The study done by the Villa Decius Association before the project implementation and the experiences resulting from the previous project “Hip hop haters stop!” show that there are large disparities between civic activities of inhabitants of big cities and towns and those living in small communities and rural areas. In smaller communities, access to culture and afterschool educational activities is limited and that is why the talent and potential of young people often remains unnoticed and unused. As a result, people living in small communities do not get involved in civic and community activities. The study also shows a growing problem of hate speech. Teachers are not trained to cope with the problem, neither do they have professional educational materials to help them counteract hate speech properly.
The aim of the project was to encourage young people from small communities and their teachers to get involved in art activities and to take part in public life. The project also aimed to counteract discrimination and hate speech using improvisations, music and videos.
195 young people participated in the project implementation. They learned how to use the new media knowingly and how to identify hate speech in them. They also learned how to react to discriminatory behaviour, both in everyday life and on the Internet.
The project implementation included critical observation workshops and music workshops for students of secondary schools in small communities. Workshop participants prepared performances and showed them in schools. Videos were made of each workshop and professional music video promoting counteracting hate speech was prepared. A handbook with scenarios of educational activities related to the project theme was published.
The project beneficiaries were students and teachers from small towns and villages in the following voivodships: Lower Silesian, Małopolskie, Masovian, Podlaskie, Pomeranian, Zachodniopomorskie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie.
There were three project partners: Moma film Foundation was responsible for coordinating workshops and providing logistics for the shows and for making videos; Association of Creative Initiatives “Windą w bok” contacted schools and educational institutions and cooperated in designing the Internet portal; Stand Up Polska conducted critical observation workshops and improvisations.