EUCOM-E

EU-COM-E: European Circular Online Museum – Engaging in Communities

The European Circular Online Museum – Engaged in Communities (EU-COM-E) is a collaborative project designed to empower artists, designers, and community facilitators to use creative practices as a catalyst for social inclusion and environmental sustainability. By merging the principles of the circular economy with community-based art, the project addresses the professional isolation of creatives and the systemic barriers faced by marginalized groups across Europe.

The Approach: Art as a Tool for Social Change

EU-COM-E moves beyond traditional art exhibition by treating the act of education and social engagement as an artistic process in itself. The methodology is built on four pillars:

Community Reporting: Using participatory storytelling to amplify the lived experiences and needs of marginalized communities.

Experiential Learning: Providing hands-on workshops where participants reflect on and experiment with artistic tools for social care.

Design Thinking: Ensuring that all project solutions remain user-centered and responsive to real-world community challenges.

Theory of Change: Applying a strategic logic to ensure that every artistic intervention leads to measurable societal impact.

Key Project Activities

The project implementation is structured into several interconnected phases:

1. Needs Assessment: Collecting stories and mapping “Good Practices” of circular art used in education and social inclusion.

   Capacity Building: Developing nine new training modules for the Circular Online Museum platform to equip creatives with digital, pedagogical, and social skills.

   European Open Call: A two-stage call for proposals inviting artists and educators to design innovative mini-projects for their local contexts.

   Art Residencies: Hosting winners in Berlin, Paris, and Potenza to co-create inclusive art actions with at least 15 local participants per location.

   Digital Innovation: Expanding the Circular Online Museum platform into a transnational hub for co-creation, hosting digital galleries, and providing technical support for artists’ digital presence

Expected Impact

EU-COM-E aims to foster a shift in how art is perceived—not just as an aesthetic object, but as a driver for the Green and Digital Transitions. Short-term results include enhanced digital literacy and project management skills for artists, while long-term goals focus on building a sustainable European network of “change-makers”. By engaging with partners in Ukraine and North Africa, the project also reinforces international solidarity and cultural dialogue.

The Partnership

The project is implemented by a consortium of three experienced organizations:

CRN (Germany): Project coordinator and specialist in participatory community development.

COTA (France): Expert in visual storytelling and social integration strategies.

Il Salone dei Rifiutati (Italy): A social cooperative specialized in upcycled art and environmentally conscious artistic practices