Ready to present the research project d@rts!

The innovation and research project “Advancing Cultural Literacy for Social Inclusion through Dialogical Arts Education” (d@rts) is up and running. The project is now being presented at conferences both in Norway and abroad.

“We had a digital kick-off in January. The first of nine work packages has started, we are collecting data and holding regular meetings,” says Professor Jens Knigge, project leader.

The Horizon Europe project will run for three and a half years and is led by the Faculty of Arts and Education at Nord University. The week before Easter, the project was presented at a conference of the Nordic Network for Research in Music Education (NNRME) held in Bodø.

“This is the very first time we have presented the project at a conference. During the summer, we will have two other presentations, one at a worldwide music education research conference in Helsinki and one in Athens,” says Jens Knigge.

Researching the performing arts

The project aims to find out whether performing art forms such as music, dance and drama can help us to create dialogues and live together better across different cultures.

“We will investigate this in many different ways. That’s what we find exciting about the project, which is why we have such a wide range of expertise among the people involved,” says Associate Professor Runa Hestad Jenssen, who is the project manager.

The work packages will address the topic in various ways.

“The first work package is up and running and I’m part of it. We’re looking at the existing literature related to the topic: repertoire, songs, articles, books and policy documents. We want to find out what the current situation is,” she says.

In work package number two, questionnaires will be sent out to schools in all partner countries, both in and outside Europe.

“We will investigate how the situation is perceived among school leaders. Among other things, we ask whether there is an art education programme in the schools. And if so, does it have an impact on cultural literacy,” says Jens Knigge.

International co-operation

Eight countries are involved in d@rts: Norway, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Finland, Serbia, Uganda and Aotearoa/New Zealand.

The project leaders are enjoying the cooperation, but it can also be challenging:

“Yesterday I had a meeting with someone from New Zealand. The time difference is twelve hours; it was eight o’clock in the evening for me and eight in the morning for her. So we have fewer time slots where we can meet,” says Runa Hestad Jenssen.

“Another example is that we planned a meeting to be held in Bodø. Then it turned out that the partner from Uganda has major problems getting a visa to travel here. It’s not that simple, we have incredibly different rights and privileges,” says Jens Knigge.

First meeting with all partners

In July, the project partners will meet in person for the first time, in Bodø.

“It will be the very first time we meet and have the chance to see each other in real life. We’ve deliberately chosen to wait until we’ve got started. When travelling from New Zealand and Uganda, we need to make the best possible use of our time,” says project leader Jens Knigge.

Article by: Ole Johan Ramfjord