DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

The IN-Voice4Empowerment project arises from the partners’ common vision to foster social inclusion through the development of an innovative multidisciplinary arts-based program.

Most of recent research articles on engaging and re-engaging marginalized youth claim and emphasise the importance of multidisciplinary approaches and methodologies and the transformative potential of the arts in the context of social inclusion (Brader 2013; Ruthmann2017 and 2020). What is more, new diversity perspectives and strategies for social inclusion are underpinned by recommendations for digital pathways to implement non-formal learning methodologies, thus strengthening the providers’ capacity to implement and maintain successful change and support youth at the same time.

Teachers and Learners are the groups that this project aims to support, especially in a post Covid 19 era, where social exclusion is accentuated in a series of lockdown periods resulting to minimum communication
and interaction. Based on the premise that choirs are diverse groups that mirror our society, being themselves tools of transformation for the actors concerned in a constantly changing EU and world societies, this program builds on choral theatre, embodied music making and community building through choral singing, vocal soundscapes, choral sound painting, expressive movement, spoken word and visual elements giving students the opportunity to create themselves part of the resources to be performed through training in digital composition and multimedia technologies. In this way it will assist in enhancing their sense of ownership and self-efficacy, strengthen their agency, empower them, and support them in finding their Voice literally and metaphorically.
IN-Voice4Empowerment aims to inspire and empower professionals working in school education, especially music teachers/ choral leaders, but also community workers and other professionals working in the field of social inclusion of disadvantaged youth.