Valorising Artist-led Innovation through Citizen Engagement

Project Information

VOICE

Grant agreement ID: 101135803

DOI

10.3030/101135803

EC signature date 10 November 2023

Start date 1 January 2024

End date 31 October 2026

Funded under

• Digital, Industry and Space

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 1 034 521,25

Coordinated by

INOVA+ - INNOVATION SERVICES, SA
Portugal

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - VOICE (Valorising Artist-led Innovation through Citizen Engagement)

Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The VOICE project addresses the urgent need to support sustainable social and environmental change by leveraging the unique role of artists as drivers of innovation, community engagement, and dialogue. In a world facing complex ecological challenges, VOICE harnesses artistic creativity combined with digital technologies to foster new ways for citizens, industry, and policymakers to collaborate in developing green and digital solutions that are socially inclusive and regionally relevant.

Context and Objectives
Environmental sustainability demands innovative, multi-stakeholder approaches that combine knowledge from diverse fields. VOICE operates at the intersection of art, technology, and society, promoting what is called Art-Technology-Society Interactions (ATSI). The project empowers artists to lead community-engaged interventions that act as catalysts for sustainable change. Underpinned by an Inclusive Design methodology, VOICE builds a Community of Practice (CoP) connecting artists, communities, industry partners, academia, and local governments across Europe. The project aims to:

- Understand the landscape of artistic, technological, and community practices related to sustainability.

- Develop frameworks and toolkits to support artist-led interventions.

- Pilot and scale ATSI schemes that engage communities in co-designing solutions to environmental and social challenges.

- Build capacity through training and knowledge-sharing platforms.

- Promote policy dialogue to embed these innovative practices into sustainable governance frameworks.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Since the project started in January 2024, VOICE has made significant progress across all its objectives:

- Landscape Mapping and Community Building: VOICE completed extensive ecosystem mapping and established a vibrant Community of Practice, providing a solid foundation for the project’s activities.

- Artist Engagement Framework: Through inclusive selection processes and tailored mentoring programs, VOICE successfully onboarded artists who bring diverse approaches to community engagement and technological integration.

- Pilot ATSI Schemes: The pilot phase tested artist-led interventions with communities, refining methodologies for mentoring, evaluation, and operational workflows. This phase helped clarify flexible and context-sensitive definitions of community, improved artist onboarding processes, and developed reflective tools to articulate research methodologies.

- Capacity Building and Digital Resources: VOICE is working on the digital knowledge platform to share knowledge, methods, and ATSI project insights, supported by a capacity-building program offering workshops and training.

- Scaling and Deployment: Building on pilot lessons, VOICE is scaling up interventions with a larger group of artists, embedding continuous feedback loops, clearer mentoring structures, and improved evaluation tools.

- Policy and Stakeholder Engagement: The project has fostered connections with other European initiatives and regional governments, promoting policy frameworks that support socially engaged artistic innovation.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

VOICE is pioneering a new model of socially engaged, artist-led innovation that integrates arts, digital technology, and community participation to tackle sustainability challenges. The project’s impact is expected to:

- Empower communities to actively co-create solutions to ecological and social issues.

- Strengthen networks linking artists, industry, academia, and policymakers, accelerating knowledge exchange and collaborative innovation.

- Influence sustainable governance by embedding artistic approaches into policy dialogues and decision-making.

- Promote inclusivity by engaging underrepresented communities and broadening stakeholder diversity.

- Support long-term cultural and social transformation through sustained Community of Practice activities and scalable ATSI frameworks.

- Enhance digital interoperability and accessibility of knowledge resources to maximize outreach and impact.

By combining creative practice with technological innovation and community engagement, VOICE aims to inspire new pathways for resilient, sustainable societies across Europe and beyond.