How can we empower artists and young people with AI skills?
On 25 October 2024, our new project YOUR.AI held its kick-off meeting in Vienna, marking the start of an innovative and ambitious Erasmus+ project to empower young people in the cultural and creative sector with AI training packages.
The two-year project aims at developing digital literacy among young artists and youth workers, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, equipping them with skills that are essential in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, and providing new opportunities for creative expression and career development.
The meeting began with a warm welcome and an introduction to the project’s objectives. We were able to get to know our partners: Cooperativa Sociale FOLIAS (Italy), BildungsLAB – Hands&Minds Learning Center (Austria), QUALITY CULTURE SRLS (Italy), Fundacja FOTON (Poland) & Fundacja ARTeria (Poland).
Everyone emphasised the importance of fostering skills that combine creativity with digital literacy, enabling young artists to effectively incorporate AI tools into their work without replacing their unique artistic expression. This approach will help define guidelines for the responsible use of AI within the project, protecting the intellectual property of young creatives while enabling them to use AI tools to their own advantage.
It was an exciting meeting where each partner organisation presented their ideas, setting a collaborative tone for the coming months. Our project leader FOLIAS gave us an exhaustive overview, going through the timeline of the project, while Quality Culture showed us the beautiful designs they developed. Led by BildungsLAB, we discussed the development of a competence framework to define which key skills young artists and cultural workers require in the context of AI.
What will the outcomes of the project be?
The central point of the project is the promotion of inclusivity, contrasting barriers to education and employment with the development of AI training packages for youth workers and young artists. In connection to this, we discussed ethical standards for the use of AI, with a focus on copyright issues and creating tools that support, rather than replace, human creativity.
By the project’s end, YOUR.AI aims to produce tangible outputs: over 100 AI-integrated artworks by young creatives, a transnational virtual exhibition, and a comprehensive e-learning platform that will continue to support digital literacy in the arts long after the project’s completion.
What’s next?
We are currently gathering data on participants’ digital skills and perspectives on AI in the creative field.
The information we collect will help us develop tailored learning packages, according to your needs.
Would you like to be involved? Are you an Artist? A Youth worker? or an AI Expert?
Please help us by sharing what you think and feel is needed in this short survey:
Artists
Youth workers
AI Experts
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You might be able to attend the next event, the Learning, Teaching, and Training Activity (LTTA) in Italy in March 2025, and be one of the first to test the training packages!
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This project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
