Education through Art for intercultural dialogue: Towards an Inclusive Learning Ecosystem

Abstract

Is it possible to create intercultural and inclusive learning environments based on education through art? Can art enhance competences to foster inclusion of children with migrant background and/or belonging to minority groups? These are the core questions of “META - Minority Education Through Art”, an Erasmus Plus KA3 Project (2015-2018). The central hypothesis, based on previous researches and experiences, considered arts capable to foster inclusion in primary school intercultural contexts. META adopted a holistic and transformative paradigm to approach the problem and consistent multi-methods strategy and mixed-methods research techniques. Main output are a tested competence framework for building inclusive learning environments and recommendations for a methodology centred on innovation in teaching, as key for genuine valuing of richness
and potentiality of different cultures, discovered through artistic experience. In this work, we present research outcomes as elements of reflection indicating a transition from schooling to open learning environments. In doing so, arts become an important methodological tool to foster integration of formal, non-formal and informal education.