Cultural collaboration, not domination, is the key to inclusive societies
Coordinated by Nord University, the INTRACOMP project is led by Nicholas Rowe, UNESCO Chair in Dance and Social Inclusion and a professor in Dance Studies at Nord University in Norway and the University of Auckland in Aotearoa New Zealand. He asks, “What is the role of arts education, in an era of forced mass migration? As climate mobility, political and environmental disasters and economic collapse increase across the globe, how we learn to collaborate and participate through the arts will have a huge impact on social inclusion, diversity, and equality in the future.”
To explore how the world might more effectively collaborate across cultures through dance, music, and drama education, the INTRACOMP consortium brings together universities and community-based arts organizations in Norway, Belgium, Germany, Finland, Italy, the UK, Serbia, Slovakia, Greece, Hungary, Aotearoa New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. With a focus on forced migration and social cohesion, the project seeks to redefine the role of arts in education. Rowe continues, “This project provides a unique opportunity for experts in arts, education, culture, sociology, psychology, public policy and technology to explore how we might create a more supportive global ecosystem for cultural collaboration. We need to establish a more equitable space for cultural interaction that challenges a Eurocentric domination of cultural ideals and allows every person and every culture to find a place to belong.”
In this ambitious quest, INTRACOMP gathers leading artists and academics from Nord University, the University of Auckland, the University of Verona, the Ģֱ, the University of Hildesheim, the European Network of Cultural Centres, In Place of War, the Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies, LATRA, Kulturanova, Divadlo Bez Domova, Pro Progressione and Sutta Scupa. Over the next three years, this transdisciplinary, cross-sectoral team will work to transform policies, practices and public pedagogies associated with culture and education.
The research team at Ģֱ (Finnish Institute for Educational Research; Department for Music, Arts, and Cultural Studies) will lead the co-design of the framework fostering and evidencing intercultural and transcultural competence. Research Professor Terhi Nokkala highlights the significance of integrating transcultural competence into organizational frameworks. She states, "In today's interconnected world, the ability of organizations to collectively harness transcultural competence is crucial for fostering inclusive and effective governance. The INTRACOMP project aims to enhance these competences within educational institutions and cultural organizations, promoting a collaborative approach that values diversity and mutual respect. By embedding these principles into our organizational structures, we can create more resilient and adaptive institutions capable of addressing complex global challenges.”
As Rowe argues, “By participating in the arts, we can re-imagine the world.”
For further information contact
Professor Nicholas Rowe (intracomp@nord.no)
Research Professor Terhi Nokkala (terhi.p.nokkala@jyu.fi)
Senior Researcher Katja Mäkinen (katja.a.p.makinen@jyu.fi)
Postdoctoral Researcher Tiina Lämsä (tiina.al.lamsa@jyu.fi)
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
