FRANCE / SOUTH AFRICA / ZAMBIA
Dream up! Drum up!
In line with the Erasmus+ Inclusion and Diversity Strategy and the European Union’s New Youth Strategy, the overall objective of the project is to create the conditions for high quality services for vulnerable youth to mobilize, connect and empower them from local to international levels by targeting three unique groups of youth, namely those
– living on the streets of Lusaka, abused by abusive adults and/or abandoned by parents unable to provide for them
– from the townships of Cape Town in search of fraternity in a post-apartheid world that is still unequal
– mentally and sensorially disabled people in Toulouse, often isolated in living spaces that are not very open to the outside world due to a lack of resources.
Based on a SWOT diagnosis of the resources, skills and experiences of the partnership, the consortium identified four related issues to be addressed, namely
- How to give these young people access to relevant artistic practices to increase their social skills and autonomy?
- How to better detect and support their creative potential to facilitate their social inclusion?
- How to fully use the potential of culture and cultural diversity to promote their well-being?
- How to increase the involvement of authorities and youth decision makers at local, regional, national, African and European levels to facilitate the connection of all youth in Africa and Europe?
In response, the project plans a non-formal training program for social facilitators (animators and street educators) and cultural mediators (artists and cultural managers) by organizing capacity building activities and learning mobilities with the specific objectives of :
- equiping youth actors with artistic and managerial skills, to increase their capacity to analyze the needs of young people according to their contexts, singularities, particularities or life environments and to equip them for the construction of relevant responses that allow a greater autonomy, involvement and commitment of vulnerable young people in their daily accompaniment
- developing the quality and internationalization of partner organizations by increasing their knowledge and expertise in seizing European and international learning mobility opportunities for young people and youth actors
- increasing the involvement of authorities, decision-makers and non-governmental youth organizations, locally and nationally, as well as at the African and European continental levels to promote the implementation of good institutional and private practices in favor of the mobilization and connection of young people in Africa and Europe
Partners
Artscape is a cultural institution, located in the heart of Cape Town. Originally established 40 years ago, Artscape has today developed into a vibrant, multifunctional creative arts centre, offering exceptional venue facilities and specialist theatrical services. The structure is committed to be a vector of growth and transformation for the performing arts, using tools which contribute to build the country, and establishes partnerships including all stakeholders.
Artscape promotes the access to arts, and is today one of the biggest spaces in Africa dedicated to performing arts. Since a few years, Artscape uses an innovative program of education and training, offering opportunities of career for young artists and art technicians and in all the communities of South Africa.
Artscape organizes programs of artistic education and development, which lead to positive changes in the creation of a rich cultural and artistic community. Its programs concern urban, pre-urban and rural communities. The programs “Education”, “Skills” and “Development” are composed of artistic activities, and events like the Carnival of Cape Town and many festivals to enhance the communities.
Barefeet Theater is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that uses play, creativity, and empowerment to give vulnerable children in Zambia a chance at a better life. Barefeet was founded by former street children as a response to the plight of young people living on Zambia streets. Through the power of performance, educational workshops, and more, we develop vulnerable youth into physically healthy, cognitively, and socially competent young people.
Barefeet has ‘toes’—our programme areas—which help inspire the most vulnerable youth to make positive life choices and move to a safe and healthy environment. To achieve this we use a multi-dimensional approach. Through theatre, performance, psychosocial support, creativity, and self-expression Barefeet works to address the needs of the children we work with.
We deliver life-saving information and inspiration to the kids who need it most through our outreach programs with children living on the streets, our interactive theater workshops with 2,000 children in 40 communities in Zambia, and on the national stage at our annual Barefeet Youth Arts Festival. Additionally, our children advocate for change for their fellow youth in the Barefeet Children Council, comprised of elected representatives from our partner children centers. Our final is the Barefeet performance company, which generates income to support our outreach programs and workshops.
“Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tip toe if you must, just take the step.”
Mobilities
From 24th of March to 3rd of April
Following up on an initial project with our partners Artscape and Barefeet between 2018 and 2020, “Dream up! Drum up!” pursues the overall goal of organizing the conditions to bring high quality artistic, socio-educational and managerial services to young people in vulnerable situations to mobilize, connect and empower them from the local to the international level.
For this first mobility we are meeting our partner Barefeet Theatre in Lusaka and 2 other teams of 14 people, coming from South Africa (our partner Artscape) and Toulouse.
The mobility has already exceeded our expectations: good socio-educational practices in the process of being formalized for a potential economic exploitation, transmission of cultural management tools, musical fusion made immediately possible thanks to the work done beforehand by Ivan, visit to the EU embassy, performance on national television and radio program for media coverage.
An extremely full week, carried by a warm atmosphere mixing meetings and first encounters! A big thank you to Barefeet for the quality of its welcome, before everyone meets again in Toulouse for the second stage of this exciting project!
From June the 27th to July the 5th
The second stage of the “Dream up! Drum up!” project with Barefeet (Zambia) and Artscape (South Africa) finally took place from June 27 to July 5 at Samba Résille!
These days in Toulouse were punctuated by rehearsals of percussion, singing and wind instruments, sometimes accompanied by other groups from Samba Résille. The objective was to keep the beautiful artistic collaboration started in Lusaka during the first mobility, which had already exceeded our expectations, alive.
The stay also gave rise to numerous workshops: frevo dance, cooking, graffiti and round tables… Formal and informal meetings were organized. We had the chance to be received by the COCU (Organizational Committee of the United Carnival); and the Zambians of Barefeet were able to exchange with the young people in musical awakening and the Batucabraille group at the IJA (Institute for the Young Blind).
The result of all this work was presented on June 30 during the 7th Meeting of African Studies in France, at the University Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès, in the form of a colloquium and an outdoor exhibition.
The neighborhood party on July 2 also allowed the public to discover the richness of “Dream up! Drum up!”. After an Icebreaker workshop by Barefeet and a presentation of the project, the collaborative musical program resounded throughout Roquelaine street, participating in this successful anniversary event!
The mobility then continued until July 10th with a trip to Paris and Brussels.
