ART4US will take a multi-artform creative connecting the project to seven countries across EU: Greece (K.ANE), UK (SAFE and Point Europa), Ireland (Smashing Times), Netherlands (Inthecity), France (DkBell) and Spain (INTRAS).

SAFE:

Established in 2000 SAFE Regeneration Ltd (SAFE) is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee holding 19 years of experience of developing and facilitating community and participatory projects across the education, social housing, urban regeneration, health & social care and creative industries sectors. The company works on a local, regional, national and international basis; over 150 projects and programmes have been delivered across Europe, all co-produced with our communities of interest. Since 2000 SAFE has successfully managed £5M+ public and private sector funds. We are proud to work alongside people from diverse backgrounds and communities be they children, disadvantaged youth (NEETS), adults who experience vulnerability, people with physical and/or learning disabilities, people with mental health issues, people with learning disabilities, people in recovery from addiction, senior citizens/people living with dementia, offenders and ex-offenders, artists, corporate leaders, people with a black or minority ethnic background, or conversely, whole organisations. SAFE is based in one of the most deprived localities in the UK, deliberately so, as it is these disadvantaged communities where the organisation has always targeted its services, now more so than ever through its widening focus on community development, enterprise support, environmental conservation and formal and informal personalised learning and development initiatives..

Website: www.saferegeneration.org.uk

Point Europa:

Point Europa is a not for profit organization operating from South East Cornwall, since 2004. We specialize in adult education opportunities, vocational and non-vocational training, support and guidance, youth and community work. Our objective is to improve the economic and social situation of our area, which has high unemployment, insufficient public services and limited opportunities, through education and training. We work with disadvantaged groups towards social inclusion and to improve life opportunities. We achieve this through our community work, by providing:

• Lifelong learning opportunities, vocational and non-vocational training and Youth activity for our local community members.
• Providing work related skills to improve employability for individuals and to increase entrepreneurship and the development of social enterprises
• Support and development of activities with other community organizations
• Promotion of inter-cultural communication and international cooperation through exchange and mobility within and for our local community members.
• Promotion the principles of sustainable development, and education in this field for community members.
• Promotion of active citizenship on a local and transnational level, through volunteering and other community activities

Website: www.pointeuropa.org

K.A.NE.

Social Youth Development KANE creates projects and structures for the youth, to provide educational and training opportunities for young people and professionals and promote the value of education and training. The organizations aim at fighting discrimination, fostering intercultural and social development and promote social inclusion and equality, particularly for young people.

Website: www.ngokane.org

Smashing Times

Smashing Times Theatre and Film Company is a not-for-profit, human rights based organization that uses creative process, theatre and film to promote human rights, gender equality, reconciliation and social inclusion for all. The work of the company over the last 20 years has spanned across and beyond Europe, with projects running with a wide range of organisations in Ireland, Northern Ireland, the UK, Spain, Germany, Poland, Turkey, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Israel and Sri Lanka. The company plays a leading role in the development of the arts to promote, human rights, gender equality, peace building, active citizenship and positive mental health and well-being through high quality artistic processes. Smashing Times is lead partner on a range of transnational European projects and is highly experienced in using the arts to promote issues at local, national and European levels. Smashing Times is committed to:

– Professional training and education in drama and theatre
– Participatory theatre practice – supporting direct access for local communities and communities of interest
– Theatre for change – supporting the use of theatre as a form of knowledge and as a means of transforming society so as to promote social justice and equality.

Website: www.smashingtimes.ie

Inthecity

Inthecity Project Development is a creative multimedia agency. Its team of “digital storytellers” incorporates recognised and proven expertise in filmmaking, animation, web design and development, event video production, and social media. The company’s specialization is in discovering diverse real-life experiences and bringing the stories to life so they can reach a wide audience with the original message and spirit of the experience.

Website: www.inthecitystudio.com

DkBell

The DK-BEL Company creates and produces performances both in France and abroad. Ever since its creation in Villiers-le-Bel (95) in 2004, it strives in promoting Art in the minorities of society. DKBEL’s work is orientated towards 3 main guidelines:

Artistic creativity for everyone and carried out as an ensemble: Developing social links

The will to prioritize Humanity in the heart of all projects carried out: Changing perspectives

Merging to international networks with as a common ground, Art: Opening to the world

All actions initiated by DK-Bel defend the values of empathy, sharing and goodwill; with the goal of having a social impact in our present society. The emphasis lies essentially in Integration. The repertoire of the dance company is the work of the choreographers Sophie Bulbulyan and Corinne Faure-Grise, whom propose a work based on the research and discovery of the dancers’ individual movement; the latter, a result of cultural diversity and carrier of strong messages. The pieces created by Dk-Bel Company are danced by both disabled and non-disabled dancers, staged on an national to international basis.

Website: www.dk-bel.com

INTRAS

INTRAS is a non-profit organization founded in 1994 dedicated to high quality research and intervention in the mental health field. The organization nowadays consists of 12 centers in 9 different provinces in Spain with 189 interdisciplinary professionals (psychiatrists, psychologists, educators, art-therapists and professionals from social and economic fields) carrying out research, training, clinical practice as well as cultural and sport activities. The main target group of INTRAS consists of people suffering from mental disorders, whereby the organisation also performs activities and offers services to the disabled, the elderly and people at risk of social exclusion in general. The development of our services and programmes is based on the “Recovery approach”, thus empowering the users to live a self-determined and self-confident life through reflecting their potential wishes and providing them with vocational training and employability programmes accordingly. We develop activities and offer different services for our target groups such as psychosocial and labour rehabilitation programmes, occupational and vocational training, pre-labour workshops, counseling and professional guidance/ coaching, social employment, etc. The main aim of our work is to achieve an own life project with an appropriate level of quality of life, despite that some symptoms of the mental illness may persist. For that, we pay special attention and listen to the voice of our target groups demanding new programs and activities, in order to provide services taking into account the possibilities of each person and providing people with resources to empower them to be protagonist of their recovery process and thus of their own life. The last step of Recovery process is employment, either through getting a job in a social firm or in a standard enterprise. Because of applying Recovery approach, some of our users are now leading a musical band, others have launched a catering social firm, some others have a job selling and maintaining ebikes, others work in the field of gardening and horticulture, etc. INTRAS is the only organisation in the region working in the field of mental health that has received the EFQM certificate (European Foundation for Quality Management) for business excellence (bronze seal 400+). Since 2011, INTRAS holds a European Excellency Seal +400.

Website: www.intras.es