Global experts unite to advance cultural democracy

A project that aims to transform arts education and promote cultural democracy across Europe and the South Pacific has been awarded a NZ$5.3 million grant from Horizon Europe.

Co-led by the University of Auckland, the project, called INTRACOMP (Intercultural and Transcultural Competence Through Collaborative Cultural Expression), will unite artists, educators and academics from 13 universities and arts organisations worldwide.

It looks ahead to 2050 and imagines a world in which migration has become much more pervasive as a result of climate change and envisions a society where diversity is celebrated and arts play a crucial role as a bridge that fosters social cohesion.

It is led by Nicholas Rowe, UNESCO Chair in Dance and Social Inclusion, and a professor of dance studies at the University of Auckland and Nord University in Norway.

Rowe says the three-year initiative will create educational resources and policy frameworks designed to help individuals, communities and organisations engage in transcultural collaboration.

“As climate mobility, political and environmental disasters, and economic collapse increase across the globe, how we learn to collaborate and participate through the arts will have a huge impact on social inclusion, diversity and equality in the future.”

He says the project provides a unique opportunity for experts in arts, education, culture, sociology, psychology, public policy and technology to explore how we might create a more supportive global ecosystem for cultural collaboration.

“We need to establish a more equitable space for cultural interaction that challenges a Eurocentric domination of cultural ideals and allows every person and every culture to find a place to belong.”

Dean of the new faculty that combines Arts, Education and Social Work and parts of Creative Arts and Industries from 2025, Professor Nuala Gregory, says the work involved with the project will have a far-reaching impact.

“The INTRACOMP project resonates with researchers across our faculty, as we address the large human questions of who we are, how we can live together as individuals and as a global community, and how we can govern ourselves to create a sustainable future of social, economic and environmental justice.”

Approximately $700,000 of the $5.3 million grant has been allocated to the University’s research team, which includes Professor Marek Tesar (Director of the Centre for Global Childhoods), Professor Jay Marlowe (co-Director of the Centre for Asia-Pacific Refugee Studies), Professor Jennifer Curtin (Director of the Public Policy Institute within the Faculty of Arts), Dr Burkhard Wuensche (School of Computer Science) and Dr Nasser Giacaman (Department of Electrical, Computer and Software Engineering).

The INTRACOMP team includes partners in Norway, Germany, Belgium, Italy, the UK, Finland, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Greece and Papua New Guinea.

Horizon Europe supports ground-breaking projects that address global challenges such as climate change, health and equality. By fostering collaboration between researchers, companies and institutions, the programme seeks to drive scientific progress and develop innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing issues.