Article
Over the past few decades Denmark has increasingly become an ethnically complex society, and as we move forward into an ever more globalized world, this complexity will only continue to increase. Despite this, Denmark predominantly operates as a monocultural society in which various normative measures are taken to reduce ethnic, cultural, and linguistic complexity. Social cohesion is prioritized above all else and, framed as under a discourse calling it a “struggle of values”, leaving little room for alternative “non-Danish” ways of being.
In partnership with ANIMOK, this action project provided a space to celebrate diversity and encourage youth to explore their cultural and ethnic roots. At the workshops, the fellows spoke to the students about their life experiences, their interests, and their cultural backgrounds. The children were asked to imagine themselves as the main characters in a film, providing an opportunity for them to tell their own stories and celebrate their backgrounds, culture, and heritage. After these brainstorming sessions the children created drawing of themselves which were then used to create an animated film, celebrating their life.
“When we began this project, I was concerned with the amount of commitment that we would experience from the children. We knew that it would be a lot of work for them, to stay concentrated for two full days, as a lot of tasks had to be completed. When… we began the workshop… I was positively surprised by their engagement level. Both children had so much fun with all their ideas, and it was inspiring.” – Majken Kiaby
“This project has been a great learning experience for me and I hope to be able to continue working on this project, hopefully by receiving some funding or expanding the collaboration with ANIMOK.”- Kaila Bolton