ACDC: Arts, Crafts & Dignity in Care ‘Creating inclusion’ (August 2014)

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The long term aim of the cluster is to help reduce social isolation by developing a methodology to encourage socially isolated people through creative engagement to bridge the gap to society and feel more emancipated. We aim to improve emancipation by enhancing participation in and contribution to society by working with artists, practitioners (support workers, community workers and activity co-ordinators) and caregivers to develop a better understanding of the target group.

As a result this enhances their ability to connect with socially excluded people. The project objectives are to better understand social exclusion, learn from each other's experience in working with the beneficiary groups, and supporting artists and practitioners to better empathise with their target group and professionally develop new ways to emancipate socially excluded people.

The focus of this cluster partnership has been to explore the situation, experiences, feelings and barriers of our beneficiary groups through research and study visits with each partner to experience their work and training methods. By  researching the physical and mental barriers that face those who would like to participate in society and those who experience difficulties participating in society we have then focussed on the methods and processes used to engage and  sustain social interaction within their environments.