About DRIS

Co-creating Intercultural Societies: a Focus on Racism and Discrimination

The project ‘Co-creating Intercultural Societies: a Focus on Racism and Discrimination’ - DRIS is funded by the European Union’s 2014-2020 Creative Europe Programme and is implemented by Interarts. ECCOM and ITZ and it emerges from the observation that different and effective initiatives, albeit isolated, exist but at an initial or pilot stage. The project aims to enhance respect and mutual understanding for cultural diversity through intercultural dialogue and to facilitate cultural participation of migrant communities, by developing effective counter-narratives through art and culture, especially among multi-ethnic and multicultural communities in three European cities: Barcelona, Berlin and Rome.

Discrimination continues to affect large numbers of new citizens, ethnic minorities, immigrants and their children, the fight against racism and xenophobia is still an on-going priority that deserves all our attention. The international community has indeed worked for the integration of migrants and refugees; however, these processes are often hindered by discrimination and violence that undermine positive attitudes and hamper meaningful participation in society.

The project is underpinned by the Agenda 2030, since it will directly address different Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely: Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all; Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls; Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Objectives

The project pursues the following objectives:

  • To increase the participation of cultural institutions, public authorities, CSOs working in the cultural, education and social fields, and train them in audience development and management of pilot cultural projects;
  • To enhance the opportunities of different minorities of migrant origin to collaborate and participate in the social and cultural life of their cities with the aim of co-creating intercultural projects and artistic products with new narratives, avoiding negative stereotypes.
  • To co-create transnational projects and artistic co-productions to be showcased across Europe, with the active participation of communities of migrant origins and representatives, using cultural institutions and organizations as contact zones, spaces for intercultural dialogue and mutual learning.
  • To disseminate counter-narratives and storytelling to raise the awareness of both public institutions and people in the 3 target countries on the value of cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and peaceful social relations.

The project started on 1 November (2020) and will end on 31 October (2022).