This research project explored the making of participatory public in the context of contemporary art and cultural production with the aim of opening up spaces of action for youth to shape society.

In this two-year project artistic-educational projects were developed and realised through artists together with pupils from two classes (13-16 years old) at two schools (secondary school and high school) in the city and the country of Salzburg. The methods and materials were developed into a toolbox, which can be used for free by teachers and educators beyond the project duration for the realisation of similar projects.

The whole project development process was accompanied by methods of qualitative social research, whereupon primarily methods of participatory action research were applied. The pupils were active in this project not only as co-producers in the artistic-cultural perspective but also in the research perspective. Options of action for an active cultural production and the making of participatory publics in the context of artistic and cultural interventions was tried out and investigated collaboratively.

In an interdisciplinary team different perspectives on social and societal processes of transformation were brought together: Researchers from the University of Salzburg (Focus Area ‘Science & Art’, Department of Communication Studies), teachers from the involved schools and experts from the areas of culture, education and civic society.

This project has been completed.