“Canvas for Change: Harnessing Public Art to Empower Youth and Communities”

ARTWORKS is collaborating with 7 partners from European countries to implement the program “Canvas for Change: Harnessing Public Art to Empower Youth and Communities” – a new initiative by Urban Center funded by the Erasmus+ program through the National Youth Agency. The program targets artists and youth workers aiming to become agents of social change.

From Greece, three visual artists and SNF ARTWORKS fellows have been selected to participate. Specifically, Madlen Anipsitaki, Konstantinos Kotsis, and Elina Niarchou will travel to Sardinia to take part in the seminar organized by Urban Center from December 9 to 18, 2024.

Canvas for Change delves into the intersection of public art, youth work, and social/political action, emphasising the transformative power of art in engaging young people and fostering civic participation. The project aims at harnessing the power of creativity as a tool for social change in local communities.

Despite the potential of public art to inspire civic engagement, especially in young people,  youth workers, artists, and changemakers often lack the necessary tools and strategies to harness this power effectively. Additionally, marginalised youth frequently face barriers to participation in artistic and civic activities.

The primary aim of this project is twofold: to explore the synergy between public art and youth work and to equip youth workers, artists, and changemakers with the skills to engage young people in civic actions, foster political participation, raise awareness on pressing issues, and advocate for social change. Moreover, the project aims at creating a platform of exchange between young artists, youth workers and changemakers from European Islands (Sardinia, Madeira, Malta, Cyprus, Greek or Spanish Islands and Iceland).

The training week will take place in December 9-18 2024 in Elmas, located in the Metropolitan City of Cagliari, Sardinia.

Main objectives of the project:
– Exploring the benefits and potential of combining public art, youth work, and social/political action.
– Enhancing the skills of 24 participants in using public art as a medium to engage young people in civic actions and political life, to raise awareness among local communities on social and political issues, and to support key community-driven causes.
The program includes workshops, in-person and online lectures, as well as hands-on field activities, making it a comprehensive experiential and educational initiative.
A distinctive feature of Canvas for Change is its special focus on addressing the unique characteristics and needs of islands.

C A N V A S   F O R   C H A N G E
Harnessing Public Art to Empower Youth and Communities
Erasmus+
9-18 December 2024  | LOCATION Elmas/Cagliari (ITALY)  

Funding information

Canvas for Changes: Harnessing Public Art to Empower Youth and Communities is an Erasmus+ Seminar financed by the ANG (Agenzia Nazionale per i Giovani) with an Erasmus+ grant.