I_Improve

I_Improve is a cooperative European project. The partnership consists of 6 members from the River//Cities platform: Sweden, Belgium, Austria, Italy, Poland and Lithuania. The common framework is promoting audience engagement through culture, especially in waterfront areas. Its priorities are social inclusion, open and innovative practices in the digital area, and adult education.

The Arts broaden perspectives and encourage mutual understanding. In other words, the Arts have the ability to engage with citizens, both established and newly arrived, through cultural and creative interventions. Therefore, there is a clear demand for new and innovative practices and formats, hence requiring different competences from the staff of cultural organisations.

The learning dimension of I_Improve is process-focused and uses an informal education approach to turn the partners’ daily working environments into spaces for learning and organisational growth. By working closely with inspirational and innovative creative practitioners, each partner explores different ways of instigating social change through the Arts and gains different perspectives on how social change can be manifested. Through the key ideas of observation, dialogue, reflection and experimentation, these selected ‘change makers’ become a resource from which our organisations and staff members can gain new competences and increased motivation in their working lives.

Cultural organisations need to join forces when facing current social challenges. Being able to share and learn from peers in the same working field throughout Europe can strengthen the professionalism of its staff members. On a European and global level strong teamwork, connecting competences, and sharing responsibilities and workload are factors that contribute to citizen education and intercultural dialogue. Digital technologies are an integral part of the project and I_Improve makes the most of their integration into our daily lives by utilising them as tools for lifelong adult education. Directed towards other actors in the sector and public authorities, we use multiple online platforms to exchange learning insights, spread perspectives on the ‘how’ and ‘why’ behind cultural interventions on European waterfronts as well as promote new approaches to organisational learning within the cultural sector.