MusIN Music as a tool for social intetgration for children and teenagers
Objectives
The role of music in "social integration" is important as, when teaching it, there are no social, national, religious, linguistic or racial differences. Through the participation of our team members in music and social integration programs, we have realized the great contribution and the therapeutic and positive effects of music. For this reason, as young people and artists who care about our co-citizens, society and especially our local community, we wished to implement the project "Music as a tool for social integration, for children and teenagers". We live in a country where multiculturalism is a fact, we would like through interaction with people from different social or national contexts to help the smooth coexistence and integration of all people, to learn from them, to offer what we can through ourselves and our art. The aim of our project was through musical activities and practical performances, creativity and improvisation, children and teenagers with an emphasis on those with an immigrant or refugee background, to interact, create, develop bonds, feel, security and trust, cultivate the feeling "belong" somewhere, have a good time, improve their mental health and integrate better into society. Additional goal of our project was the cultivation of musical motor skills and the development of emotional
expression.
Activities
During our project “MusIN” children and teenagers with an emphasis on those with an immigrant or refugee background living in our local community, had the opportunity to participate in musical activities and practices, creativity and improvisation workshops, musical performance activities, courses for learning musical instruments. Also, the participants had the experience of designing and creating musical instruments with recyclable materials which were used in the presentation of a small concert which was the final event of the project with the participants themselves, the children and teenagers, to our local community.
Results
The biggest change we wanted to bring about was the achievement of social integration of children and young people with an immigrant or refugee background. The unifying power of music brought together children and teenagers from our local community, creating an appropriate climate for interaction with children and young people with a refugee or immigrant profile. Additionally, we sought that our work will contribute to improving the mental health of children and young people. The positive effect of music leaded to the development of their self-confidence, the creation of positive feelings of joy and pleasure and the enrichment of their emotional world. Also, through musical performance, listening and movement, participants had the opportunity to free themselves, feel intimate and learn to express themselves through music and the arts in general. Our local community benefited significantly from our project because it contributed to solving a major issue of social exclusion of children and young people with a migrant or refugee background. Therefore, our project will had a therapeutic purpose for our local community and help our community to achieve social integration. Our work will be an example for other actions or initiatives from our local community or other organized bodies and groups, with the ultimate goal of positive social change.
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