Written by
Minerva López, ISGlobal
Pamela Blanche, ISGlobal
March 3, 2026
The PULSE-ART project forms part of a network of sister initiatives funded under the Horizon Europe call “A sustainable future for Europe” (HORIZON-CL2-2024-TRANSFORMATIONS-01), specifically addressing Arts and Cultural Awareness and Expression (CAE) in education and training (HORIZON-CL2-2024-TRANSFORMATIONS-01-08). These projects are expected to be developed between 2024/2025 and 2027/2028.
These European initiatives share the fact that all are exploring how culture, creativity, and the arts can drive social change, community empowerment, and inclusive innovation. Each sister project brings methodologies and evidence-based approaches to strengthen learning outcomes, cultural engagement, and participation across diverse populations (national, European and international levels).
PULSE-ART develops and tests educational approaches across seven case studies throughout Europe, combining arts-based learning, training for educators, and policy-oriented research to enhance CAE . The project aims to create evidence and tools that support the systemic integration of arts-based education in formal and non-formal settings.
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TOWCHED (Transforming Our World: Collections at the Heart of life-long learning and Education)
Web: https://towched.eu/
IG: @towched_eu
Linkedin: TOWCHED EU Network
TOWCHED harnesses arts and cultural heritage collections to advance sustainable development education. Coordinated by the University of Valencia, the project partners with museums and collection-based organisations to develop cross-curricular pedagogical interventions linking cultural heritage with contemporary social and environmental concerns.
The project employs a human rights-based approach to promote inclusive participation, decision-making, and equitable access across its target groups: children (ages 5-7), youth (ages 15-24), educators, heritage practitioners, and cultural professionals. Through experiential, blended, and collection-mediated learning approaches, TOWCHED aims to strengthen creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and self-awareness among learners.
In collaboration with the New European Bauhaus initiative, the project aims to demonstrate how heritage-collection-based education can transform schools and learning environments into hubs for sustainable, lifelong learning. Activities include developing educational materials, workshops, and field-tested curricula that incorporate the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals into education while empowering collection-based organisations to support sustainable development through meaningful participatory activities.
The expected outcomes include a comprehensive roadmap and a practical toolbox for arts- and heritage-based education. There will also be a proposed European Charter for the Use of Arts and Heritage Collections in Education for Sustainable Development and Human Rights. The project will provide evidence-based recommendations for policy and practice across Europe.
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ALPHABETICA (Activating Learning Paths: Holistic Arts-Based Education and Training for Inclusion and Cultural Awareness)
Web: https://alphabetica-project.eu/
IG: @alphabetica_eu
Linkedin: ALPHABETICA_eu
ALPHABETICA addresses access to arts-based education for children and youth at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Led by the University of Bologna, the project implements twelve pilot actions across seven European countries, using co-creative participatory research in school and community settings. Target groups include children aged 3–18, young adults, and community members from marginalised backgrounds. The project focuses on understanding how creative initiatives that young people might not recognise as ‘art’ can transform their lives.
Adopting caring approaches and pedagogies, ALPHABETICA examines how participation in community-driven artistic co-creation affects learning outcomes, social inclusion, and personal development. The project will collect qualitative and quantitative data on attitudes towards the arts from children, families, educators, and policymakers while exploring how skills developed through arts-based education can be transferred to other areas of life.
Through its participatory approach, the project invites children and young people to reflectively explore their complex everyday realities. It offers opportunities for creative self-expression, meaning-making, participation, skills development, and relationship-building. Expected outcomes include evidence of the transformative effects of arts participation on social inclusion and lifelong learning, as well as concrete policy recommendations.
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INTRACOMP (Intercultural and Transcultural Competence Through Collaborative Cultural Expression)
IG: @intracomp_transformations
Linkedin: INTRACOMP Transformations
INTRACOMP addresses intercultural competence in performing arts education within the contexts of climate change and forced migration. Coordinated by Nord University under UNESCO Chair Professor Nicholas Rowe, the transdisciplinary consortium unites thirteen universities and arts organisations from twelve countries across Europe and the Global South. This global reach questions Eurocentric assumptions about intercultural competence and arts education. Target groups include educators, cultural organisations, policymakers, youth, and marginalised populations (LGBTQI+ individuals, displaced persons, mixed-ability learners).
The project will develop an Intercultural and Transcultural Competence (ITC) Framework that identifies, demonstrates, and supports intercultural competence in performing arts education from early childhood to the community contexts. The methodology combines arts-based interventions with digital tools, such as the RhizoVerse platform, in formal, non-formal, and online environments.
Through the exploration of cultural hierarchies and exclusions, INTRACOMP aims to establishe equitable spaces for interaction. Outcomes include strengthened intercultural competence, policy recommendations for cultural governance, and enhanced social cohesion through collaborative arts practices.
These sister projects aim to study and create evidence of how arts and cultural education catalyse social transformation. They also seek to develop tools for implementing these changes in education policy and practice across Europe and beyond. For a summary of this cluster, see the following comparative table.
Comparative table of sister projects under the Horizon Europe call, “A Sustainable Future for Europe,” which address arts and CAE in education and training
Sister Project | Main objective | Target groups | Methodology | Key activities | Expected outcomes |
TOWCHED | Use arts and heritage education to promote cultural awareness, human rights, and sustainable development across age groups. | Early childhood (5–7), youth (15–24), educators, cultural organisations, and broader communities. | Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) ensures inclusive participation, decision-making, and equitable access. Combines heritage-based learning with arts-based interventions to embed UN SDGs into education. Multi-country field studies to test and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. | Develop educational materials, workshops, and field-tested curricula integrating cultural heritage with social and environmental themes. Collaborate with museums and cultural organisations as active learning hubs. | Creation of a scalable roadmap for arts and heritage-based education that supports inclusion, participation, and sustainable development. Proposed European Charter for the Use of Arts and Heritage Collections in Education for Sustainable Development and Human Rights. Evidence-based recommendations for policy and practice in Europe. |
ALPHABETICA | Address access to arts-based education for children and youth at risk of poverty or social exclusion, and examine how arts-based co-creation affects learning outcomes, social inclusion, and personal development. | Children aged 3–18, young adults, and community members from marginalised backgrounds. | Co-creative participatory research in school and community settings. 12 pilot actions across seven European countries, testing how arts participation affects learning outcomes, social inclusion, and personal development. Collects qualitative and quantitative data on participation, engagement, and learning impact. | Engage learners in arts co-creation projects and workshops. Collect qualitative and quantitative data on attitudes towards the arts from children, families, educators, and policymakers. | Evidence of transformative effects of arts participation on social inclusion and lifelong learning. Recommendations for schools, community organisations, and policymakers to integrate arts into inclusive education strategies. |
INTRACOMP | Develop and embed an Intercultural and Transcultural Competence (ITC) framework into arts education and cultural governance, challenging Eurocentric assumptions and fostering equitable intercultural spaces. | Educators, cultural organisations, policymakers, children, youth, and marginalised groups (LGBTQI+, displaced populations, mixed-ability learners). | Develop a measurable ITC framework for learners, educators, and institutions. Deliver arts-based learning interventions and digital tools (RhizoVerse platform) to integrate ITC in formal, non-formal, and online learning. Provide policy guidelines for sustainable adoption of intercultural education practices. | Pilot ITC training and arts interventions in schools, community spaces, and cultural organisations. Collect data to validate the framework and produce research-based recommendations. | Strengthened intercultural competence among learners and professionals. Evidence-based policy recommendations for integrating ITC into arts education and cultural governance. Greater inclusion and social cohesion through arts-driven intercultural collaboration. |
