Project title
Description of initiative
N-arts connects the arts to Adult Education. The aim is to highlight the role of the arts in adult education, strengthen the arts facilitators' position and motivate the teachers to develop new methods and approaches. The name N (Non-Intended)-arts implies that the focus is on the creative process rather than on the art product/object/event. The tools provided by the project draw attention to the impact the arts can have on the learning process, social cohesion and wellbeing. The tools supported the facilitators and teachers to articulate and explain N-arts, by applying criteria and techniques of evaluation, and conceptualizing frameworks for the activities in terms of adult education. Models of evaluation: We related the N-arts activities to the dynamic action model “Five Ways to Wellbeing”. This is a well-researched general evaluation system that is commonly applied to projects in the field of adult education, arts and health. It takes outcomes that can be easily understood and assessed into consideration. As a common denominator, this model accommodates the very wide variety of options that the partnership represents. To answer the question how N-arts activities reflect the parameters of wellbeing (connect, be active, take notice, keep learning, give) we used observations of the facilitators, qualitative interviews with the participants and a set of tools that aided the process of critical analysis.
Themes: Culture and...
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Results, benefits, impact and lessons learnt
The project consortium obtained an overall picture for each of the N-arts activities, highlighting how the learners’ experience related to the elements of wellbeing. Through identifying the relevant attributes, the individual N-arts events could then be fine-tuned. N-arts proved to be a fundamental motivational factor at every stage and level of Adult Education. It provided a space for learning in Adult Education that is non-utilitarian, non-conflicting, and non-competitive. Including the arts in adult education expands the concept of learning beyond the acquisition of skills and information contributing significantly to the wellbeing of the individual learner as well as the community of learners.