About the SWAIP Project

The SWAIP project (2018-2020) stands for Social Inclusion and Well-being through the Arts and Interdisciplinary Practices. The main aim of the project was to develop curricula for a postgraduate study programme for artists and pedagogists who work within areas of social inclusion with vulnerable groups of people. The project was funded by the Erasmus+ Programme.

Objectives
The overall objective of the developed study programme is to support the civic and social responsibility of Higher Education Institutions in interdisciplinary arts and social inclusion for a growing labour market. The educational aim of the proposed curricula is to provide knowledge, skills and understanding for students about a range of interdisciplinary arts practices that have the potential to aid interpersonal connections, facilitate well-being and empowerment while strengthening self-confidence. Emphasis will be on training flexible and sensitive artists and pedagogues capable of relating to advanced ideas to find new roles in a constantly changing global society.

Although considerable work has been carried out in relation to working in the arts with disadvantaged groups many higher educational programmes lag behind in responding specifically to those on the margins of society. Despite numerous art therapy training courses across Europe research indicates there are few study programmes offering cross-art and cross-sectoral learning opportunities that focus on interdisciplinary arts practices as a key tool to facilitating well-being, empowerment and social inclusion to specifically meet the needs of specific vulnerable groups such as those for instance with Alzheimer’s and youth at risk of dropping out of school.

Study Programme
The SWAIP programme was designed to address this need and educationally attract a broader cross-section of students and professionals with an arts, social and health care background who are interested in professional development about how the arts can be used in both conventional and unconventional settings. The core of the study programme will be the application of integrated methods, skills and theories from the disciplines of visual arts, music, art therapy, architecture and art education with the learning experience focusing on the student making connections, facilitating groups, strengthening interdisciplinary artistic identity in marginalised groups and settings. Furthermore, students are encouraged to create bridges with professionals and institutions that deal with the conditions the students wish to work with. In this context it is important to set up strong and sustained partnerships with institutions to collaborate with (e.g. schools, nursing homes etc.).

Activities
The SWAIP partners are from six different European countries; Iceland, Spain, Germany, Finland, UK and Portugal. The project activities focused on developing interdisciplinary arts approaches, social, cultural and educational diversity through focused working groups, skills sharing, intellectual debate and discussion, critical evaluation, social and cultural culinary opportunities, as well as information gathering and dispersal.

The SWAIP project was led by the Department of Arts Education at the Iceland University of the Arts (IUA), a self-governing Higher Education Institution which is highly competent and experienced in delivering specialist education in the visual and performing arts. The activities took place across 24 months and consisted of:

Six steering groups meetings - The aim of the steering group meetings were to discuss the content of the proposed study programme and organization of the activities. The steering group consisted of staff members of Iceland University of the Arts and University of Alicante.

Three working group meetings - The aim of the working group meetings was to discuss and debate the intellectual outputs: curriculum and resources. The working group consisted of an interdisciplinary group of staff members from all participating universities.

Two intensive programmes - Attended by working group members and interdisciplinary group of students attended from all partner institutions. The development work during the two intensive programmes had four focus points, with the aim of producing intellectual outputs: Interdisciplinary working, empathy, wellbeing and social inclusion.

One staff training event - Attended by working group members and additional educators from the partner countries,

One final seminar - Presenting project results.