Funded by
Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV)
Information
- Length: 2022 - 2024
- Lead Partner: Municipality of Imola (IT),
- Members Involved: SERN, Municipality of Linköping (SE)
- Other Partners: Daugavpils City (LV), Municipality of Amadora (PT), Municipality of Buzet (HR), Landkreis Kassel (DE), EcoFellows (FI), Rural Hub (IE)
- Priority Area: Active Citizenship #InclusiveCommunities
Quick Links
Contacts
- laura.avanzi@sern.eu
- +39 348 8786110
Art4Rights
When a space becomes a place
About the project
The approval of the EU Charter on Fundamental rights in 2000 represented a pivotal step in the creation of a conscious and mindful European citizenship for all European inhabitants. The definition of common values and rights, valid for more than 450 million people, symbolizes, on the one side, the consolidation of democratic reality for those countries already part of the Union and on the other side, an essential element for the democratic transition for those countries which saw in the membership process, a real passage to the acquisition of fundamental rights and freedoms. After more than 20 years, many European citizens are not fully aware of the content of the Charter and as stated in the new Strategy to strengthen the application, it is vital to “make the Charter a reality for all”.
In order to concretise these concepts in a bottom – up perspective, the project Art4Rights will use the full potential of the participatory public art methodology through the idea of transforming a “city space” into a “city place” thanks to citizens’ participation. This action would help to make EU rights and values more tangible and participated among citizens.
Objectives
The main objective of the Art4Rights project is to increase the sense of ownership and mutual understanding about European rights among citizens through the active participation and the revitalization of the symbols of the cities. Consequently, the specific objectives of the project will be:
a. To increase citizens’ sense of ownership towards the EU and its values stimulating Critical Thinking and awareness of the importance of cultural heritage to ground democracy;
b. To increase citizens’ interest towards their own city and its history and art expression through the participatory public art while developing mutual understanding based on EU rights with the application at local level of the EU Charter;
c. To reflect on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the concepts of rights, values and freedom in order to assess the functioning of local communities, as well as on the forms that civic participation take in the pandemic period;
d. To exchange practices at EU level and networking at local level (with stakeholders) and transnationally.
Activities
The project will be implemented in the period Spring 2022-2024 with a total of nine project events:
- July 2022: Opening seminar in Kassel (DE);
- November 2022: Seminar on the state of art in Amadora (PT);
- March 2023: Training on the participatory public art in Linköping (SE);
- April – November 2023: Local activities on public art;
- December 2023: two online meetings to present activities implemented locally;
- January 24: two online meetings to present activities implemented locally;
- February 2024: Evaluation meeting of local activities in Buzet (HR)
- April 2023: Final meeting to present the results in Imola
Results
The project combined local and transnational actions, engaging diverse participants across Europe. It began with an opening seminar in Kassel, Germany (July 2022), setting the foundation for collaboration. This was followed by a seminar in Amadora, Portugal (November 2022), which assessed the state of participatory public art and its role in European rights awareness.
In Linköping, Sweden (March 2023), a training session provided methodologies for implementing public art projects. From April to November 2023, local activities engaged citizens in creating public art projects that transformed urban spaces:
- Kassel, Germany – Tree with Stars of European Values: A symbolic tree decorated with stars representing key European values, designed collaboratively by the community.
- Linköping, Sweden – Historical and Contemporary City Exhibition: A public exhibition comparing old and new images of the city, fostering a sense of historical awareness.
- Daugavpils, Latvia – City Name Installation: Large letters spelling “Daugavpils” were decorated by the community, symbolizing unity and local pride.
- The Rural Hub, Ireland – Stained Glass Drumkit: A collaborative artistic piece combining music and visual arts, created through participatory workshops.
- Amadora, Portugal – Renovation of a Windmill in Alto do Moinho: Citizens contributed to restoring and decorating a historic windmill as a symbol of their heritage.
- Buzet, Croatia – Renovated Library Terrace: A previously neglected public space was transformed into a cultural hub with murals inspired by European literature and rights.
- EcoFellows, Finland – Citizens’ Forest Bench: Sustainable, artistic benches were placed along a nature trail, linking environmental awareness with European values.
- Imola, Italy – Empty Pedestal: A public platform was established for citizens to display artworks and messages reflecting European identity and rights.
To share experiences, two online meetings were held (December 2023) and two more (January 2024), allowing partners to present their local initiatives. The project then held an evaluation meeting in Buzet, Croatia (February 2024) to assess the impact. It concluded with a final meeting in Imola, Italy (April 2024), where results were presented, emphasizing the role of public art in fostering European values.
Download the final publication
Infographic
