Creative Global II
From February 2024 to January 2026, the equalita institute is carrying out the follow-up project "Kreativ Global II" together with the Büro für Kultur- und Medienprojekte gGmbH. In the two-year project, we want to encourage young people in NRW to participate as "global change agents" in the positive shaping of a common future. During implementation, the focus lays on direct exchange with young artists from the Global South. The project's focal points are implemented in workshops, performances and joint activities lasting several days. These are linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) - the 17 goals for sustainable development.
In addition to global justice, Kreativ Global II focuses in particular on SDG 1, "No poverty", and SDG 5, "Sustainable production and consumption". This gives young people a platform to get involved in the topics and the opportunity to get actively involved. The project enables a change of perspective, gives the Global South a platform in terms of equal involvement and brings complex global contexts to a tangible, everyday level.
Expected project Results
Over the two years of the project, 500 to 600 young people from NRW will take part in the workshops with a total of four groups from the Global South, including the groups 2024 ENAE from Colombia and Theatre of Relevance from India. The performances will be attended by at least 3,000 pupils, teachers and parents.
Together with their peers, the young people in NRW will work on the topics of SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 12 (Sustainable Production and Consumption). Knowledge is imparted through creative work, reports on the effects of both SDGs in the respective countries are exchanged and solutions are sought together. The participants reflect on their life situation and experience a change of perspective. The project then results in joint performances, participation in demonstrations, joint actions and other activities.
In addition, the participating educators and cultural workers will receive further training on SDGs 1 and 12 in a total of four training courses and two network meetings, the "Whole School Approach" will be presented in order to establish the holistic implementation of the educational concept of Education for Sustainable Development within the framework of school development and to strengthen the network of participating educational institutions in NRW.
Project Goals
In the Kreativ Global II project, young people from NRW engage in an exchange with young artists and activists from countries of the Global South on global contexts with a focus on SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 12 (Sustainable Production and Consumption). Both are topics that are of acute social and environmental relevance and in turn correlate with the other SDGs. In joint approaches through artistic actions and mini-performances from the fields of theater, music and dance, backgrounds and worldviews are addressed by the young people and questions about their own attitude in the field of tension between globalized youth culture and regional anchoring are explored.
Through intercultural dialog among young people, the project aims to raise awareness of global justice and enable a change of perspective. Young people learn to put themselves in the shoes of others and to analyze complex global contexts and their own role.
Through their artistic reflection on complex issues, the groups from the Global South also reach people in our society who have had little contact with them to date. We have often found that the groups from the Global South, who themselves come from marginalized social backgrounds, can appeal to young people with fewer educational opportunities in particular with their authentic form of "knowledge transfer" and motivate them to become active themselves in the sense of "global change agents". These encounters promote social and intercultural skills and, above all, the ability to act.
In addition, the project not only opens up new ways of teaching global learning and the topics of sustainable development, but also offers young people access to art and culture. Pupils from socially disadvantaged backgrounds in particular experience the opportunities that exist through cultural forms of expression and test themselves in an artistic sense. In this way, cultural education becomes participation in a global context.
Target Groups and Activities
The primary target group are children and young people (between 12 and 19 years) from educational and cultural institutions. In North Rhine-Westphalia in particular, there is an existing diverse active network of schools and youth centres, adult education centers and one-world and cultural initiatives, which the project aims to strengthen and expand. From this circle, 10 partner organizations take part in the project and carry out the measures, especially annual workshops with the southern groups. These school and educational institutions have the opportunity to take part in 5-day performances and workshops by young artists from the Global South. The preparation and follow-up takes place via online meetings with the southern partners involved.
The joint project creates an awareness of the diversity of approaches in synergy between global learning and cultural education, which emphasizes the sustainability of the concept. Therefore, a second target group is the educational staff, teachers, heads of educational institutions, cultural workers, social workers and speakers as well as other stakeholders, who are reached through the annual training and network meeting and as multipliers: inside for intercultural learning methods and for education for sustainable development (BNE) can be gained.
A third target group are parents and families of those involved, as well as employees from schools and educational institutions. They are the audience of the performances as well as the listeners who learn about the content through the stories of the children and young people. These are inspired and motivated in their attitude and institutional ways towards a sustainable way of life and "whole institution approach".
The Partners from the Global South in 2024
ENAE (Elenco Nacional de Artes Escénicas) | circus theatre, Columbia
Spring 2024
The group "Elenco Nacional de Artes Escénicas" (ENAE) from Popayán in southern Colombia works in various artistic fields, including theater, dance, circus, audiovisual media and music.
Although the group was only founded in November 2021, most of its members have many years of artistic experience. There are currently 35 people working on the project to give more than 600 young people aged between 14 and 27 the opportunity to try out and develop their artistic talents.
The main aim of ENAE is to support the holistic development of young people through artistic promotion. They support educational and creative processes in the fields of theater, dance, literature, visual arts, music and circus. Their focus is on promoting individual and collective expression through the development of sensitivity, critical thinking and collaboration with young people.
Current play: Together for Gorgona
On the picturesque and remote island of Gorgona, a peaceful community lives in harmony with nature and the sea that surrounds it. But their paradise is threatened by the arrival of a construction company that wants to exploit the island's natural resources.
The inhabitants of Gorgona, led by the courageous young Marina, band together to defend their home and protect the fragile marine ecosystem that is vital to their survival. As the community fights against the destruction of their land, they face unexpected challenges. Marina and her friends embark on a journey to raise awareness of the importance of protecting marine life and natural resources.
As the battle reaches its climax, the inhabitants of Gorgon Island must make a difficult decision: Either try to defend their home, even if it seems impossible, or give in to exploitation and lose everything they love.
THEATRE OF RELEVANCE | theatre, dance, music, India
Fall 2024
The "ETF - Theatre of Relevance" was founded in 1992 by Manjul Bhardwaj. Since then, they have been working intensively with the philosophy of the "Theatre of Relevance". The group pursues the goal of searching for the truth through artistic performances. A special focus is placed on the topics of equality, peace, justice, human rights and the fight against poverty. They combine artistic forms of expression with social commitment and actively campaign for positive change in society. The group performs not only in traditional theaters, but also in slums and rural areas.
Current play: The ... other world
The play deals with the origin of life on earth through the five elements - fire, water, earth, air and space. Using a mixture of dance, music and drama, the actors explore the various dimensions of ecology and poverty. The play deals with the complex dynamics between rich and poor, educated and illiterate and the different social classes. The production raises questions that provoke reflection on the pervasive discrimination based on factors such as caste, creed, race, culture, society, religion and politics.
The project is funded by:
Further information: