MAFI

The cultural project “Media Art for Inclusion” (MAFI) aimed to contribute to a successful integration of immigrants and young citizens in the EU.

Culture had and has an important role in the creation of economic and educational opportunities for young citizens, especially young immigrants. By improving digital key competences, communication competences and especially the individual artistic creativity of young citizens with or without immigration backgrounds, their employability and their inclusion was hopefully raised. The project increased the role of inter-cultural and inter-religious communication to all levels of life by using art and digital media as tools.

       
Digital media (TV, web-TV, video, photography, audio/radio) and other art forms like e.g. theatre, painting and music are optimal tools to foster inclusion, inter-cultural dialogue and to stimulate public debates on integration as a way of realizing the potential of migration in Europe – what was very often the case.

The project aimed to promote inter-cultural dialogue as a process in which young immigrants and other young citizens could improve and develop their skills to deal with the actual cultural and social situation in their society and to express themselves by the different already mentioned (digital) art forms. It raised the awareness of the importance of developing an active citizenship, which respects cultural diversity and reflects human rights.

      
Training seminars, workshops and youth initiatives were realized in the field of medial and artistic creativity and inter-cultural communication for multipliers and young immigrants together with other young citizens in Germany, Finland, Denmark and the United Kingdom. They created (digital) works in different art forms (digital pictures, short films, theatre, music, dance, broadcasts, etc.) within the scope of this project. The best of all art works were presented on inter-cultural events and by using a common multi-medial exhibition in almost all partner countries.

During a stakeholder conference in Muenster (DE), the first multi-medial exhibition took place presenting all the different and diverse (digital) art products and performances. Here the TV magazine “MAFI – Intercult Boundless” was taped and broadcasted. Additionally all relevant persons took part in the evening event and show “Culture Canal 6” and the Award Ceremony of the “International Citizen Media Award 2013.”

The (migrant) youths told their multi-media stories of immigration and inclusion. They worked in groups on a local level, but also met their peers from all over Europe and beyond on the already mentioned international exhibition and conference in December 2013. More soon...