Kulturell Allemansrätt
(Everyman’s cultural right)
seminars and Youth Initiatives
Youth in Action ProgrammeAction 4.6 - Partnerships
Summary
The objective of the project was to contribute to the development of Youth in Action Programme especially
through activities for increased active European citizenship. Key factors for how culture can be used to
reach youth with fewer opportunities are explored in the frame of the project and summarised in a method
book and in a film. Duration: 1 / 4 2010 – 31 /3 2012. The project included four trans-national seminars,
one evaluation seminar and six national youth initiatives, all held in Gävle, Sweden. Municipalities and
NGO:s from Estonia, Latvia, Germany, Italy and Sweden participated in the project.
Approximately 30 people participated in each seminar. The theme captured the richness in the cultural
activities in each participating country and in Europe. It promoted the acceptance and support for cultural diversity. The six youth initiatives involved 60 youth. Young people were looked upon as experts and
therefore directly involved in all stages of the project. The youth created a digital forum for dissemination
of results. The project targeted young people with fewer possibilities since they are the experts in how
to reach other young people with fewer opportunities. A concrete result of the project was an increased
understanding of the important role NGO:s have in reaching youth with fewer opportunities and what immense impact a respectful and close cooperation between local bodies and NGO:s have for contributing to
social inclusion for the target group.
Partner composition
- a good mix of NGO:s and local public bodies
Lead partner:
Gävle Municipality (Sweden)
Co-organiser:
Kulturföreningen Lätting (Swden)
Project partners:
Narva Municipality (Estonia)
Expedition Metropolis e.V. (Germany)
Archi Nuova Associazione (Italy)
Youth Centre Babilonas (Latvia)
...
LATTING
KULTURHUS
Four trans-national seminars on the
following themes were held:
• Focus on mutual understanding of the theme ”Kulturell Allemansrätt”
• Focus on gaining experiences to ensure the European dimension of ”Kulturell Allemansrätt”
• Gain experience to develop a concrete model of how culture can be used to contribute to the
development of the Youth in Action programme. The model will also view detailed description for
a successful cooperation between Public bodies and NGO:s
• Gain experiences to develop a successful dissemination strategy for a succsessful visibility and
to ensure a sustainable impact of the project on a European level. The seminar will also contain the
development of a sustainable cooperation and the creation of a network.
Kulturell Allemansrätt is:
Instruments for access to culture for new target groups
The European dimension of
Kulturell Allemansrätt
European citizenship: Activities for increased active European citizenship are involved in all Youth Initiatives as well as in the trans-national seminars.
Cultural Diversity: The specific Theme, Kulturell Allemansrätt means instruments for access to culture for
new target groups, and focuses on the richness in the cultural activities in each country and in Europe.
Participation of young people: The project involved young people in all activities and young people were
looked upon as experts and were directly involved in the development of products. They were also the experts in the development of the dissemination strategy.
Inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities: The project target especially young people with fewer possibilities since they are the experts in how to reach new target groups in terms of young people with
fewer opportunities. The know how to involve, engage, reach and interest the specific target group.
The project present a concrete model of how culture can be used to contribute
to the development of the Youth in Action programme.
The local Youth Initiatives illustrates how culture can be used to contribute to the
development of the Youth in Action programme by giving six concrete examples
of how different cultural expressions are used as tools in order to contribute to
social inclusion.
Youth Initiatives for Active European Citizenship
• HBTQ youth can use visual arts to strengthen their identity and contributing to a bigger understanding
of HBTQ youths conditions in their community.
• Young people can use creative writing to reach out to other youth with important information regarding
sexual health.
• Young people can learn how to cooperate, interact and manage a budget through a film project.
• Young people can contribute to the public debate about an important issue by using photo technique.
• Young people can meet around popular culture (video, comedy films, music and theatre) to work for
social integration for youth at risk within their community.
• Young people can use photo in order to attract other youth to be active in cultural- and sport associations.
Example 1
Name of the Youth Initiative 1: Gävla Norm!
Organisation: RFSL Gävleborgs ungdomsgrupp
Duration: January 10 2011 – May 10 2011
Summary of the Youth Initiative:
The Youth Initiative “Gävla Norm!” is a visual arts project that focuses on young HBTQ-people’s conditions
in the city and in the region. The project has enabled young HBTQ-people to through paintings; photos and
creative writing give their own view about who they are and what challenges they are facing in the community. The artwork that the youth produced were showed at an exhibition after the project ended. The
project led to a strengthened identity and confidence amongst the participants.
How the Youth Initiative has contributed to the model/the search for key factors for using culture as a
tool for social inclusion: The Youth Initiative has contributed to the development of the method by giving
a concrete example for how HBTQ-youth can use visual arts to strengthen their identity, their confidence
and how to reach out with an important message in the community. Another important part of the visual
arts project is that the people that have seen the art have been given an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the conditions for young HBTQ people in the city and in the region.
Example 2
Name of the Youth Initiative 2: Lust!
Organisation: RFSU Gävles ungdomsgrupp
Duration: August 22 2011 – December 22 2011
Summary of the Youth Initiative:
The Youth Initiative “Lust!” is a writing project that focuses on young peoples’ views about lust and sexuality. The participants in the project focused on creating texts that were free from prejudice, guilt and shame
and that focused on lust, mutuality, safety and scientific results. The articles had themes such as “To come
out as a gay person” and “Abortion”. The articles in the project have been printed in a paper and handed
out to other youth.
How the Youth Initiative has contributed to the model/the search for key factors for using culture as a
tool for social inclusion: The Youth Initiative has contributed to the development of the method by giving a
concrete example for how youth can use creative writing to strengthen their identity, their confidence and
how to reach out with an important message in the community. By daring to write and discuss issues about
lust and sexuality many taboos have been eliminated and that in turn will lead to more confident, healthy
and socially integrated youth. The articles the youth wrote were published in a paper that was handed out
to youth in schools. This is an example of how other young people that weren’t directly involved in the
project could take part of the results.
Example 3
Name of the Youth Initiative 3: Filmprojektet “The Wall”
Organisation: Unga Örnar, Bomhus
Duration: December 9 2011 – Mars 12 2011
Summary of the Youth Initiative:
The Youth Initiative “The Wall” is a film project in which a group of youngsters have learnt how to produce
a film from scratch. The young people involved in the project have done everything from coming up with
the idea, to writing the manuscript, fixing the equipment, finding a spot to shot the film, to shot the film
and managing the budget. This has been an interesting journey for the youngsters involved and this is a
great example of how the process is more important than the result. The people in the project chose an
important question for the film: the conflict between different groups of people and the longing for a more
peaceful world.
How the Youth Initiative has contributed to the model/the search for key factors for using culture as a
tool for social inclusion: The Youth Initiative has contributed to the development of the method by giving
an example of how young people though a film project can learn how to cooperate, calculate a budget and
plan a project. This Youth Initiative is a great example of how the process many times is more important
than the final result. The obstacles along the way are what teach the participants how to deal with setbacks
in a constructive way. The manuscript of the film is a good example of how culture can serve as a tool for
dealing with important issues such as xenophobia and racism.
Example 4
Name of the Youth Initiative 4: The Naked Truth
Organisation: Magnus Svensson’s project group
Duration: October 24 2011 – February 24 2011
Summary of the Youth Initiative:
The Youth Initiative “The Naked Truth” is a response to the debate about helmets for bicyclists. There has
been a big debate in Swedish media about whether or not to make it mandatory to use a helmet when
going on a bicycle. A group of youngsters came up with the idea to make a photo calendar as to manifest
their view on the issue. “The Naked Truth” is spinning on the idea of what we perceive as important when
it comes to beauty and our bodies. The photo calendar consists of twelve photos on ordinary people only
dressed in helmets – because the helmet is in fact the only garment that is important for your safety in the
traffic. The youngsters have planned the project, taken the photos and distributed the calendar.
How the Youth Initiative has contributed to the model/the search for key factors for using culture as a
tool for social inclusion: The Youth Initiative has contributed to the development of the method by giving
an example of how young people can use photo as a cultural expression and connect that to an important
social issue. By using photo as a way of participating in the debate about norms; how we look at our bodies, what we value as important – the young people in the project created a platform for debate around a
series of important questions.
Example 5
Name of the Youth Initiative 5: Byta beteenden
Organization: Nabad utveckling och humanitär Org.
Duration: September 15 2011 – January 15 2012
Summary of the Youth Initiative:
The Youth Initiative “Changing Behaviour” is a project that one of the associations with good knowledge about
youth at risk has come up with. Since the association has identified young people at risk in their neighbourhood
they wanted to do something constructive and positive for the target group. By giving the young people at risk an
opportunity to come in contact with positive popular culture as non violent video games, comedy films, theatre
and at the same time help them with their home work and arrange lectures they were able to change negative
patterns. One important part of this Youth Initiative is the positive effect it has on the cooperation between the
local public body (the municipality) and the association involved in the project. Since there are a number of associations that possess a great deal of knowledge about where the local public bodies need to put in extra resources in order to work for social inclusion, much can be learnt from a project like this.
How the Youth Initiative has contributed to the model/the search for key factors for using culture as a tool for
social inclusion: The Youth Initiative has contributed to the development of the method by putting focus on the
importance of a good cooperation between the public bodies and association that have good knowledge about
youth at risk. By using the knowledge that the organizations have about the youth in a specific neighbourhood
and to give the organisation economic means to work together with the youth, positive change and social inclusion can be achieved. The organisation Nabad has showed how young people can find positive row models when
meeting around cultural themes such as comedy film, theatre and non-violence video culture.
Example 6
Name of the Youth Initiative 6: Fotoguiden
Organisation: Helges Fritidsgård
Duration: December 9 2011 – February 24 2011
Summary of the Youth Initiative:
The Youth Initiative “The photo guide” is an example of how the youth created a meeting place for young people
interested in photo as a cultural expression. By arranging photo competitions and a chance to view photographs
publicly, young people started to see the benefits from being a part of an association. The youth club got new
members and the youth got a new meeting point, new friends and contact with the youth workers in the club.
The youth involved in the project gained confidence by seeing that other people appreciated the photographs
they took and the work they did for their fellow youths in the area.
How the Youth Initiative has contributed to the model/the search for key factors for using culture as a tool for
social inclusion: The Youth Initiative has contributed to the development of the method by giving an example of
how young people can reach out to other young people and make them interested in participating in the cultural
and sport associations in the community.
Presentation of a 3-step model for the role cultural NGO:s and public bodies can
play in influencing youth with fewer opportunities towards social inclusion.
Step 1
Acknowledge that cultural NGO:s have an important role to fill since they have a long tradition of identifying, seeing the strength in and reaching out to youth with fewer opportunities.
Concrete examples of organizations that have worked successfully for this target group:
Kulturföreningen Lätting (Sweden), Expedition Metropolis e.V. (Germany), Archi Nuova Associazione (Italy)
and Youth Centre Babilonas (Latvia) all work for youth with fewer oppurtunities in their local contexts.
The work they carry out is based on:
• Knowledge about and a respect for the youths conditions in the local society.
• Non-formal learning methods.
• Experience of working with culture as a tool for social inclusion.
Step 2
Create an understanding amongst policy makers on a local, regional and international level for the fact
that being active in a cultural NGO is an important step towards social inclusion.
Quotes from the youth that participated in the project about what culture means for them in terms of
social inclusion:
• Is freedoom, a common language, good icebreaking method.
• Includes people.
• Has its own community that gives strength; you do it from inside.
• Is space for communication.
• Helps us to meet people for other cultures.
• Helps us to discover ourselves.
Step 3
Make the NGO:s and the public bodies take responsibility for creating platforms for cooperation, because if the NGO has a close and positive cooperation with the local bodies there is a great chance that
the youth will take further steps towards social inclusion.
Concrete example:
• Civil servants from Gävle Municipality and Narva Municipality participated in the workshops, the energizers and the study visits together with the youth during the seminars. The civil servants were there to
learn, not to teach the youth. That built trust.
Comments and questions from the youth during and after the project:
• People from the municipality are not so boring as we thought!
• I want a job this summer. Can I work for the municipality?
• I want to study abroad. How do I do if I want to go to university abroad?
Following networks have come out of this project
Networks that comes out of this project:
Actually happened:
• Mobility program – Narva - Gävle
• Green areas (Training course), Vasto – Gävle (YIA)
• Youth Councils
Future:
• Narva/Gävle Municipality
• Narva/ Gävle Youth Councils
• Narva/Gävle Youth Television (Fria Kanalen Gävle)
• Exhibition in Vasto
• NORDEN
• VASTO – BALCAN area
Existing networks that we have identified a s important:
• UBC
• All present network sin each country/city
• Europe Direct
• UNICEF
• Youth Councils
Please visit our Ditigal Forum for more information
about the project:
http://culture4all.cwsurf.de/index.php
Layout: Arvin De La Cruz / [email protected]
“This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects
the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the
information contained therein.”