Mind the Gap

Topics

programme

project description

What’s needed to make online arts education truly participatory?

Mind the Gap is an international research project inspired by the creativity and resourcefulness of arts education professionals during the Covid-19 crisis.

Digital technologies promise to increase participation, diversity and reach in arts education. However, educators often find themselves lacking the technical knowledge, equipment, skills or confidence necessary to engage with participants online, while the communities they work with are often affected by the “digital gap”.

Led by an international consortium of arts institutions, Mind the Gap aims to define best practices for online outreach, provide educators with tools for working digitally and ultimately, improve access to the participatory arts for all.

goals

  • Identify innovation: take a look at participatory online projects from across Europe and find out what makes them truly innovative.
  • Cooperate: the project brings together a consortium of six European arts organisations that are committed to enabling access to the arts.
  • Support educators: provide tools and inspiration to help arts educators become more confident in delivering online activities.
  • Think strategically: provide a space for strategic thinking in a general climate of urgency for the cultural and social sectors.
  • Provide resources: offer arts workers resources and guides for working digitally with disadvantaged communities.
  • Look to the future: create innovative, durable solutions to drive the recovery of the European creative sector.

outputs

Case Study Database: Throughout the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, arts educators continued to engage with their communities through online tools. As the cultural sector emerges from the Covid-19 crisis, it’s increasingly apparent that digital technologies will continue to play a role in institutions’ outreach strategies. This database presents online education projects from across Europe that engaged with online participants in an innovative, accessible and cost-effective manner.
 
Knowledge Hub: The Mind the Gap Knowledge Hub aims to help facilitators become more confident in developing and delivering activities by providing interactive, user-friendly resources for working digitally with their communities, while addressing potential barriers to access.
 
Research report: 10 key issues for working digitally with disadvantaged communities

links

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