Under the title “Saber ViVer juntos: um dilema da contemporaneidade (Knowing how to live together: a contemporary dilemma)“, a conference was held at the Universidad Federal Espírito Santo in Vitoria, Brazil in November 2023. A good opportunity for Rolf Laven to present the Erasmus+ project SLIDE in a keynote speech.

Laven spoke specifically about ‘Creative Engagement as a Learning Environment in the Artistic Encounter Zone Spalowskygasse/ SPA_LOW_SKY‘. With the participation of artists, schools and residents, an open artistic learning environment will be created in Spalowskygasse and on the Mariahilf learning campus. The artistic intervention, inspired by Rolf Laven, is presented as an innovative form of learning that uses the school space and employs service learning/engaged learning approaches. Based on cultural heritage and local history, methods are developed with different reusable materials. The artistic encounter zone initiates a public creative dialogue.

The proposal aims to broaden the circle of participants beyond the co-creators and the already established knowledge alliances (Erasmus+ research alliances ‘Rural 3.0_Service-Learning’; SLUSIK and SLIDE, as well as artistic, school and student teaching-learning alliances), and to create new synergies. The project concept envisages broad participation from the field of art and cultural production, school and university institutions as well as social institutions. In Rolf Laven’s lecture, these collaborative learning activities were presented. Furthermore, the potentials were propagated, the key words SL/Service Learning – Third Mission – Art & Participation (John Dewey) – Social Sculpture (Joseph Beuys) – Empowerment – Sustainability and Commitment were explained and the historically traditional symposium idea was explained with in more detail.