Details

Open Gallery (Project No. 2023-1-PL01-KA122-ADU-000144628), implemented by Galeria Labirynt within the Erasmus+ programme, focuses on developing staff competencies in adult education, the inclusion of groups at risk of social exclusion, and the strengthening of international cooperation. Through mobility opportunities, the Gallery’s team was able to explore good practices from European institutions known for their innovative approaches to accessibility in the arts – designing multisensory solutions for people with disabilities and running programmes that support the inclusion of migrants, older adults, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other marginalised communities. The project prioritised the internationalisation of the institution by adapting globally proven methods that address diverse social needs.

The mobilities involved educational staff, accessibility experts, and individuals engaged in promoting cultural inclusivity, including professionals working in adult education and with older people and migrants. Through international training and study visits, the Gallery’s staff gained access to new working tools and learned practices that foster the development of an institution that is open and welcoming to everyone, regardless of their social or health circumstances.

Objectives:

• To raise staff qualifications in working with diverse social groups.
• To exchange experiences and compare educational and accessibility programmes at the international level.
• To enrich the Gallery’s work with innovative accessibility tools that will enhance the quality of educational programmes.
• To develop the linguistic and cultural competences of participants.
• To internationalise the Gallery through new partnerships and networking across Europe.

Project duration: 1 December 2023–31 May 2025

Open Gallery is an initiative that aims to allow Galeria Labirynt to expand its educational and accessibility offer, contributing to the development of a cultural institution that is open to all – particularly those with fewer opportunities to access art and culture.

1. “Beyond Borders: Art as a Tool for Inclusion” – Training Course for Museum Educators

The educational course at the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) in Athens forms a key module of the “Open Gallery” project, enabling Galeria Labirynt educators to gain practical skills in designing programmes that include diverse social groups. Thanks to intensive workshops and meetings with international experts, the course participants enriched their working methods with multisensory approaches and participatory models.

Course objectives:

• To enhance competencies in adult education through the implementation of inclusive educational practices.
• To develop skills in designing programmes that respond to the needs of people with disabilities, older adults, those with refugee and/or migrant backgrounds, and other excluded groups.

Institution: EMST – National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens (Greece)
Dates: 28 January–8 February 2025
Participants: Barbara Gryka, Filip Kijowski, Agata Sztorc-Gromaszek, Magdalena Szubielska, Michał Tokarz-Mazurek, Paulina Tokarz-Mazurek, Monika Rejman, Mateusz Wszelaki

Topics covered:

• Art therapy and “Art on Prescription” as tools for supporting mental health.
• Theoretical and practical workshops on neurodiversity.
• The “EMST Without Borders” model and participatory programme design.
• Intergenerational and senior-oriented programming.
• Cooperation with marginalised groups (people serving prison sentences, individuals in addiction recovery, and those with refugee and/or migrant backgrounds).
• Stop-motion animation techniques as a method for inclusive education.

2. Job-shadowing in Partner Institutions and Organisations

Job-shadowing visits enabled participants to gain direct insight into the working methods and procedures applied by European institutions and organisations operating in the field of culture, with a particular focus on accessibility, non-formal education, and inclusive practices.

Objectives:

• To deepen understanding of how international cultural institutions function in the areas of adult education and accessibility.
• To observe practical solutions and tools that support diverse social groups.
• To build networks and exchange experiences with experts from different countries.
• To adapt and implement best practices in the work of Galeria Labirynt.

Completed visits:

• Institution: Accademia Carrara, Bergamo (Italy)
  Dates: 19–27 February 2025
  Participants: Paulina Tokarz-Mazurek, Magdalena Szubielska, Agata Sztorc-Gromaszek
• Institution: Casa São Roque, Porto (Portugal)
  Dates: 12 March–4 April 2025
  Participants: Barbara Gryka, Monika Rejman
• Institution: MitOst, Berlin (Germany)
  Dates: 10–27 April 2025
  Participant: Paweł Korbus
• Institution: zusa, Berlin (Germany)
  Participants: Waldemar Tatarczuk (27 March–18 May 2025), Mateusz Wszelaki (23 March–25 April 2025)
• Institution: ZK/U – Centre for Art and Urbanistics, Berlin (Germany)
  Dates: 5 April–11 May 2025
  Participant: Victoriia Zymomria
• Institution: Copenhagen Contemporary, Copenhagen (Denmark)
  Dates: 22 April–10 May 2025
  Participant: Krystian Kamiński

3. Expert Visit to Lublin

The expert visit primarily aimed to facilitate knowledge exchange and skills transfer between project participants, Galeria Labirynt staff, and Lublin’s cultural professionals – placing particular emphasis on implementing innovative educational and accessibility practices.

Objectives:

• To enable direct dialogue and the exchange of experiences between experts and local practitioners in cultural education.
• To introduce tools and methods tested in international partner institutions.
• To initiate lasting collaboration and support the continued development of participants’ competences.
• To share best practices in adult education and social inclusion.
• To transfer skills through practical workshops and World Café sessions.
• To formulate recommendations for Galeria Labirynt based on discussions and observations of local institutions.
• To strengthen networks and plan future international initiatives.

Dates: 20–28 May 2025

Experts:
Selene Carboni (art historian, The Blank Contemporary Art, Italy), Marina Tsekou (Curator of Education, EMST – National Museum of Contemporary Art, Greece), Kasia Zielińska (Cultural Manager, zusa, Germany)

Programme Highlights:

Workshops and seminars for Galeria Labirynt staff (22 and 26 May 2025):

• Selene Carboni: Theoretical and practical introduction to haptic perception methods, exercises with blindfolds and white canes, tactile workshops, and co-creation of tactile accessibility materials.
• Marina Tsekou: Storytelling and stop-motion animation as tools for social inclusion – scene design, frame-by-frame photography, and basic editing.
• Katarzyna Zielińska: Participatory leadership models and mental health support within teams – practical role rotation exercises and co-development of a support plan for residencies and wellbeing initiatives.

Expert session during the “Open Talks, Open Practices, Open Gallery” final event – World Café tables (23 May 2025):

Expert-moderated discussions that generated recommendations for educational and accessibility programmes.Topics included:

• How can cultural institutions be open to blind visitors? (Selene Carboni)
• Can museums act as mediators, amplifying personal voices and stories to generate social impact?(Marina Tsekou)
• How can cultural institutions support creators from crisis-affected regions and help them integrate into local environments? (Kasia Zielińska)

Inspirational visits to local institutions and organisations in the cultural field (24–25 May 2025):

• Institutions visited: National Museum in Lublin, Baobab Community Centre, MOM – Museum of Housing Estates
• Topics explored: Tactile adaptations for blind audiences; community and educational work with migrants and/or refugees; social history, architecture, and collective memory in the context of housing estates.

4. Final Dissemination Event

“Open Talks, Open Practices, Open Gallery” | A Non-Conference: Education, Accessibility, Networking

The final dissemination event took the form of a non-conference, featuring interactive formats instead of traditional lectures: an open reflection circle, a poster session presenting job-shadowing outcomes, and expert-led World Café tables. Project participants shared their experiences with attendees and co-created recommendations for the further development of Galeria Labirynt’s educational and accessibility activities.

Objectives:

• To create a space for equal dialogue and knowledge exchange among educators, experts, and mobility participants.
• To summarise the outcomes of the training course and job-shadowing visits.
• To transfer skills and best practices into the daily work of Galeria Labirynt.
• To develop specific recommendations for educational and accessibility programmes.

Date: 23 May 2025
Venue: Galeria Labirynt, Lublin, Poland

Modules:

• Project introduction
• Open reflection circle
  • “Beyond Borders” course participants shared key takeaways and described their follow-up workshops
• Job-shadowing poster session
  • Visual presentations of observations from partner institutions with direct dialogue opportunities
• Expert World Café tables
  • Thematic group discussions moderated by the invited experts, producing recommendations for Galeria’s educational and accessibility offer
• Summary

Event page:
https://labirynt.com/wydarzenia/open-talks-open-practices-open-gallery-non-conference-education-accessibility-networking/?lang=en

Materials Developed within the Project

• Presentations on the cultures of partner countries and institutions:
  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ByE5i06UVFC09wsqp9hkS6aFlsD5JwEs?usp=drive_link
• Toolkit following the “Beyond Borders: Art as a Tool for Inclusion” training for museum educators:
  https://www.canva.com/design/DAGgr5nXHXE/Fv4yzis0FcBVqYb_TTNtKw/edit?utm_content=DAGgr5nXHXE&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton
• Stop-motion animation created during the course:
  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P4ctW8KFCsTsznzJ6jAx5gdK0McN8M8F/view?usp=drive_link
• Evaluation report of the course:
  https://drive.google.com/file/d/17Cg7YOJD_4P7pNOkLPXbzG3AJTaVGZr7/view?usp=drive_link
• Recommendations for Galeria Labirynt developed following job-shadowing mobilities:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qQ6O7k6zE76-nnTVtRCqVE8i4URDFUnl/view?usp=sharing
• Digital portfolios of job-shadowing mobilities:
  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fV_GZeX1D4OtQvdjjZVzjTX5oB1axMqz?usp=sharing
• Lesson plans inspired by the discussed and observed working techniques:
  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1czAwPxWuVaZal-d_kAsVBDloTYzSenKy?usp=drive_link
• Evaluation report of the job-shadowing mobilities:
  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w-OG7TlKpu0h6pYjvt-Isk4q3798XAjV/view?usp=drive_link
• Presentation from the final dissemination event:
  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WXYbFdS8cjEN6p95Vlm2kW907TAd_YFt/view?usp=sharing
• Posters from the job-shadowing poster session:
  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1KWk4dW-0b-T5RJBlpB1PU3QK2xixw6M9?usp=drive_link
• Recommendations for Galeria Labirynt developed during the final dissemination event:
  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Amzi8a89hQ1eORYHBKPbUS5kOwmyOcSe/view?usp=drive_link 
• Evaluation report of the final dissemination events:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CfSfvkeblQKlqCqIPn6NWx5X_DqmQqtr/view?usp=drive_link
• Project evaluation conclusions, including assessment of the achievement of success criteria:https://drive.google.com/file/d/13hV4Ka_JAqfEzN9XRFqq1VKQis6IF21P/view?usp=drive_link

Partner Organisations

• Accademia Carrara
• Casa São Roque
• Copenhagen Contemporary
• EMST – National Museum of Contemporary Art
• MitOst
• The Blank Contemporary
• ZK/U – Centre for Art and Urbanistics
• zusa

Funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the Foundation for the Development of the Education System – the National Agency of the Erasmus+ Programme and the European Solidarity Corps. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.