murals with over 150 mural adding colour and interest to the cityscape.

www.funarte.org.ni

PRESENTATION 1: Mayfield Community Arts Centre, Newbury House Jessica Carson of Mayfield Community Arts Centre opens the day with a welcome to Globalfest and an introduction to the context of the conference MCAC has a long history of co-operation and partnership with community development organisations using arts methodologies in Central America. We are delighted to have our partners here with you to share their experiences directly with you. Our partners have both contributed to the wealth of the programme"s methodologies and also has enabled our programme to maintain a balance of southern perspectives in its global education work. The contribution of international volunteers who are regularly hosted here also enriches our programmes. The opportunities to participate with international youth gives our youth the opportunity to reflect on their values and opinions in the context of the experiences of youth from different social, cultural and economic backgrounds. They have the opportunity to explore commonalities and differences and the factors that influence perspectives. They create work together that with which they can raise public awareness and also influence decision makers in issues that they feel need changed. In this process they develop a sense of solidarity as they act together to make change. Globalfest as been a key event to create interaction and collaboration between international young people, to exchange and document methodologies, to promote interest among youth and youth organization in development education and to create opportunity for action. We are aware of the growing interest from the development education sector and the formal and non-formal education sector in developing skills in using artistic and creative methodologies as tools to deliver global education. We are also aware of the unique contribution it can make through its artistic experiences in local community and our strong partnerships. To respond to the demand for development of skills in this area MCAC has been developing FETAC and HETAC programmes in the area of arts participation and development and creative approaches to development education. We plan to develop Globalfest over the next years to provide more opportunities for training engagement and action for youth organisation. It will continue to be a focal point to bring together the youth and development education sector and to promote active citizenship of youth. We have also developed resources that are available on our website (please refer to information in conference pack) we are in the process of developing more resources that share the experience of our partners. We are also developing a downloadable library of step by step guides for the use of creative methodologies and case studies of projects. We soon will be adding all the projects that are being carried out as part of Globalfest this year. Today we are happy to share our experiences and the experiences of our partners through this conference.

The international element of our programme in funding through the European Youth in Action programme. Through the EVS programme we have been hosting and sending volunteers in group and as individuals. Information is available about opportunities in the Youth in Action Programme at www.leargas.ie and on our own website you can get details about how we used this funding for our co-operation with Latin American partners. http://web.me.com/mayfieldartscentre/evs/Welcome.html

PRESENTATION 2: Irish Aid Carmel Madden of Irish Aid introduces the Development Education Strategy of the Development Education Unit and discusses the importance of partnership and creativity in development education.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am delighted to be here today at this conference which marking Globalfest 2009. I would like to thank Mayfield Community Art’s Centre for inviting Irish Aid to participate in this important event. If you look at the leaflet for today’s conference you will see that there are a number of partners involved including IDEA and Cork City Council. Partnership is important even in relation to the theme of today’s event which is Culture, Participation and Transformation. We don’t participate alone and the most effective transformation in any area comes through effective partnership. Partnership with the developing world based on a spirit of equality is a key principle of the Irish Aid programme. Many of you will be aware of the scale of global poverty and Ireland’s response to the many challenges faced in the developing world. Almost 1 billion people, or a sixth of the world’s population, live on less than a dollar a day. Now more than ever it is important that all members of our society have an opportunity to deepen their understanding of development issues and why Ireland is dedicating resources to global poverty. Irish Aid believes we have a duty to give people the skills and competencies to locate themselves in an increasingly globalised world and to be an active participant in the global society. Development Education plays a key role in this and is a central part of the Irish Aid programme in which we support and partner the work of universities, schools, NGO’s and civil society groups throughout the country. It is often said that: ‘One size doesn’t fit all’ in relation to education. We need to take into account the different learning styles that participants have. Educational experiences should be designed taking varying learning styles and learners experiences and backgrounds into account. The use of interactive media and participative methodologies will appeal to and engage the learner be they visual, auditory or textual. Irish Aid supports a number of projects that employ creative approaches to exploring global development issues. In recent weeks my colleague attended the launch of a number of Murals completed by primary school children in response to what they learned about children’s rights and fairtrade as part of the ‘School Works’ pack. These murals, developed in collaboration with their Muralista partners, represent the use of creative arts to share learning.

It is good to see art, drama and other creative methodologies being used to explore global development issues and Irish Aid fully supports this participative approach. After all, experiential learning, which promotes learning by doing, is at the heart of good development education practice. I must pay tribute to Mayfield Community Art’s Centre at this point which has a proven track record in doing ‘creative development education’ and which Irish Aid has been happy to support in their work. We believe that there is an increasing creativity evident in development education work in Ireland. Indeed this year we were struck by the level of creativity in the entries to the Irish Aid Our World Primary School Awards. From drama to art to multimedia it would appear that development issues are increasingly being explored in engaging ways. You will probably have noted from what I have already said that Irish Aid supports development education in a number of ways, in a number of settings across both the formal and non-formal education sectors. This is in line with Irish Aid’s Development Education Strategy 2007-2011 which builds on over thirty years of experience of supporting development education in Ireland. Our Development Education Strategy is intended to be a road map for our development education programme. The principle aim of the strategy is to ensure that development education reaches a wide audience in Ireland. We are committed to working in both the formal and non-formal education sectors and we do this in a variety of ways from our partnerships with the Colleges of Education in the DICE programme to our engagement with civil society organisations through the Development Education Funding Scheme. Our support for the work of Higher Education Institutions also ensures that development issues are brought into lecture halls around Ireland. Indeed we are delighted to be able to support the work of CIT Crawford College of Art and Design in collaboration with Mayfield Arts and also provide funding to UCC for a range of initiatives. The participants at today’s conference come from a variety of backgrounds and sectors, bring a broad range of expertise to the event. Irish Aid believes we learn best when we learn with each other, from each other and about each other. Through working together from a range of backgrounds, organisations and sectors we are helping to make Development Education part and parcel of an Irish Education. Peer Learning whether it is part of students experiences in schools or our own experiences at conferences and events is key to effective development education. I look forward to the opportunities at today’s conference to share experiences and learning and wish you the best of luck with this years Globalfest.

PRESENTATION 3: La Cambalacha Guatemalan Arts Organisation La Cambalacha introduces its work and philosophy through live performance and video presentation. (See below for Video Links) Background La Cambalacha is a cultural project that operates as a permanent creativity workshop for the • Instruction, exhibition, production and exchange of the different forms of creative expression • Artistic initiation and formation of children and youth through arts sensitization and creativity classes • Motivation of participants to experiment and learn, and to share their talents with their communities. Mission La Cambalacha dedicates itself to supporting and facilitating artistic sensitization, learning, exchange, formation and production with the children and youth of rural communities. We are validating and practicing art as a life alternative and professional option. We believe that everyone has the right to experience and benefit from artistic expression as a universal tool for individual and collective development on social, psychological, physiological and spiritual levels. ! Our team of local and international artists and facilitators give art workshops in schools, public spaces and at La Cambalacha's studio and workshops. Facilitators guide participants through creative processes to channel their individual and collective energy towards confidence-building, social integration and artistic formation. Context ! La Cambalacha is based in San Marcos La Laguna, located on the shores of Lake Atitlán, Sololá, Guatemala. Its 2,500 inhabitants subsist on the coffee and corn they farm.! Four decades of civil war, and centuries of colonial oppression have left communities like San Marcos La Laguna divided by socioeconomic position, gender, religion, language and more. These communities have been marginalised, segregated and deprived of many basic human needs. Methodology ! La Cambalacha uses art as an educational and therapeutic tool to heal the wounds of the past, to start practicing peace, and to transform our reality with respect for nature, interculturality and human rights. Participative and Experiential - Flexible & Adaptable - Non-Imposing - Analytical - Evolving Our goal as workshop facilitators is to provide new artistic references and share the techniques that we know. An essential part of our work is to respect and include the customs, traditions, culture and worldview of our participants. Our role is to guide creative processes and help participants to recognize themselves as creators and leaders. ! By learning to express themselves constructively and recreationally, the participants develop their understanding of the world, raise their self-esteem, and cultivate respect for each other. They also develop new skills that they are using to earn a living. We are proving that our methodology works, and we want to share it with other communities. By 2009, we hope to have enough communities participating to get the Ministry of Education's support for the introduction of an effective low-budget arts program for all public schools in Guatemala www.lacambalacha.org/video.htm

VIDEO LINK TO CONFERENCE PERFORMANCE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F82geXZQiNs

PRESENTATION 4: Corporacion Renovacion Cultural • An Introduction by Fredy Gutierrez to the work and objectives of Colombian Arts Organisation Corporacion Renovacion Cultural, followed by Video clips of young people talking baout the impact of their participation in their personal development. Followed by presentation by Walter Cano focused on the methodologies of the organisation Fredy Gutierrez Thanks for the invitation to participate in this important event and to share about our organisation. The Corporacion Cultural Renovacion, is a non-profit organization seeking spaces that encourage participation and inclusion of citizens through the development of artistic activities such as theater, dance, visual arts, music. ! The corporacion cultural Renovación is located in the Castilla neighborhood, North-Western zone of Medellín, with more than 18 years of experience in the field of formation and presentation of the arts. At the moment, within its program of artistic formation, it has a group of more than 100 children and young people. ! Thanks to its outstanding participation in different events at international, national and local levels, the Corporacion Cultural Renovación is presently one of the most widely recognized social organizations of cultural character in the city of Medellín. Historical context How were we born? ! The role of the young people of Medellín has been relevant in the history of this city in the last 30 years; this population has generated most of the political, social and cultural changes that have determined substantial transformations for the dynamics of our city, a city that has quickly absorbed the social changes of globalisation. The participation of young people in the process of transformation at a cultural level and the great impact that they have had in the city has been made possible by the COMMUNITY organizations and/or associated groups, who welcomed youth. Some of these organisations were created with the purpose of ceasing the violence. Young people belonging to certain sectors of the city were marginalized and stigmatized in the eyes of society, who associated them with drug trafficking and the hiring of hit-men. ! Art, was the means that attracted the young people to participate in the organizations. It gave youth the possibility of communicating through body language, with images and the imagination. Public spaces such as parks, streets and green zones were somehow taken back. In these spaces there was confrontation between peers and extreme violence in which they were protagonists. ! Art is a communication mechanism that makes possible a profound and concrete dialogue, paving the way to inclusion, organizational participation, and a desire of freedom. General objectives To create spaces of participation for the population of the city of Medellín, by means of workshops in visual arts, theater, dance, music and alternate cultural activities, for the active and creative use of free time, with the goal of nurturing better citizens who will give back to the community. Social Objective Bring life to educational spaces through artistic, recreational and cultural expression, developing and creating specific forms of the creative expression that strengthen the sense of community for all its citizens. Specific Objectives To create processes of sensitizing and creation in the people by means of artistic training/formation workshops.

To recover the cultural and educative spaces as places of communication, interaction and socialization for the community. To strengthen art, culture and education as means of recreation, coexistence, conciliation and community sensitivity. To bring about participative artistic interventions with the community in public spaces of the city of MedellĂn, where the finished work made by the participating children and youngsters is on display The following are transcriptions from Video interviews with young participants in the programme that demonstrates the impact of participation in their development

Leidy Johana Cuesta Mosquera My name is Leidy Johana, I am twenty years old and I study theatre at the university of Antioquia. I have been eight years at the corporation and in this process I gained self-confidence. I relate better to my family, they accept what I do and they participate in it. Socially, I gained trust, I have been given bigger responsibilities and been involved in bigger projects. I think the cultural process in Medellin has moved forward thanks to these groups. At the barrios, people acknowledge the existence of these groups and that they help young people to make the most of their free time.

Angel Hi, my name is Angel. I am eighteen years old. I am finishing secondary school and I have been in this organisation for nearly seven years. Here I have done theatre, music, stilt-walking and at the moment I am the technical director. This corporation has an influence on social, family and professional processes. On the social aspect it helps us to understand the value of culture and socialisation for young people here in Medellin. On the family aspect it gives us an understanding of the importance of the bonds with our families, mothers, brothers and sisters. On the professional aspect it gives us the drive to continue on our vocational training. These kind of organisations in Medellin help children and young people to socialise with adults and gain respect from them. We have been working for nearly eighteen years. The artistic training levels are high, so young people start teaching at an early age. Young people of Medellin have been creating an important process of human quality. This process helped me to get integrated in society and to be a more sociable person.

Eliney Correa My name is Eliney Correa, I am fourteen years old, I am in secondary school and a part of this corporation for the last three years. I think it has been something very good for me. It has had a great influence in my life. At school I am identified as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;performerâ&#x20AC;?, I get good marks and they are always looking for my help. I would like to study medicine but as well theatre, which I like very much. I enjoy being here because I didn"t know much about art and now I do. I think there is a very strong cultural movement in this city. Like when we go to a comparsa(parade), a lot of people know us and they know that it has got something very special to each one of us. When we go to a comparsa we give everything we have.

Walter Cano I would like to talk to you about our methodologies, or should I say our approach to working with children, young people and adults which is constantly striving be increasingly significant at a social and cultural level. Our methodology focuses on three fields: Artistic Training: giving workshops in different art disciplines focused principally on the children and young people from Medellín. Projection and artistic promotion: production of shows and artistic outlets for socialization through public events and sales. These productions are the result of different formation processes developed in conjunction of our services with young people who participate in the experience. Development and management of socio-cultural projects: In order to reach a great number of people, the Cultural Corporation Renovación is constantly developing projects where art is the fundamental means for its citizens to strengthen their community ties with one another through the arts and to contribute to the educative and pedagogical systems allowing a direct culture - citizen communication. Other important aspects of our work: Raising awareness, creativity, personal development, recreation, coexistence and participation are important elements which allow our participants to develop a new relationship with the arts, integrating their culture and identity. It is necessary to highlight the multicultural nature of our membership which makes possible a diverse range of social proposals. During this process it is necessary to bring together and to recognise symbols which revitalise social spaces and a feeling of belonging among participants. The process of artistic development allows members to discover and develop their individual abilities, it encourages them to work collectively for the common good, the production of knowledge and to generate cooperation between institutions. Methodological approach The most important methodological aspect for intervention by the Cultural Corporation Renovación for learning has to do with choosing the most appropriate procedures and techniques to use with the selected demographic. Cultural intervention requires mediations where particular skills and interests are promoted, for this reason the theatre, dance, fine arts and music classes are based on the 4 General Competences that govern Artistic Education, these are: Process of perceptive thought, process of symbolic transformation of the person-nature-society-culture interaction, reflective process and merit process. For the Corporation it is crucial to centre its pedagogical interests in allowing youth to rediscover the four fundamental competences in their development that are present in all their daily activities. Process of perceptive thinking Expected Achievements: • Stimulate the awareness and perception of participants

• Allow for the rediscovery of the language of theatre • Incorporate the many possibilities discovered during the process into normal life The Process of Symbolic Transformation through the interaction of personal, cultural, social and environmental issues Expected achievements: Develop the ability among participants to reflect deeply To allow for reflection on the role of girls and boys through the practice of artistic disciplines Develop critical thinking Process of assessment To promote the concept that artistic practices are collective assets which involve the development of values such as solidarity, trust, friendship, a feeling of belonging, tolerance and listening to oneself and others and for this reason they deserve to be respected and valued. Develop faith in the possibility that problems can be resolved through artistic expression. To urge respect for expressive creations, to judge performances and results with integrity as well as respect for the possibilities and limitations of the driving force of others. Thank you very much for coming. I hope to meet you in the future. Below are video links to street performances by Corporacion Renovacion Cultural www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4ImjAxBEI8 www.youtube.com/watch?v=twJ7w0bn7o8 www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GR-2vprbIw

PRESENTATION 5: Cork City Council • An Introduction by Liz Meaney to the Policy and practice of Cork City Council in relation to arts, participation and development

YOUTH PARTICIPATION Cork – A City of the Arts Access to excellent arts and cultural practice is a civic right. We will use of our resources to promote, support and develop arts and cultural activity in Cork. Cork City Council provide: Recreation, Amenity & Culture, Arts Officer, Community Arts Coordinator, Arts Committee, Cross Directorate Programmes, Libraries, Parks, Museums, Partnership Programmes. Creating Waves: Glucksman Gallery, Crawford Art Gallery, Cork Opera House, Ongoing Project, Sustained Engagement, Critical Analysis, Creative Exploration.

Lord Mayor’s Cultural Access Programme: Pilot 2009 St. Vincent de Paul 10 families Key festivals Venues Events Free & Supported Access ORGANISATIONS HOUSED BY CCC: National Sculpture Factory, Festivals House – 50 Pope’s Quay, Munster Literature Centre - Frank O’Connor House, Artists Residency – Jack Lynch House, Cork Printmakers, Backwater Artists Studio’s, Fenton Gallery, The Guest House – Shandon House, Grafitti Theatre Company, Cork 2005 – Civic Trust House, Cork Vision Centre. CORK CITY FESTIVALS Cork: City of Festivals Cork French Film Festival Cork St. Patrick’s Festival World Book Festival Cork International Choral Festival Cork Midsummer Festival Eurochild Festival Sound Works Cork Folk Festival Frank O’Connor Short Story Festival Cork Film Festival Cork Jazz Festival Artsfest Arttrail

PRESENTATION 6: Desearte PAZ Lina Betancur of Colombian Arts Organisation Centro Colombo Americano introduces her organisation, followed by a video documentary on its art programme Desearte PAZ.

The idea of the Desearte PAZ programme was born in 2005. But it didn’t begin until 2006. Today, its structured methodology enables us to speak responsibly of a positive contribution to cultural development and to the construction of a peace culture. DPAZ focuses on three lines of intervention; socio-artistic labs, art in school and art in infancy. These programmes benefit adults, teenagers and children.

Socio-artistic labs Vance Jabobs – photographer: “I think art is very important especially for populations that are not typically given the opportunity to have a voice. And so this project and projects like this not only provide the inmates the opportunity to explore their own voices but it also allows the general public, the people that don’t really know what a specific situation a specific location is like to really start to understand what it’s like from the inside.” The artistic labs involve society and in our meeting-points international, national and local artists get together to create art collectively with vulnerable social groups. Representatives from different social structures such as; NGO’s, Governmental, Educational, cultural and community institutions are involved in the socio-artistic labs. The labs begin with themed seminars in order to generate discussion among the given social group, the artist and the institutional representatives. Thus institutional voices are confronted with the voices of the vulnerably affected. This leads to a creative starting point that is not a possibility but a reality. Real expressed and detected needs. Artistic production takes place in the community or at the Paul Bardwell Gallery. Works are exhibited at the Centro Colombo Americano or other galleries in the city. The 13 socio-artistic labs that have taken place have touched many important topics significant for the city and concurring with the UN millennium development plan for 2015. And include; involving young people in global discussion and community construction, force displacement, awareness of the physically impaired population, violence against women, human rights in detention centres, afrocolombian identity. Art and School Maria Patricia Posada – teacher at Francisco Luis Hernandez Betancurt School: “For me, the strengths of this project lie in the real spaces for the meeting of cultural, ethnic and artistic diversity. I think the Art and School project can promote a very creative kind of learning, it’s nor a boring way of learning and that is more important than being in a regular class or being nagged at.” Through its programme of guided tours project Desearte PAZ started working with different highschools. In 2006 the programme “Art and School” was started since then eight different high-schools in Medellin has experienced and thus improved the programme. The programme enables high-school students and teachers in the area of artistic education to strengthen the panorama for cultural and social education within a school setting. This is done facing situational realities such as political, economical and family problems that stand in the way of development. The programme encompasses different activities such as workshops for teachers, visiting exhibits of works produced in the labs, duplication of artistic activities within the schools, visits of international artists to the schools, peer meetings of teachers and students and combined art exhibits at the Centro Colombo Americano of all participating schools. Art and Infancy Yolanda Ballesteros - Director of Jardin de Amor Foundation: “This is a opportunity for children who will never have this chance of interacting, meeting people and expressing themselves. Moreover, this will help them because these are children who have been neglected and the project can improve their quality of life.” Art and Infancy is the name give by Desearte PAZ to its programme for children who are in a state of social vulnerability, children affected by exclusion, inequalities, situations that prevent dignity and endurance for a positive quality of life. This programme is based on artistic socio-educational practices in creative fun-areas that strengthen strategies of inclusion, responsible social participation

and furthering talent and leadership potential. These activities include: artistic workshops, visits to cultural and artistic places, encounters with other children in different cultural programmes, activities with local, national and international artists. Desearte PAZ attempts to build bridges between artists and communities through ethical and responsible actions where contemporary art serves as a tool to integrate social structures and academic and artistic institutions in such a way that we become a culture of peace. The Desearte Paz program, after four years of experience, invites us to consider the following aspects: 1. The concepts of Art versus Artists Both Concepts have been defined by different people taking part in some of the activities carried out by Desearte Paz. Art is.... To artists, art is a reason, knowledge and a strategy to be together. To teachers, art is a detonator, universal language, a possibility to transform facts for good, a possibility to construct promising worlds, interpretation, representation, re-elaboration, demonstration of political and administrative beliefs, expression of realism and feelings, communications, recreation of facts. For representatives of social organizations, art is to express ideas, personal experiences, to recreate, opposition. To young art students, art is a means, an excuse to meet, a means or an outcome, an excuse, an instrument to argue, to go beyond, a way to share and communicate ideas, liberate sharpen perception and awareness share, expression, joyfulness. For children, art is paint, learn, draw, amusement, disclose, one â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inspiration to express their beliefs, create. The artist is.... To artists, the artist is a means, a mediator, a conductor and interpreter. To teachers, the artist is intermediary, a supervisor, a mediator, a communicator, an interpreter, a propitiator, a seducer, a reality intercessor, a creator, a philosopher, inquirer. For representatives of social organizations, the artist is a supervisor, a promotor. To young art students, the artist is a bridge to connect art and communities, a performer, a character, a means, knowledge, transmissor, an individual sharing his own life experiences. For children, the artist is he who teaches, he who does art work, he who accompanies and conveys. 2. An Internationalization outlook to foster local development Societies remain in a constant movement. Social dynamics change consistently, and as a result it is crucial for us to learn how to move from our own position. This requires a constant learning and reformulation process concerning risks, relinquishments, challenges and uncertainties. Communities need to oxygenate and make active their practices and discourses. A form of doing this is through comparison and exchange. The involvement of international figures is foundational, as it represents an interesting encounter and cross-culture interaction. The Desearte Paz art program features the participation of an international artist who leads the artistic process giving the community the possibility to relocate themselves in a place out of their usual routine and experiences. Such a practice predisposes participants to an encounter within a microcosm full of other perspectives, emphasis, perceptions and other appearances; It invites them to go beyond their own limits through the recreation of their own reality. Communities discover other ways to name, to be named and to name themselves- a state of acknowledgment and different states of esteem. It is crucial that there is effective supervision over the meeting between communities and international figures who are engaging in a collective experience . This enables creation of an authentic and reliable space, and ensures that the interests of one party does not supersede the

other. Ineffective communication or inequality of opportunities during the artistic exchange, must be avoided. Projects with international artists focus on experiential learning processes instead of a horizontal educational processes, since it is not to impose, but to share, to learn to teach, a form of giving and receiving. ! Those working in the field of culture need to learn to create filters and to direct the international figures to appropriate situations, because not all have the capacity to begin working in these processes. Those working in the field of culture also need to be focused among other things on the rigorous selection of the international figures and the placement of them in appropriate contexts. Many impediments in cultural process outcomes involving international parties are the result of the lack of preparation of the community in which they carry out the intervention and/or the international individual/s brought in the project. Cultural workers shall direct their efforts, among other things, to carry out a rigorous selection process of the international artist intervention, and the best context-based space as well, given the many impediments. 3. Considerations for community artistic project An appropriate schedule of artistic and cultural activities should match with the community context, interests and needs. It is necessary to start growing culture-producer communities not only in consumer societies. It is priority to begin cultural and artistic training processes to promote roles of active participation rather than roles of unprepared spectators, and also to promote critical thinking. ! Artistic and cultural intervention inside communities should no longer be marked by the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;charity modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Art and culture shall not continue to be excluded from society. Accordingly, against the tendency towards this model, there should be responsible interventions that are oriented towards the integral and sustainable development of the communities. The interventions should work from the strengths rather than from the weaknesses of the communities. It is fundamental to create interdisciplinary-work teams with tasks such as: planning, managing and evaluating art projects to be implemented in a community, along with the generation of interest and the strengthening of training processes, if the projects are to result in sustainable processes. ! In addition, the is great value in getting to know other stakeholders of the art and cultural sectors, allowing us to realize art projects that are compatible, to feedback and strengthen experiences, and to set up on-line activities and strategic alliances in the short, middle and long term, thereby accelerating and/or securing more and better impact. Take into consideration local, regional and international alliances. ! The internationalization concept in art and culture shall focus the strengthening of local contexts, holding an international perspective as: a) a strategy to oxygenate local processes b) verification sources, and c) instruments of cooperation and exchange to enhance local development. Artistic and cultural work neither can nor should lose sight of the educational system, instead, efficient connecting and cooperative strategies must be implemented. For video in english about Desearte PAZ, please visit: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=60309715 for videos of example projects browse this site http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.channel&channelid=479273583

WORKSHOPS During the afternoon there were five workshops on offer. Each of the workshops presented the background of the organisation presenting the workshop and a description of the methods used as applied to specific contexts. All workshops had a focus on participative learning and following the workshop each group presented back their experience to the full conference

1. Theatre of the Oppressed: An effective tool for empowerment and advocacy; exploring use of sound, body and image. Lorena Roffe, (La Cambalacha, Guatemala) This Workshop gave and introduction to Theatre of the Oppressed and the various forums used within it. It brought the participants through a range of exercises that gave a taste of the power of this type of theatre as a tool for participation and transformation. Video clip from workshop with feedback to conference http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp-EfuTtK84

Participant Feedback: • More Theatre of the Oppressed • ToTo a useful method to explore result • Can"twait for more days like this • Great to have full 2 hours for workshop, not rushed. Would like to have done another workshop • Great workshop thanks • It was a great day. Big Highlight- the workshop ToTO • Great workshop for all people who came from different country and for them to work together. • Workshop is challenging and creative that young people motivate and create different things • and come with different ideas. Thanks to everyone who participated in this workshop. • Great workshop- showed how the process can include and facilitate anyone to participate or act! • Powerful process for transformation • Lots of ideas, great workshop, well done.# • ToTo was excellent, very powerful. • The facilitator was great as well as the group.

Workshop 2. Painting for Change: The role of mural painting in education and advocacy for children’s rights in Nicaragua. Jafet Escalante, (Funarte, Nicaragua) FUNARTE works with young people in creative workshops and also who make the decisions which affect children and young people, such as community leaders, teachers, local and national government, and civic organizations. They support children and young people in expressing their feelings and proposals by means of public art (murals), workshops, exhibitions, festivals and forums and exchange programs. They workshop explain the methodolgy of the mural process and gave hands on experience in several of the steps of the design and painting process

Video clip from workshop with feedback to conference http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XtsvZwUays

Participant feedback • Great workshops for groupwork, cohesion etc • Lots of great ideas for future workshops from the mural workshop. Thanks, come back soon. • Strong on process- would like to hear more about challenges • Was great to get to paint, Jafet shows us that its easy to mix colours and make beautiful murals, had so much fun. Thanks! • Fun, lovely facilitators who shared their work and talent. • Great workshop. Everyone had to figure out how to work together. • Space was created for cooperation and creativity. Lovely atmosphere. Thanks Jafet!

Workshop 3. Art and Action: Street art and poster art for youth expression. (Mayfield Community Arts Centre, Newbury House, Cork) This workshop explored the role of art in public spaces and Mayfield Community Arts Centre"s approach of arts projects that focus on experiential learning, art action and advocacy. Participants explored tools for designing images with groups that communicate messages clearly and then worked in small groups to create collage and stencil images Video clip from workshop with feedback to conference www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwzBOuWyEjU

Participant feedback • Brilliant workshop and a great mix of people • Enjoyed and got a lot out of the process… would like more on the action side • Well done Nora! Art Action workshop great, really fun and very practical, will definitely use learning from today on my work. • Really impressed with the input of the young people in the group- well done. • Really enjoyed the workshop • Thanks to all helpers what a worthwhile project. More Please. • Great workshop, Nora was very inspiring, The whole day was vibrant and enjoyable. • Accessible workshop, great ideas.

Workshop 4. Ideal cities and environments: Mapping with recycled materials. Krisztina Katona, (Mural Moral, Hungary) and Deirdre Walsh, (Growing up in Cities programme Ballymun) This workshop first presented the work of the Mural Moral group in Hungary. They then explored the concept of an ideal city with a focus on the idea of sustainability. The group worked together with recycled material to create their vision of an idea city Video clip from workshop with feedback to conference http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlAd3oM6YA4

Participant feedback • Time for critical evaluation and feedback session, 5/10 mins at end would have been good. • Our wee ideal flower world was inspiring. Gave me a sense of involvement in a# community setting. We all loved our mini world. • Involvement/ participation/ community.####

Workshop 5: Reclaim the streets: Street parade - attract attention to your cause. Costume facepaint, dance and music. Creative team, (Corperacion Renovacion Cultural, Colombia) This workshop shared the work of Corperacion Renovacion Cultural where they use street parade or $comparsa" as a political and cultural statement. Art, was the means that attracted the young people to participate in the organisation. It gave youth the possibility of communicating through body language, with images and the imagination. Public spaces such as parks, streets and green zones were somehow taken back. In these spaces there was confrontation between peers and extreme violence in which they were protagonists. In the workshop the participants divided into groups to work on music, dance and costumes. They then combined the elements to make a performance.

video clip of workshop and feedback to conference http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ESApoJpU88

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Participant feedback • Reclaiming the streets is a political act not just music and dance for their own sake but for social change • Workshop presentation is full of energy, amazing after only 2 hours

ISSUES RASIED AND PARTICIPANTS REFLECTIONS Q:How do we cultivate equal partnerships? • Through respect and meaningful engagements/ consultation • Participation by all, sharing of views and ideas, active listening • Acknowledge how groups are not all the same and try to create a shared vision to work toward together. • I don"t know- the work looks fantastic but how do you?? Find and build a relationship with partner groups, find facilitators with the right skills and get young people to participate? Q: Does participation in art foster critical thinking? • Not necessarily, pathway to critical thinking needs to be actively included in design of participative art • Be a “spectactor” • Only when facilitative questioning and being open to different perspectives and experiences • Yes, explores issues and sjares different perspectives/ ideas Q: How can we make urban space for creativity? • Come together to work together and share resources and knowledge. Money is just one form of energy- people/ time/ skills/ wisdom Q: Culture- where? Whose? What? • Kept hearing “identity” in culture. Q: Freedom of expression Vs Responsibility in public art. Is there a tension/ conflict? • Yes- if funders are looking for a “standard” in the end product • Yes, sometimes a healthy tension, freedom of expression can also oppress • Yes, maybe a positive conflict? Q: Is public art accessible? Who are the public it is for? • Start with where we"re at- look at the mix of people, experiences to influence here today Q: Action or Education or both? • No peace without justice • Can"t have one without the other! Action= Education= Action= Education ! • Both. Education leads to action with a better understanding of issues people may feel more power to act. Q: What do we mean by participation? • Good question and to what end? • Taking part in decision-making. Making a real contribution and feeling respected and listened to. • An equal say in all decisions being made (including efforts to overcome barriers to participation… gender, age, class-related barriers) Q: How do we learn to/for change? • By doing- I"ve learned by being involved in campaigning and actions- don"t think I could have learned much by just talking about it/ workshops etc. • By creating taking opportunities to experience something new/ different in our communities.

CLOSING REMARKS Following the workshop presentations Matthias Fiedler of IDEA sums up the conference and its outcomes. The Irish Development Education Association (IDEA) is delighted to have had the opportunity to be part of this year"s conference â&#x20AC;&#x153;Culture, Participation and Transformation. Arts as a tool for participation, development and development educationâ&#x20AC;? organised by Mayfield Community Arts Centre in Cork. The conference brought together an impressive range of facilitators which made it a memorable day in Cork. The active engagement of different partner groups from Latin America was also evidence of how serious the Mayfield Arts Centre is about building up well grounded and equitable partnerships with groups in the Global South which are engaged in a variety of artistic and creative processes that all have the advancement of education, development and awareness raising of global justice issues at the core of their work. Their work and the work of the Mayfield Community Arts Centre shows how powerful a tool art can be in transforming society through education. It is this capacity to reach out to the public that makes art and artistic performances an important ingredient of all development education work which is the reason why IDEA is keen to advance work that is happening in this field. ! Participation in and the support of this conference links in with IDEA"s overall aim to advance a vibrant and creative dialogue about social and global justice issues in the development education sector in Ireland. We are particularly pleased that the regional working group within IDEA was able to contribute to the planning stage of this event as it is one of IDEA"s objectives to support regionally based development education work outside Dublin. It is hoped that this collaboration is only the starting point of a much closer relationship with one of the major players in development education in Cork.In many ways the conference showed that Jessica Carson and her team $walk the talk" when it comes to putting methodologies and theory into practice. It could be said that the conference itself followed the three methodological steps that underpin the work of the Centre: From Experiential ! Learning to Art and Action to Advocacy and Campaigning. The morning was dominated by the sharing of learning and charting the many ways people who participated on the day are involved in creative development education work. While the morning was all about seeing what"s already there and about setting the agenda for the day the following workshops offered a variety of ways how those agendas could be put into action creatively. A common theme that ran through all the workshops was the notion of reclaiming public space through art in order to put social and global justice agendas back into the public life. They also showed how art can be a tool to transform ideas and concepts into action. Indeed, in some miraculous way, each of the workshops itself followed the three step methodology by starting off with sessions in which the participants set their agendas for the workshop and discussed ways of how to proceed. After this phase it was about putting these agendas into action. Interesting to see was that the different workshops facilitated the transition into this second, action-based phase very differently. It was either done through a discussion process by agreement, through a facilitator who decided to move the group into a new phase or through intuition by organically moving from one phase to the next. There seems to be merits in all three ways because all the groups got comfortably into this second phase. ! The biggest challenge that became once again obvious both in the individual workshops and the conference as a whole was how to move into the third phase, i.e. how to channel the work we are doing into transforming the societies and the word we live in to make it a more just and sustainable place to be. The day showed in many ways how to reclaim public spaces for our agenda and made once again clear that real empowerment can only be achieved through allowing people a self-defined participation in the process. How to get to transformation stage, however, is the step we now have to concentrate our efforts on. ! It is hoped that the event in July was the first of a series of events that IDEA has joined forces with its regional partners with the main goal in mind to support and advance development education in Ireland. Matthias Fiedler, Director IDEA

PROJECT LAUNCH The seminar was followed by a Launch of a Youth Initiative project carried out by local young people supported by Mayfield Community Arts Centre as a model of youth arts participation. Prior to the youth presenting their project of the conference participants they had a meeting with the local city councillors and the Lord Mayor to share their project and their opinions and the proposals and concerns of the young people they engaged in their project This was an art project where we created a poster campaign to give the youth a voice. First, we had a meeting where we discussed the whole project, what we would be doing and got to know each other. Next, we went to local schools, colleges and organisations and we created art with a message. Each participant created a poster with a picture and a slogan, expressing something they would like to change about the world in their own words. Finally, we finished with evaluation and presentation to share our work with the community. We did this because we wanted to create awareness of problems that effect people around Cork city and to give us more of a voice and a new way to listen to each other. Basically to empower the youth! - Ali, BrĂd, Hayley, Kathlynn and Tahmina

############################################### You can follow this link for a more detailed description of the project http://web.me.com/mayfieldartscentre/youthinitiatives/Welcome.html A performance of traditional Colombian music and dance marks the close of the Globalfest conference. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXCtF6-6xSU

CONFERENCE FEEDBACK Questions to explore further • How do we ensure high quality workshops where art in action truly makes a difference? • ......People seem to be afraid of action, especially direct action. • Would like to understand a bit more on taking the art “into Action”- bringing it to audiences and facilitating or inspiring social and political discussions. Suggestions/Proposals • Do you do many projects with other youth organisations around Ireland? • Follow-up workshops • Digital Media workshops • More opportunities for workshops like these- as we could only do one and they all looked great! • Come to local communities and share/ teach processes with workshops • A day of workshops where one can experience multiple art forms in action. • More training on the challenges of this work and how to overcome them • Please bring more workshops to Cork city and county soon. • Would have liked to see/hear more young people"s experiences- maybe next time? • More debate on the issues and questions raised during the day • Information on where one could train or have more of the same workshop. i.e. where/ how contact can be made to further learn. • list of facilitators in Ireland with youth/arts/DE skills. • More workshops • More info in advance of next year"s GlobalFest- can we include young people we work with? • Try to engage more new communities/ immigrants living in cork in the future. • Share resources- more connections

Feedback on day • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • !

Very inspiring both personally and for the work I do Definitely want to reclaim some streets in a fun, colourful way. IDEA: Want to use cities and Murals/ stencils with youth group this year. Really great day, look forward to future GlobalFests This seminar encourages inspiration simple by meeting, seeing and understanding what groups are doing… strengthening and empowering for all. ! Group involvement. Future info and further action together. Great layout overall, the time went quickly and the active participation helped this work. Great energy Keep up the good work- hope you get the funding you need for the coming years. Variety of people was brilliant Despite the early start and a few yawns really enjoyed it, Thanks! Great mix of people! Good interface between different sectors. Meaty Seminar- lots of good info and very active. Facilitation overall was excellent… nice to work with people from different backgrounds Outputs from all the workshops were very impressive Great evaluation method I really like the time-line of the day idea. Nice way of getting feedback. Very good food and very good art. Lots of ideas of how to link themes to art and to work as a group. Practical knowledge of how to do it. Very enjoyable but as someone who doesn"t feel very creative, I would need more to give me confidence in using methodologies Very good art, really enjoyed doing graffiti with ye. Sarah. Great to have young people central to the day. Great to hear about and meet groups from Latin America and Hungary Lots of good, creative ideas- like this wall Great to see videos of ideas that can be used in workshops here. Thanks, more please. Accessibility- IDEA and Cork Co. Council inspirational! Desearte Paz social art labs where MDG issue were dealt with- really impressive would love to know more about activating such a programme for Irish students to explore MDG26s. Excellent. Enjoyed finding out what"s happening in other places- very stimulating and inspiring. Inputs in the morning were a lot to take in- long periods of concentration. Some great presentations- but maybe needed more interaction in the morning? Also- fix lighting re. projector. Lots of useful information of art projects in different places and how they work and involve people Love seeing the videos of all the different countries, really want to go to “La Cambalacha” and also would love to visit the other countries too. A truly creative and engaging seminar- what DE is about! Love programmes like this had so much fun, learned lots and got to talk to cool people, there should be more (seminars) like this throughout the year. Thanks! Youth voice during the day? Maybe? Maybe we could have more time for extra workshops in the morning?

Development Education and Community Arts Resources Mayfield Community Arts Centre have resources designed for teachers and youth workers interested in using creative methodologies to explore global education issues with children and young people. All resources have been created with the input, perspectives and experiences of our children and young people. http://www.mayfieldarts.org/global_ed_resources.htm Make Art Make Change: A resource pack for secondary schools and youth groups based on poster project by group of international young people

Action For The Environment: A Creative Resource Pack developed For National Schools

Education For Everyone: A Creative Resource Pack For National Schools exploring the right to education

World Of Dreams: A Resource Pack From Art Encounter 2005 . Accompanying video clips available. (See our website for details)

Painting For Change: A Creative Development Education Resource Pack about Mural Painting, Public Art, Citizenship and Partnership. Based on a training experience of young people and youth workers with FUNARTE, Nicaragua. Express Yourself : A Creative Resource Pack For National School exploring the right to expression

Mayfield Community Arts Centre is developing a range of new resources that will be available from our website. This will include a range of pamphlets that explain practically step by step a range of arts techniques along with a range of case studies. We are also developing a series of profiles of our partners. Irish Educational Development Association â&#x20AC;&#x201C; IDEA is an association of organisations and individuals involved in the provision, promotion or advancement of development education throughout the island of Ireland. www.ideaonline.ie Developmenteducation.ie - This website is a development and human rights education resource maintained by a consortium of organisations based in Ireland. The site contains a broad range of materials exploring a variety of development issues and topics such as genocide and fair trade. www.developmenteduction.ie The Youth in Action Programme - Leargas is the National Agency in Ireland for the management of national and international exchange and cooperation programmes in education, youth and community work, and vocational education and training including the EU funded Youth in Action. www.leargas.ie Applications for projects linkning with partner countries outside of europe go directly to the EU. www.ec.europa.eu/youthield

MayfieldCommunity arts centre has a website that is useful as a resource for developing volunteer programmes with countries outside of Europe http://web.me.com/mayfieldartscentre/evs/Welcome.html You can also access the EVS link from our home page www.mayfieldarts.org http://www.leargas.ie/resources.php Irish Aid is the Irish Government’s official development assistance programme. It provides funding for projects which enables development education reaches a wide audience in Ireland. They aim to provide high-quality programmes to teachers and others involved in development education and by working with the education sector, NGOs and civil society partners. www.irishaid.ie The National Youth Council of Ireland is the representative body for national voluntary youth work organisations in Ireland. It represents and supports the interests of 50 voluntary youth organisations and uses its collective experience to act on issues that impact on young people. It seeks to ensure that all young people are empowered to develop the skills and confidence to fully participate as active citizens in an inclusive society.www.youth.ie NYCI’s Arts Programme is a partnership approach to promoting and developing youth arts in Ireland. NYCI’s Arts Programme aims specifically to realise the potential of young people through good quality arts practice in the youth service and to develop appropriate policies and activities at local, regional and national level. www.youtharts.ie Youthdeved.ie is the website of the Development Education Programme of the NYCI, where you will find all you need to know about development education in the youth work sector. This site explains major issues in development education, has a number of resource and activity packs about these issues that you can download or borrow and up to date information about activities and events of relevance. www.youthdeved.ie Taking it Global is the social network that connects you to the global issues that affect us all. They have resources relating to organizations, events, opportunities toolkits and publications. http:// www.tigweb.org Cork City Council – The role of the Community Arts Co-ordinator is to co-ordinate the development of community arts in Cork City and in doing so make the creative process more accessible to the wider community. One of the roles for the Community Arts Co-ordinators is to aid the community in sourcing funds and develop links between the community and the Arts sector. http://www.corkcorp.ie/ourservices/recreationamenityculture/arts/ Trócaire- Whether you're a teacher looking for school resources, a development professional looking for policy papers, or simply someone interested in our latest news, we've got you covered. We have an extensive catalogue of teaching materials, policy papers, development reports and news items to help you learn more about the issues we work on. http://www.trocaire.org/en/resources DICE Development and Intercultural Education- DICE as a central objective to support the inclusion of development education and intercultural education perspectives as essential elements of initial teacher education. Resources are available from the home page http://www.diceproject.org