On 27-28 November 2024 the kick-off meeting of the HORIZON EUROPE project PULSE-ART – “Promoting Understanding and Lifelong learning Successful Education through the ARTs and culture”, Grant agreement ID: 101178988, was held in Barcelona (Spain). It was attended by Daugavpils University Institute of the Humanities and Social Sciences senior researcher Dr. philol. Ilze Kačāne. The project, which will run from 1 November 2024 to 31 October 2027, involves institutions from six countries – Spain, France, Greece, Latvia, Malta and the Netherlands – representing research centres, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises and museums.

PULSE-ART aims to promote cultural awareness and expression and the use of arts as a catalyst for change and an important force for cultural development in education in Europe. Cultural awareness and expression is a component of arts and cultural education and one of the eight key competences of lifelong learning, which contributes to not only the acquisition of social, civic and intercultural skills but also to the development of a sense of belonging to a particular society and a community. The project, coordinated by Science for Change and co-coordinated by the Scientific Culture Unit (UCC+i) of ISGlobal, aims to demonstrate how the use of art in education can become a key driver for cultural development in communities of all of Europe. During the opening session of the kick-off meeting,  Isidora Fernández, coordinator of PULSE-ART and art and science specialist at Science for Change (Spain), explained “at a time when Europe and the world are facing challenges related to the loss of cultural components due to the adoption of rigid identities, PULSE-ART project responds to an urgent need: to revitalize the values of mutual respect and appreciation for cultural diversity based on and giving value to the work of the cultural industry”.

The second day of the kick-off meeting brought together political leaders, creatives, cultural managers, artists, researchers, educators and other key actors in a collaborative environment designed to participate in dynamic workshops and explore innovative ecosystems, methodologies and practices to integrate art in education in the framework of the PULSE-ART project. To promote the sustainability of the use of arts in education, the project will analyse good practices, develop an educational platform and artistic education workshops in different disciplines to promote European cultural awareness. The methodology in seven case studies (game jams, video games, illustration and drawing, visual technology arts, performance arts, dance, music) will be validated in Europe and Morocco. At the end of the project, policy recommendations will be developed by the project partners in collaboration with the creative and cultural industries, based on concrete evidence. Project information: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101178988

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only
and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

More information:
Ilze Kačāne, Dr. philol.
Senior researcher at DU Institute of the Humanities and Social Sciences /
PULSE-ART coordinator in Latvia
e-mail: ilze.kacane@du.lv

Photo: Aleix Cabrera (ISGlobal), Ilze Kačāne (DU)