o.p.e.n.

o.p.e.n. – Outreach between Prison, Expression & Neighbourhoods

O.P.E.N. is a partnership between Passo Positivo and Mauern Öffnen e.V., Germany, that explores how art can bridge the experiences of incarceration, reintegration, and community life.

What is o.p.e.n.?

O.P.E.N. is the result of a collaboration between two European organizations with complementary areas of expertise: artistic practice in prison settings and community work focused on inclusion and participation.

Through art, creative expression, and the sharing of experiences, the project seeks to bridge the gap between prison settings and communities and society at large.

We want to promote new ways of understanding inclusion, reintegration, and a sense of belonging, by recognizing people deprived of their liberty and those affected by incarceration as members of their communities.

The project is based on a central question: How can art help bring people, correctional facilities, and the neighborhoods where life takes place closer together?

Over the course of 18 months, we will share knowledge, engage in artistic and reflective activities, and explore ways to strengthen the ties between prisons and society.

Objectives

  • Promote inclusion

    Strengthen the sense of belonging and combat stigma and social exclusion.

  • Valuing artistic expression

    Explore art, creativity, and storytelling as tools for reflection and dialogue.

  • Building Bridges

    Bring prison-based work closer to communities and neighborhoods.

  • Sharing knowledge

    Develop skills, share experiences, and create practices that can be used by other professionals.

What do we do?

  • We organize learning opportunities between Portugal and Germany, featuring the sharing of experiences and joint reflection on artistic work, inclusion, and the relationship between prisons and the community.

  • We organize activities that combine art, storytelling, writing, and reflection. These activities help explore themes such as belonging, exclusion, reintegration, and the relationship between people and the places where they live.

  • We work with artists, educators, and professionals involved in prison and community settings to identify the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for an inclusive, ethical, and responsible artistic practice.

  • We document the project’s lessons learned, experiences, and materials to make them available to professionals, organizations, and communities through digital media and public initiatives.

Who is o.p.e.n. for?

  • Artists and educators: professionals who are currently engaged in or intend to engage in artistic work with people in prison or reintegration settings.

    Prison and reintegration service professionals: people interested in new approaches to expression, learning, and inclusion.

  • Social organizations: entities that work with communities, vulnerable groups, and social participation.

  • People deprived of their liberty and those affected by incarceration: they benefit indirectly from the development of artistic practices that are more inclusive, respectful, and community-oriented.

  • Communities and the general public: people interested in better understanding the relationships between prisons, society, and community life.

Structure of the 5 pillars

  • To value different life experiences and use art to challenge stigma and marginalization.

  • To encourage people's active participation in artistic, narrative, and reflective processes.

  • To explore how artistic work in a prison setting can foster connections with neighborhoods and community life.

  • To reflect on belonging, citizenship, responsibility, and reintegration through creative expression.

  • Identify the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to work in an inclusive and responsible manner with people who are incarcerated, in the process of reintegration, or at risk of incarceration.

Project Timeline

Phase 1

Months 1-6
Learning and Building a Network

Online meetings, sharing of best practices, and the development of a competency profile for professionals and educators who work through art.

Phase 2

Months 7-12
Sharing experiences in the field

Exchange programs and in-person workshops in Germany and Portugal, exploring the challenges and opportunities of artistic work in prison and community settings.

phase 3

Months 13-18
Turning Learning into Resources

Developing practical recommendations, sharing results, and carrying out outreach and public dialogue initiatives.

Expected results to share

  • An O.P.E.N. competency profile for professionals and educators who use artistic practices with people deprived of their liberty, those in the process of reintegration, or those at risk of incarceration.

    A European learning network, with participants from different European Union countries, to promote the sharing of experiences and cooperation.

  • Practical resources and recommendations to help artists, organizations, prison systems, and community groups develop artistic activities in an inclusive, ethical, and responsible manner.

    Artistic, narrative, and methodological materials, including stories, reflections, and examples of best practices.

  • Opportunities for public dialogue in Portugal, Germany, and online, to highlight lessons learned and encourage reflection on the relationship between prisons and the community.

O.P.E.N. Outreach between Prison, Expression & Neighbourhoods is a cooperation project between Passo Positivo (Portugal) and Mauern Öffnen e.V. (Germany). Duration: 18 months. The project is being carried out as part of an Erasmus+ partnership.

O.P.E.N. Outreach between Prison, Expression & Neighbourhoods Erasmus+ KA2 Adult Education Small Scale Partnership No. 2026-1-DE02-KA210-ADU-000463413