EDUCase

EDUCase Higher Education Platform for Global Sustainability aimed to establish a platform for interdisciplinary collaborative arts projects that bring together artists and art professionals in Finland, Tanzania and Mozambique.

Introduction

Initiated by the Finnish Ministry for Education and Culture in 2021–2024, the focus of the EDUCase network was the development of equal peer-to-peer partnership practices and education methods. The collaborative case work expected to contribute to mutual learning with partner country participants and institutions, and to generate expertise that is conducive to longer-term academic activity.

The EDUCase project at the University of the Arts Helsinki established interdisciplinary collaborative arts projects that brought together actors, theatre makers, dancers, visual artists, musicians, arts managers, and researchers in Finland, Tanzania, and Mozambique. Artists from Tanzania and Mozambique based in Finland were employed as core EDUCase team members at the Uniarts.

Camps

The project coordinated two camps which brought together students and teachers from higher art education institutions in Finland, Tanzania and Mozambique. During these camps the participants exchanged ideas and practices, collectively creating new artistic work through intercultural dialogue and collaboration. The participants also exchanged and developed artistic and pedagogical approaches through teacher residencies, collaborative courses, and performances for local communities in Mozambique, Tanzania, and Finland.      

The first camp was held in Makumira, Tanzania, in November 2022. A total of 16 Uniarts students attended the camp, with equal numbers from all three academies. Four Uniarts teachers attended, together with two project specialists from Tanzania and Mozambique based in Finland. In addition, there were four teachers and students from Mozambique and a local group of 30 students and teachers from Tanzania.   

Students and teachers worked together collaboratively, exchanging artistic, pedagogical, and arts management approaches during a six-day period held at the Makumira University in Arusha, Tanzania. The group also visited local schools and communities during this time. This period was followed by a road trip to Bagamoyo in the south of the country, where students and teachers visited the Bagmoyo College of the Arts (TaSuBa). Here the group met local students and teachers and gained insights into the unique education of the college. Workshops and collaborative artistic exchanges also took place during this time. 

The second camp was held in Helsinki, Finland, in June 2023. It was organized in the form of a collaborative joint course that took place in Helsinki, Kallio-Kuninkala, and the Hanko Theatre Festival. A major part of the course was comprised of a residential camp at Kallio-Kuninkala. During the camp, Uniarts students engaged in dialogue and collaboration with Tanzanian and Mozambican artists, dancers, theatre makers, musicians, and creative entrepreneurs. The course was open to students from all academies and study lines at Uniarts and students were awarded three (3) credits as part of their studies.

Through practical collaborative artistic work, seminar discussions, and presentations, participants exchanged ideas and practices, created new artistic work, and collectively developed new knowledge through intercultural dialogue and collaboration. An open sharing of the work was held in Kallio-Kuninkala, Hanko, and at Musiikkitalo in Helsinki.

Meeting in Mozambique

Academic delegations from Uniarts Helsinki and Tumaini University Makumira visited Universidade Eduardo Mondlane in Maputo, Mozambique, in April 2024. In collaboration with the Embassy of Finland in Mozambique, a seminar day was organized, featuring networking opportunities and a panel discussion on global higher education collaboration in the arts.

Workshops on music, performing arts, and arts management were conducted at Eduardo Mondlane University, fostering knowledge exchange and creative dialogue. During the visit, the music collective formed through the EDUCase project performed at several high-profile venues, showcasing the collaborative spirit and artistic excellence of the initiative.

Generating education

A central objective of the project has been to develop university-wide studies in Afrocentric perspectives on performative and visual art forms, and the ways they are interconnected in different regions of Africa. EDUCase facilitated the design and piloting of the courses with local experts, ensuring relevance and impact.

In the spring of 2024, the course unit in Global Music Pan-African Ensemble explored contemporary musical styles and approaches emerging from different regions of the African continent. The ensemble worked with a range of Pan-African repertoire, as well as created new music and movement inspired by the musical elements, influences, and connection to society.

Interdisciplinary course Art from African perspectives was developed and had its pilot run in August 2024. The course was led by local African artists and special guests from the African diaspora based in Finland. Drawing on the expertise of African musicians, dancers, theatre makers, and visual artists, the course introduced students to Afrocentric approaches to making art through a series of workshops and collaborative sessions.

Additionally, students from Mozambique are now taking part in online Arts Management courses provided by Sibelius Academy. Students from Tanzania and Nigeria consistently apply for bachelor and master’s studies at the Uniarts programme in Global Music.

Musicians from left to right: Nikita Rafaelov, Nathan Riki Thomson, Kasheshi Makena, Timóteo Cuche, Chico Matada. Photograph by Dániel Nagy.

Student and professional mobility

The partnerships, collaborative activities, and mobility between the institutions have made valuable contributions to the internationalization of Uniarts Helsinki. Core competencies for students and staff have developed in intercultural artistic dialogue and collaboration, as well as contributed to wider developments in the areas of decolonization, inclusion, diversity, and anti-racism at the university.

In spring 2024, Mozambican musician, researcher, and educator, Timóteo Cuche was hosted at Sibelius Academy for a one semester exchange period. During this time, Timóteo worked on his doctoral research, attended numerous courses, performed, and taught ensembles. Follow up visits took place in August and November 2024, with Timóteo presenting at the ISME conference in Helsinki, performing in the Etnosoi! Festival with the EDUCase band, and teaching the Pan-African ensemble.

A student of the Academy of Fine Arts traveled to Tanzania for his master’s thesis field work in autumn 2023.

Project name

EDUCase

Time

01/2021-12/2024

Funder

Ministery of Education and Culture (Finland)

Team

Uniarts Helsinki working group: Nathan Riki Thomson (chair), Kasheshi Makena, Chico Matada, Ville Sandqvist, Violeta Simjanovska, Alina Tolvanen (project coordination)

Collaborators

  • Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Finland
  • Tumaini University Makumira, Arusha, Tanzania
  • CAC (Cultural Arts Center), Makumira, Tanzania
  • Bagamoyo College of Arts (TaSUBa), Tanzania
  • Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique

Find out more

Read more about internationalisation programme and global networks on Ministry of Education and Culture’s website.