Looking back at Reimagining Education through the Arts: Building Skills, Inclusion and Communities
On June 22, the International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation (IYMF) held a high-level event at the European Parliament.
Hosted by MEP Marcos Ros Sempere (CULT Committee), the event brough together voices from EU Institutions, civil society, and international organisations:
- MEP Marcos Ros Sempere, host and member of the CULT Committee
- Georg Häusler, Director for Culture, Creativity and Sport in the European Commission (DG EAC)
- Luigia di Gisi, Liaison Officer for Sciences at UNESCO Brussels Liaison Office to the EU
- Brikena Xhomaqi, Director of the Lifelong Learning Platform The Lifelong Learning Platform
- Leo Kilroy, Education and Skills Attaché to Ireland’s Permanent Representation to the EU
- Marianne Poncelet, IYMF Executive Vice-President
- Alexandra Paatsch, MUS-E® Deutschland Managing Director and International MUS-E® Council Chair
The speakers discussed the positive impact of arts education on young people, investments in the Erasmus+ programme, and new learning methods, among other topics. We also had the chance to present our oganisation and the MUS-E® Programme through examples of projects in Germany and a short video projection with contributions from all the MUS-E® countries.
Such a stimulating discussion naturally sparked questions and comments. The session concluded with an interactive Q&A, giving the audience the opportunity to contribute to the conversation. Participants included representatives of civil society, Member States, MUS-E delegates, artists, policymakers, and people interested in cultural and education policy.
Following the roundtable, the event continued with a live artistic performance by two IYMF Artists Ambassadors, singer and MUS-E artist Barbara Valentino from Italy and the Belgian guitarist Quentin Dujardin — a musical moment that embodies the very values we have spent the afternoon discussing, in a journey through the Mediterranean. Their repertoire focused on folk songs sang in different languages and dialects, belonging to the tradition and heritage of the area.
The event closed with a networking reception near the European Parliament, bringing together speakers and participants in a convivial setting.
An in-depth recap of the speakers’ interventions, as well as the full photgallery of the event, will be published shortly.
This event was organised by the International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation in collaboration with the office of MEP Marcos Ros Sempere, powered by TreeTop and co-funded by the European Union.
