In Pirouette Phase 2, Cultural Workshops were implemented across six partner countries—Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ireland, Germany, Serbia, Kosovo, and Montenegro—engaging a total of 120 participants. Each workshop lasted one day and brought together a diverse group of young people and youth workers, including participants from prior local trainings and newcomers, some of whom had artistic backgrounds.
The primary objective of these workshops was to explore and document the most recognized and widely practiced artistic and cultural traditions within local communities. Participants engaged in structured discussions, group mapping exercises, creative activities, and reflection sessions to examine how artistic expression shapes identity, belonging, and social cohesion. They also explored the potential of art to foster dialogue, connection, and social change, highlighting the ways in which local traditions evolve through youth-led reinterpretation.
Each workshop served as a foundation for the Assessment of Cultural Background, forming the first step in systematically capturing cultural practices and artistic expressions across all six countries. Participants with artistic expertise collected qualitative data from their communities, including observations, interviews, participatory exercises, and creative outputs. This process ensured that the Global Art Fusion Workshop would be informed by authentic, locally grounded knowledge, and that the final artistic productions would meaningfully reflect the experiences and creativity of young people from each country.
In more detail, workshops in each country focused on the following:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Participants explored music, theatre, film, and traditional crafts. Discussions emphasized the role of art in shaping identity and fostering social cohesion, and participants reflected on how traditional forms can be reinterpreted to address contemporary social issues.
- Ireland: Workshops mapped local traditions, including music, dance, theatre, crafts, and storytelling. Participants identified both enduring practices and those at risk of disappearing, highlighting the aspects of cultural life most valued by young people.
- Germany: Participants engaged in experiential learning activities designed to understand how contemporary and participatory arts, such as performance, visual, and digital practices, are embedded in community life. The focus was on reflection, intercultural dialogue, and the social role of artistic expression.
- Serbia: The workshops were embedded in a multi-day artistic residency, where participants combined community visits, informal conversations, and reflective artistic interventions. The process culminated in participatory performances integrating local traditions, storytelling, dance, and communal rituals, demonstrating the dynamic interplay between traditional and contemporary cultural forms.
- Kosovo: Workshops focused on mapping local art forms and traditions in transition. Participants used reflection exercises, group discussions, and creative tasks to document the lived cultural practices and artistic preferences of their communities.
- Montenegro: Participants examined traditional craftsmanship, particularly national costume heritage, exploring how these practices can be reinterpreted through contemporary art and design. Emphasis was placed on intergenerational knowledge transfer, creative experimentation, and community engagement.
Across all six countries, the workshops combined structured discussion, creative exercises, community research, and participatory artistic interventions. Participants experienced cultural traditions as living, evolving practices rather than static artifacts, gaining insights into how communities maintain, adapt, and transform their artistic heritage. The workshops also promoted intergenerational dialogue, community participation, and the visibility of underrepresented voices, particularly those of young women.
The outputs of these workshops—qualitative data, observations, creative materials, and reflections—formed the basis for the Assessment of Cultural Background. Each participating artist used this information to compile a detailed account of their local artistic and cultural landscape. These assessments, collected from all six countries, provided a comprehensive evidence base for the Global Art Fusion Workshop, ensuring that the final artistic productions were informed by authentic cultural insights and the lived experiences of local communities.
By linking local cultural richness with transnational collaboration, the workshops established a strong foundation for meaningful co-created artistic expression. They demonstrated that cultural diversity is a resource, providing opportunities for dialogue, exchange, and complementarity. The participatory and reflective approach ensured that the final artistic outputs of the project would not only showcase local traditions but also represent a plurality of voices, experiences, and cultural languages, aligned with the project’s broader values of inclusion, participation, and co-creation.
