The Cultural Literacies’ Value in Europe

The Cultural Literacies’ Value in Europe (CLiViE) project develops and applies a Theory of Change (ToC) methodology and Social Return on Investment (SROI) framework to increase our understanding of the value of cultural literacy through arts-based education on social cohesion. It will be delivered through four main phases: it ‘maps’ arts-based education within the context of cultural literacy learning across different learning environments and over different stages of a young person’s education; it ‘evaluates’ arts-based education to help identify and assess their actual outputs and outcomes; it ‘values’ arts-based education activities through calculating its impact to further contribute to our understanding of the 'where', 'when', 'what' and 'how' young people’s cultural literacies are developed, and differentiated in various learning environments; and it ‘practices’ pedagogies through developing an innovative set of practices and materials to support art-based educators to develop social justice and inclusion and improve the lives of young people through collaborative pedagogy. It has been designed to meet the three main research outcomes of the work programme topic: the ToC methodology and SROI framework for cultural literacies will directly increase our understanding of the value of cultural literacy on social cohesion; the evidencing of value in arts-based education and the collaborative pedagogy practices in cultural literacy through the co-creation of communities of practice (COPs) and a professional development programme (PDP) for arts educators will support the targeted commissioning of activities that will increase cultural literacy in Europe; and the innovative methodology for data gathering (and engaging) through emotional cartography allows young people to find a voice through more effective initiatives to foster cultural literacy around European cultures. Critically, in seeking to calculate the impact of arts-based education we are not seeking to adopt a reliance on mathematical language in policy-making. Instead, we aim to integrate this knowledge into a broader and richer conversation about the importance of arts-based education for young people in modern society. The CLiViE project is organised in 8 Work Packages (WP). They are led by different partners and coordinated by the lead partner.

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WP1: Scoping value and theoretical framework for the project

The main objective of WP1 is to provide the theoretical framework for the research and establishes how to identify and assess value through an assessment of case studies, and developing and applying a SROI framework for arts-based education. Led by University of Helsinki (UH), it provides an overview of how to understand and achieve wider social outcomes, and how to identify and ascribe value to arts-based education (quantitative and qualitative) and position it within the wider context of learning and social formation of young people.

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WP2: Identifying cultural literacies in Europe 

The main objective of WP2 is to map the scale and scope of arts-based education across the seven case study countries. Led by Università degli Studi di Milano – Bicocca (UNIMIB), it will seek to develop an understanding of the processes and resourcing levels for the commissioning for arts-based education activities in these countries in the context of social cohesion and tolerance and provide a better targeting of resources and effort.

 

WP3: Mapping Outputs of arts-based education

The objective of WP3 is to start the process of building an ‘impact map’ and to identify the scale and scope (outputs) in arts-based education activities. This will help us in analysing how certain resources (inputs) are used to deliver activities (measured as outputs) which result in outcomes for stakeholders. Four case studies in each country will be identified targeting geographically and demographically diverse young people from two age groups (10-13 and 15-18). Led by Daugavpils Universitate (DU), this WP will build the first set of inputs and to gather supporting data to show whether social cohesion outcomes have happened and then value them through applying the SROI framework.

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WP4: Evaluating outcomes and the effectiveness of arts-based education

This WP provides a second layer of data and information through identifying and evaluating the actual outcomes and impacts from arts-based education in the case studies (quantitatively and qualitatively). This is the second set of inputs for measuring, valuing and comparing through our SROI framework. Led by Vytautas Magnus University (VMU), it will develop a set of outcome indicators that show that change has happened. It will then collect outcome data using ‘emotional cartography’ with young people, educators, and other key stakeholders, and then ‘value’ and reflect on the ‘maps of meaning’ to identify appropriate financial values to the outcomes.

 

WP5: Valuing impacts in arts-based education 

The main objective of WP5 is to calculate the impact and SROI of the case studies. This WP  pays particular attention to the differentiated effects of young people and the arts, and identifying and assessing this against social cohesion and tolerance over a lifelong learning journey. It also considers any particularities that have been highlighted around digital means and didactics and country differences. Led by Szkola Glowna Handlowa W Warszawie (SGH), it aims to undertake a triangulation of all the data and calculate the impact and SROI of the case studies.

 

WP6: Pedagogy practices in arts education 

This WP will develop an innovative set of pedagogic practices and materials to support arts-based educators. Led by Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM), it will develop the co-creation of COPs for arts-based educators in the case study countries covering in/formal education environments. The COPs (including artists, educators, practitioners, researchers and policymakers) will look to support the development and social formation of young people. This WP will also co-create a short PDP for arts-based educators to encourage them to be agents of change and develop social justice and inclusion.

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WP7: Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation 

This WP will develop and deliver an effective approach to communicate, disseminate and exploit the project’s outputs and outcomes. Led by Julian Cochran Foundation (JCF), it will support the development of research-informed strategies, regulations and policies for cooperation with stakeholders and end users at local, national and European levels that promote social cohesion and tolerance through arts-based education. It will also look at how to integrate the SROI framework into evidence-based decision making in policy cycles and to encourage a broader conversation about the importance of  arts-based education for young people in modern society.

 

WP8: Project management and coordination

The main objective of WP8 is to support the completion of the main research objectives and outcomes defined in the Grant Agreement. It will be led by University of Helsinki (UH).