Education and Art for Social Inclusion

The social exclusion of young people in Europe is a significant problem that affects various groups, such as: - young people from disadvantaged areas; - young people at risk of deviance; - young migrants; - young people with physical or mental disabilities; - young people with existential distress, which manifests itself through various psycho-physical problems (panic attacks, eating disorders, various addictions). Young people who experience these different types of distress (often combined), often go on to constitute the now sadly known category of young people NEET - Not in Education, Employment or Training. The consequences of social exclusion in young people are defined in terms of poor educational results, substance abuse, deviant behavior, isolation, difficulty in integrating into the world of work, difficulty in integrating into the community. The EASI Project aimed to contribute to the social inclusion of young NEETs through the use of art therapy, understood as an educational tool that stimulates the intrinsic potential of the person, helps young people to develop – through creativity – their own life project, and therefore contributes to their self-realization in society.

The aim of the project was to develop educational tools and paths for the social inclusion of young people through art therapy methodologies. The specific aim of these tools and paths, as regards social workers and organizations, was to improve skills on educational and animation practices related to the social inclusion of young NEETs through art therapy, as well as to develop cooperation at European level on this focus. As regards the young people involved in the activities, the aim of the EASI project was to improve their ability to act proactively in their family and social context, improve their self-esteem and key skills, cultural expression skills, increase social inclusion, as a result of the skills and abilities developed. Finally, the project wanted to contribute to raising awareness among a large number of stakeholders on the topic of young NEETs and on the importance of the art therapy approach in responding to the needs of these young people.