New European Bauhaus Prizes 2023

Initiative category

Identify the award category for which this initiative is being submitted
Shaping a circular industrial ecosystem and supporting life-cycle thinking

Email user
astateatro@gmail.com

Basic information
Initiative title
ReciclArte

Full initiative Title
Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative (IIES) ReciclArte

Please provide a short, catchy description of your initiative to be used in communication towards the public.
ReciclArte is a social project where students were invited to use arts (theater, music, and visual arts) as a means to expand their interest in school and to develop a greater social awareness of environmental degradation: climate change, pollution and waste disposal. Over the course of three years, 225 students, ages 11 to 18, transformed recycled waste into arthritic objects. The project was promoted and developed by the artistic company ASTA (Portugal) in 6 schools from three municipalities.

What was the geographical scope of your intiative?
Regional

Where was your intiative implemented?
Member State(s) and Western Balkans
Portugal

If relevant, insert names of region(s)/municipality(ies) involved
Central inland region of Portugal
- Municipality of Covilhã
- Municipality of Fornos de Algodres
- Municipality of Gouveia

Does your initiative address mainly urban or rural issues?
It addresses urban-rural linkages

Does your initiative refer to a physical transformation of the built environment or other types of transformations (hard or soft investments)?
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)

Has your initiative benefited from EU programmes and/or funds?
Yes

Which fund(s)?
ESF : European Social Fund

Here you can provide more details about the name of the specific programme, strand/action line as relevant, and the year
ReciclArte was co-financed by the governmental program
"Portugal Social Innovation" through the European Social Fund.
Year: 2020
Application Number:POISE-03-4639-FSE-000648
Operational Program: Social Inclusion and Employment
Operational Program
Fund: European Social Fund

Has your initiative won an EU prize with a monetary value awarded?
No

Does your initiative has a minimum level of maturity? The minimum level of maturity is exemplified by stakeholder/ initiative promoter commitment to implement the initiative in practice and a clear methodology /approach.
Yes

On whose behalf are you submitting the application?
As a representative of an organisation
Please provide the contact details for the project promoter (the individual or representative of the organisation authorised to represent the project)
- Name of the organisation(s): ASTA - Teatro e Outras Artes
  Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation
  First name of representative: Sérgio
  Last name of representative: Novo
  Gender: Male
  Nationality: Portugal
  Function: Artistic Director
  Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: R. António Augusto de Aguiar 29, 2.º Andar
  Town: Covilhã
  Postal code: 6200-050
  Country: Portugal
  Direct Tel: +351 969 788 209
  E-mail: astateatro@gmail.com
  Website: https://aasta.info/
Social Media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
- URL: https://www.facebook.com/asta.teatroeoutrasartes/
  Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): #asta #astateatro #reciclarte
- URL: https://www.instagram.com/astateatro/
  Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): #asta #astateatro #reciclarte
- URL: https://vimeo.com/astateatro
  Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): #asta #astateatro #reciclarte
In case my initiative is selected as a finalist of the NEB Prizes 2023, I agree to share the name (individual and/or organisation’s), email address, website and social media accounts indicated above with other NEB Prizes finalists. I also agree to publish the name (individual and/or organisation’s), website and social media accounts indicated above next to the public description of my initiative in the channels of the European Commission.
Yes

How did you hear about the New European Bauhaus Prizes?
Social Media

Description of the initiative
Please provide a summary of your initiative
ReciclArte is a project that combines arts, environmental awareness, learning, and social integration. It is a social initiative aimed at solving two problems: the lack of motivation and appreciation of school by teenagers and the lack of active citizenship for social awareness, particularly on issues related to the environment. As a way to find solutions to these social problems, ReciclArte has developed a space dedicated to artistic creation and development of creative potential, where young students were invited to use arts (theater, music, and plastic arts) as a means to develop their interest in school and a greater social awareness for environmental degradation problems. Over the course of three years, 225 students from six schools, aged 11 to 16, transformed solid waste into art. Through non-formal education, the students were guided, in discussion sessions and Workshops, to create 3 original Theatre Shows focusing on the theme of environmental protection, 6 Garbage Orchestras: musical groups of students with instruments constructed from garbage, and to use recycled material to reproduce 14 paintings by 20th century visual artists. RecilArte - youth students transforming waste into art, fulfills all the values of the New European Bauhaus: sustainability, inclusion, and beauty.

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with 5 key words.
recycling

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Education

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
theater

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
music

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
visual arts

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of sustainability and how these have been/will be met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
Promotion of the creative process and reflection on environmental issues. The activities aim to awaken in young people an enthusiasm for the arts, creative capacity and reflection on the world around them (sustainability) through the promotion of non-formal learning spaces. Between 2020 and 2022, plastic arts, music, and theater workshops were held at schools in the three municipalities covered by the initiative: Gouveia, Fornos de Algodres, and Covilhã (Central Inland Region of Portugal). In the visual arts area, the students took recycled materials to the schools to reproduce 14 famous paintings by 20th century artists. In the area of theater, students were invited to work on three plays with the theme of the environment and climate change, leading them to reflect on the subject. When the plays were performed, the audience (consisting of students, families and school staff) was also included in the reflection on sustainability. In addition to the theatrical pieces addressing the themes of environmental degradation, all the sets were built with recycled materials collected by the students. In the area of music, the students made a first musical approach to sounds and musical construction, exploring the sounds emitted by various utensils and objects, apparently of no use (garbage), exploring the sounds and composition potential of various rhythms through the rhythmic alphabet. Several garbage orchestras were built and all of them toured the schools of the municipalities and neighboring communities. All musical instruments were handmade using recycled materials. In all discussion Sessions and workshops were stimulated reflection and awareness for the preservation of the environment.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people (through design, positive emotions and cultural benefits) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
The initiative generated positive impacts from the aesthetic (arthritic conceptions and creations) and relational points of view. It raised the awareness of environmental preservation on the part of the students involved, their families and school community. The appreciation of their artistic works, created in a non-formal environment, enabled the expression of feelings, emotions and dialogue with the public. "Art changes people. People change the world". It is important to highlight the work developed with the young people, the teamwork and the spirit of cooperation achieved between the elements of the group to achieve the proposed objectives. This project allowed them to experience feelings of personal accomplishment and the achievement of something that, for them, would be difficult to achieve.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of inclusion (ranging from accessibility and affordability for all to inclusive governing systems, design for all principles or new societal models) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
The project was relevant in the integration of students who were in a situation of exclusion; namely, blind, immigrant, autistic and hyperactive students. Beyond its main objectives, Reciclarte's actions were relevant to the social and/or cultural integration of these students. The workshops, artwork presentation sessions, exhibitions, and tours created informal learning and interaction environments where students were encouraged to overcome challenges and solve problems as a team. Furthermore, ReciclArte represented an instrument for the promotion of citizenship and for the development of young people, filling an existing gap in low-density territories, such as the ones this project covers.

Please explain the way citizens benefiting from or affected by the initiative and civil society have been/will be involved in the initiative and what has been/will be the impact of this involvement on the initiative
The project covered not only the 225 students directly involved. It also encompassed their families, school staff, and their respective school communities. Furthermore, the products created by the project (3 theater plays, 6 garbage orchestras, and the reproduction in garbage of 14 paintings by 20th century artists) have been in exhibitions and on tour influencing citizens in all the municipalities around our region making them aware of the need to conserve the environment. The students, their families, and the schools were imbued to adopt a set of environmentally friendly measures, mainly regarding recycling and life-cycle thinking.

Please explain how different stakeholders at various levels (local, regional, national, European) were engaged in the design and implementation of the initiative.
At the regional level, REciclArte was promoted and implemented by ASTA - Teatro e Outras Artes, a non-profit cultural association, recognized by the Portuguese government as an institution of public interest, for the work it has been developing. The Social Investors of the project were 3 municipalities (public entities) - Covilhã Municipality, Fornos de Algodres Municipality, Gouveia Municipality) and one private entity: INCIPIT-PRODUÇÃO DE CONTEÚDOS, LDA (Private Investor). At a national level, the project was co-financed by the governmental program "Portugal Social Innovation" through the European Social Fund. The school administrations were important in creating the conditions and schedule for the project's actions.

Please explain which disciplines and/ or knowledge fields were reflected in the design and implementation of your initiative. Please explain how representatives of these different fields interacted with each other, and what the added value of this process was
The project includes the following artistic areas: theater, music, visual arts. Theater, music and visual arts use and fuse verbal, auditory, visual and body languages. They also involve memorization, interpretation, improvisation, attention, spatial organization, verbalization, knowledge of others, and social interaction (through collaborative work and relationship with the audience). All these competencies imply the mobilization of cognitive, affective, social, and motor aspects of the subjects, and also imply learning, the exercise of repetition, and the construction of knowledge. We consider that all these aspects create conditions for the project's objectives to be achieved. Students are not only exposed to theoretical knowledge or information, they are also challenged to get involved in an active way, and are called upon to spread the values of the project: recycling, inclusion, critical and creative spirit.

Please highlight the innovative character of the initiative, when compared to mainstream actions in the field of the initiative
Use of cross-cutting arts in the process of raising awareness of environmental issues. Involvement of students in constructions of arthritic works to raise awareness of environmental sustainability.

Please describe which elements of your initiative could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries and contexts. This may involve, for example, aspects of the methodology, technology, processes, products, learnings, etc.
All the elements of our initiative can be replicated anywhere. To develop the project we need skilled human resources: trainers in the areas of theater, music, and visual arts. These trainers will have the challenge of developing training actions where they will have to, using recycled materials, build artistic works together with the working group. The methodology involves art education and non-formal education. During this process, discussions will be held about the themes in focus.

Please describe the methodology or approach used in your initiative.
The methodologies used are: art education and non-formal education. During the project it was important to apply monitoring mechanisms to evaluate the impact of the developed actions: evaluation questionnaires addressed to the students (to gauge their motivation, and the efficiency of the activities), questionnaire to gather the opinion and evaluation of the spectators of the artistic results, survey addressed to schools, students and their families about the impact of the project on their behavior related to environmental preservation issues.

Please explain what kind of global challenges the initiative addresses by providing local solutions
We present an alternative way to raise awareness about environmental issues. We believe that by the way the trainees were involved, these 225 young people will be agents of transformation and of transmission of these values. A local action that multiplied can have a global impact. We are looking for local solutions to the following global challenges: water pollution, land degradation, waste generation, and climate change.

Please detail the scope of progress in the implementation of the initiative. This can include already demonstrated results/outputs related to the chosen Prizes category, and the already achieved benefits from the initiative for direct and indirect beneficiaries. This can also include a development plan of the initiative, with a particular attention to the steps envisaged in the year following the application, and including envisaged results and benefits from the initiative
The project is already completed. It has achieved all its objectives:
- Stimulated the concentration and dedication of the youngsters to school;
- Fostered social and environmental awareness in the young people covered, highlighting their potential as agents of social change;
- Provided a space for cultural fruition and artistic expression in low-density territories (inland region);
- Raised awareness in the community about environmental issues, presenting ways of waste recovery and waste recovery and environmentally responsible behavior.
All this was done by creating three theater plays, six garbage orchestras, and reproducing 14 visual arts based on recycled materials.
Recilarte - students transforming waste into art, fulfills all the values of the New European Bauhaus: sustainability, inclusion, and beauty.

Please provide documents that demonstrate the maturity level of the initiative and commitment to implement the initiative in practice (e.g.: evaluation report, final or mid-term initiative report, certification, publications, building permit, grant agreement, letter of support, partnership agreement, etc.)
Both
PDF
- pdf-1-15462.pdf
Web link
If relevant, please describe how your initiative contributes to developing new competences, especially in the context of the European competence framework on sustainability.
As a non-formal education project developed with young students, REciclArte meets the following Council's Recommendation on learning for the green transition and sustainable development: "provide all learners with opportunities to learn about the climate crisis and sustainability in formal education (for example, schools and higher education) and non-formal education (such as, extra-curricular activities, youth work)" and "actively involve students and staff, local authorities, youth organisations and the research and innovation community in learning for sustainability".
Please attach at least 6 high resolution images or visual representations of your initiative to your application.
If you would like to upload additional documentation, please upload or write below.
- Annual Progress Report 2020.pdf
- Annual Progress Report 2021.pdf
By submitting your application you confirm that you are the copyright owner of the images provided and that they can be used by the European Commission for the purposes of promoting the New European Bauhaus on all platforms (websites, print, social media and other).
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that you are not in in one or more of the exclusion situations foreseen under Article 136 of the Financial Regulation.
Yes

By submitting this application, I declare that I am not related to the entities subject to EU restricted measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and subject to Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)1, and entities covered by Commission Guidelines No 2013/C 205/05), which are not eligible to participate in any capacity.
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that all the information provided in this form is factually correct, that you assume sole liability in the event of a claim relating to the activities carried out in the framework of the contest, that the proposed initiative has not been proposed for the New European Bauhaus Prizes in any other category or strand and that it has not been subject to any type of investigation, which could lead to a financial correction because of irregularities or fraud.
Yes

By submitting your application, you guarantee that you are the author or have the rights to proceed with the application and to authorise the use of the initiative and that you have obtained any necessary consents, licenses or assignments from third parties and included copyright notices when necessary
Yes

By submitting your application, you understand that all the applications that meet the eligibility requirements will be shared for the purposes of the selection processes, and notably published on the secured platform prizes.new-european-bauhaus.eu and for the purposes of the promotion of these on the New European Bauhaus website and/or other European Commission communication channels. In this sense, the applications would be widely available. Applicants should ensure that they present their initiatives, initiative, in such a way that they could be shared without giving rise to intellectual property related concerns. If your submission is selected as one of the finalists, it will additionally be shared for the purpose of the public vote that will take place. The European Union is granted a licence to use and share your application with the general public and the official external experts for the purposes of the selection process, including the voting. The European Union has the right to use the images and visual materials and the description provided in the application for communication purposes related to the contest and beyond. Rights granted comprise the right to store, reproduce, display, publish and communicate or distribute copies in electronic or digital format, including, but not only, through the internet. Unless you have disclosed your name, the European Commission has no obligation to share your name when using or disseminating your contribution to the public. The European Union cannot be held responsible in case any submitted initiative, initiative is found to infringe third party’s rights. The European Union shall be neither responsible for the use that third parties may do of the applications or related content.
Yes

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that you read and understand that the ‘Guide to Applicants’ of the NEB Prizes 2023, available online in the website of the NEB Prizes 2023, is an integral part of this application form and that it must therefore be observed when completing and submitting your application.
Yes