ESC: VolunTACC – Support to the International Area

TACC is the acronym for our association Taller d’Art, Cultura i Creació, a non-profit organization created in February 2010 as a non for profit platform aimed at the promotion of art, culture and design among the youth population. From a group of young people, TACC aims to offer tools that allow the dissemination of young talent through a multidisciplinary approach based on non-formal education. The entity emerged with a spirit of defense and vindication of culture as a structural element of society, essential to build a life path, the promotion of freedom and democratic construction. By facilitating access to art as an exchange of knowledge, supporting creation and promoting participatory processes, we help artists, designers, cultural agents and creators of any artistic discipline. Throughout its history, TACC has materialized a wide range of works by young artists from all over Europe producing their projects, providing them with training and socializing their art through new technologies. Moreover, it has promoted different projects related to social inclusion, multiculturalism, gender equality and the promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, with art as a central element capable of crossing borders and disseminating the values embodied in interest in culture. TACC works in different municipalities of the provinces of Barcelona, Girona and Tarragona managing public programs addressed to the youth population, as well as different socio-educational and awareness projects within the community area; cooperation projects with the Saharawi people (Tindouf refugee camps) and the Palestinian refugee population (Lebanon); and youth information points, through which the various opportunities offered by international mobility programs (exchanges, volunteering, work, studies...) are disseminated. It also dynamizes various PIDCES points (informative actions at high schools), thus offering us the opportunity for direct intervention in different secondary education centers. All these actions and projects have a strong personal impact on young people, the target group of all our projects, being some of them at risk of social exclusion. In the international facet, TACC believes that the promotion of multicultural experiences helps to eliminate barriers and prejudices, and it contributes to a greater social cohesion. That is why it manages, coordinates and is partner in international projects of the Erasmus+ program (youth exchanges, training courses and KA2 strategic partnerships for innovation and exchange of good practices) and the European Solidarity Corps. These projects have not only helped the participating young people and professionals to improve their social skills but have also contributed to the improvement of their professional skills, acquiring concrete knowledge about artistic projects, and increasing their creativity. TACC is also member of the international networks More Citizens Network (MCN) and Transnational United Network in Europe (TUNE), with which collaborates in various international projects, especially within the Erasmus+ and ESC programs. Therefore, it understands internationalization as the main horizon in the promotion of the creation of networks that work as partners and where teamwork and the sum of efforts are multiplier aspects of each action. TACC has a human team led by 9 members, within a structure that includes project management, development and dynamization of socio-educational actions of community art at local and international level, communication, administration, and financial management. It also has a team of 34 professionals in charge of decentralized programs and projects in the territory in different youth facilities. It is through them where TACC carries out the dynamization of socio-educational activities and workshops, counseling tasks, talks, intervention in high schools, etc. TACC defends a cultural and artistic model that is pedagogical, multiplier, inclusive and accessible. It believes that through art and culture we can work on important aspects while designing strategies that offer real opportunities to younger people. TACC is active and has extensive experience leading national and inter-agency multisectoral alliances (with community and voluntary organizations, employers, informal and formal educational institutions, governmental organizations and public institutions) to ensure that each of the programs managed addresses the identified needs of the young people with whom works, that have an impact and provide a comprehensive, effective and accessible support network for the young participants.