Today, GOAL NextGen launches a new art X-Change series that drives global citizenship by bringing cross-cultural creative collaborations to life. The aim of X-Change is to harness the power of creativity to deepen the understanding of global justice issues, connecting the voices of young people around the world. GOAL NextGen has invited artists with different cultural backgrounds to create artworks for a multidisciplinary exhibition on the theme of ‘Belonging’. Three artists will create a piece of work in response to the question: ‘What makes you feel like you belong?’
Background: World Feels More Polarized than Ever
GOAL NextGen commissioned quantitative research* to inspire the art X-Change, exploring how people across Ireland feel about the subject of belonging. In the Republic of Ireland, citizens identified:
● The World Feels Increasingly Polarized: 67% agree that the world feels ‘more polarized than ever before.’
● A Need for Greater Acceptance: Nearly half, 45%, disagree that Ireland ‘accepts everyone for who they are’, highlighting the need for generating cultures of belonging.
● Creative Culture Drives Connection & Belonging: 80% agree that all people who call Ireland home deserve to feel like they belong here, and 82% agree that creative culture (songs, stories, art & food) helps people to connect with each other and overcome differences.
● A Belonging Age Gap: Older adults are more likely to say they feel like they belong, with 37% of those aged 35+ agreeing with the statement they feel like they belong. For those aged 18-34, this falls to 27% – over two thirds of this cohort don’t feel like they belong.
● What is Belonging to Irish people? The words used most commonly when asked about belonging were: community, family, friends, home, accepted, music, sports and local.
The 2024 X-Change
In 2023, the first GOAL NextGen X-Change connected people through a creative collaboration with the iTunes number #1 single Spark, a one-off production by global artists from Ireland, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Colombia.
This year, it launches an exhibition featuring three exciting global artists who will share work inspired by their personal reflections on belonging: spoken word Nigerian-Irish poet and performer, FeliSpeaks; Dublin based street artist & activist, Emmalene Blake and Turkish Illustrator & Animator, Mert Tugen. Their individual pieces will explore the theme of belonging through topics like cultural identity, heritage, community connections, inclusivity and diversity.
Event
This exciting mix of cultures, backgrounds and artistic mediums will be the centerpiece of an art X-Change event in Dublin. The one day public exhibition will premiere these timely works. It will also launch a special project on Belonging from GOAL NextGen programme participants around the globe. Young people from Honduras, Uganda and Zimbabwe will travel to Dublin to share their creative collaboration on belonging. The event takes place in Bootleg, Dublin 2, on Wednesday 18th September at 6pm, to come along RSVP to RSVP@thinkhousehq.com
Speaking about the event Victoria Walshe, GOAL Global Citizenship Manager had this to say: “At a time when people can feel disconnected and many people’s sense of home or belonging is being questioned, this year’s theme is one that resonates with so many young people across the globe. Whether migrants themselves or concerned citizens, there is a clear desire to take action on related challenges – from homelessness to refugee rights. I can’t wait to see what the artists will make, and what our Youth Programme participants from so many different countries have created. Engaging deeply with this subject helps us to nurture more caring cultures of connection. We are very grateful that this important work is made possible with the continued support of Irish Aid. The event also belongs to everyone – so come along!”
Speaking about their involvement in the GOAL NextGen X-Change, visual artist Emmalene Blake had this to say “I strongly believe in art as a powerful way of engaging people in conversations about important issues. Creating art that provokes conversations on social justice issues is important to me, so working with GOAL NextGen on this project was something I was excited about. Engaging the next generation of young people in global civil citizenship is so important to work towards a better world for all of us. The theme of Belonging can be a complex one – there are many different things that people feel gives them a sense of belonging. I hope my piece provokes some conversations and I’m happy to be in company with other exciting artists from different mediums and cultures.”
Discover more about GOAL’s NextGen Youth Programme’s mission here:
www.GOALglobal.org/youth/ or follow @GOALNextGen on Instagram for news.
