We’re excited to announce that our Erasmus+ project “Cultural Integration Through Design Thinking” has officially launched! As we embark on this transformative journey across Poland, Greece, and Romania, we want to share why this work matters more than ever.
The Challenge We’re Tackling
While Europe becomes increasingly multicultural, a troubling gap persists: ethnic minority youth remain largely absent from active participation in cultural life. This isn’t just about missing out on art exhibitions or theater performances—it’s about being excluded from spaces that shape identity, build community, and foster belonging.
The statistics paint a clear picture. Despite the potential of cultural policies and activities to serve as powerful anti-discrimination tools, young migrants continue to face significant barriers that keep them on the sidelines of cultural participation.
What’s Standing in the Way?
Through extensive research and conversations with young migrants across our partner countries, we’ve identified four critical barriers:
Information Gaps: Many young migrants simply don’t know what cultural activities are available to them. Information often doesn’t reach diverse communities or isn’t presented in accessible ways.
Feelings of Alienation: Cultural spaces can feel unwelcoming or intimidating when they don’t reflect the diversity of their communities. When you don’t see yourself represented, it’s natural to feel like you don’t belong.
Language Barriers: Complex language requirements or lack of multilingual support can exclude participants before they even begin.
Financial Constraints: Many cultural activities come with costs that can be prohibitive for young people already facing economic challenges.
Our Solution: Co-Creation and Ownership
What makes our approach different? We’re not designing programs for young migrants—we’re designing them with young migrants. Through the Design Thinking methodology, we’re putting migrant youth at the center of the creative process.
This means:
- Direct involvement in program design from day one
- Meaningful voice in shaping activities that reflect their interests and needs
- Sense of ownership over the cultural programs they help create
- Relevant content that resonates with their lived experiences
The Journey Ahead
Over the coming months, you’ll see our teams in Poland, Greece, and Romania working directly with cultural institutions and migrant youth communities. We’ll be conducting workshops, hosting focus groups, and developing those all-important pilot programs in three cultural institutions.
But this is just the beginning. Every workshop we facilitate, every conversation we have, and every program we co-create brings us closer to a vision of cultural spaces that truly welcome everyone.
Join Our Story
We believe that culture has the power to build bridges, break down prejudices, and create communities where everyone belongs. As we launch this project, we’re not just addressing barriers—we’re building pathways to participation, ownership, and belonging.
Stay tuned for updates on our progress, insights from our research, and stories from the young migrants who are helping to shape this work. Together, we’re proving that when young people have a voice in creating cultural programs, magic happens.