Inclusion through Art – A Creative Dialogue
As part of an inclusive school project in cooperation with museum gugging, students engaged creatively with the themes of identity, inclusion, and art.1. Getting to Know Each Other
Am 11. März 2025 im BRG Tulln sowie am 14. März 2025 in der Mittelschule St. Andrä-Wördern startete das gemeinsame Schulprojekt in Kooperation mit dem museum gugging. Zur Vorbereitung wurde schon im Februar 2025 eine Expertin eingeladen, um gemeinsam mit dem Museumsteam das inhaltliche Konzept sowie den Ablauf des Projekts zu entwickeln. Julia Haimburger ist Kunstvermittlerin und beschäftigt sich seit vielen Jahren mit dem Thema Inklusive Museumsarbeit.
Julia Haimburger führte die Schüler*innen mit einem schülerfreundlich aufbereiteten Vortrag in das Thema Inklusion ein. Was heißt Inklusion? Woher kommt der Begriff, wer ist betroffen, und wie zeigt sich Ausgrenzung im Alltag? Durch anschauliche Grafiken und konkrete Beispiele wurde das abstrakte Thema greifbar gemacht. Anschließend gestalteten die Teilnehmenden individuelle Skizzen- und Notizhefte, in denen sie im Laufe des Projekts Gedanken, Eindrücke und Ideen festhielten.
2. What Makes Me Who I Am?
The project unfolded in several stages of engagement with the topic. We wanted to show the students that every person has a multifaceted personality and that many traits, feelings, hobbies, fears, and more are not visible at first glance. Therefore, the children were asked to create a self-portrait: one half showing how they see themselves, and the other half composed of their interests, emotions, traditions, and more.
Surprisingly, this task was the one they spent the most time on during the entire project. The joy they experienced while working on their self-portraits was especially evident. This deep engagement with their own identity reflected their age-related phase of self-discovery and was perceived as particularly valuable. Each portrait turned out to be highly individual and expressive.
This experience has inspired us to incorporate a similar task into the planning of our regular school programs.
3. Getting to Know the Artists from Gugging
Museum Gugging is not only idyllically located between forests and fields but is also a very special place of encounter. Through regular visits, the students got to know artists who create their work on-site. One group visited the atelier gugging, where some artists showed their current projects and shared their sources of inspiration.
After the studio visit, the students worked in groups to create posters exploring the theme of “US – Me in the Group.” Photocopies of class photos were cut up and reassembled into a whimsical “student salad.” During this process, the artists observed the students and admired their creativity.
It was wonderful for the art education team to witness how quickly prejudices, fears, and other barriers were broken down. We asked the students whether they now viewed the artworks in the museum differently after seeing the artists at work. The answer was a clear yes. They said they could now better recognize the materials and techniques used and better understood what we meant when we talked about dynamics, flow, or delicacy in a line. That made us laugh.
4. Organizing an Exhibition
We decided to display the finished works. The goal was not just to present them but to make the results of the process visible in an organized, careful, and clear way. Hanging the artworks was already an important part of the reflection process.
We asked the students to write one or more sentences about what they had experienced, discovered, or learned. Because these statements were so honest, we decided to use them as the exhibition description.
The results were displayed for a week in the art lab workshop space, visible to all visitors. During this week, students and their families and friends had free admission to the museum. We were delighted that this offer was well received.
5. Sustainability and Outlook
Based on our experiences, we will adapt our ongoing school programs. A central focus will remain on exploring the self, as this is especially important for children and adolescents aged 10 to 14. Topics such as portrait and self-image may become a fixed part of the program.
When selecting methods, we ensure that creative techniques can be implemented quickly and feel familiar to the children. This reduces frustration and fosters a sense of achievement. The alternation between table work and large-scale floor projects was particularly well received – movement and a change in perspective positively influence concentration and creativity.
The methods tested during the exhibition for teaching artistic techniques in small groups also proved effective. The direct engagement with the question “What is art?” left a lasting impression on many students and will remain a central component in the future. The combination of artistic practice, critical thinking, and social learning aims to make the school group program a valuable contribution to youth education.
Supported by external expertise and with a strong focus on inclusion, museum gugging creates a space where young people can experience that everyone has a place – in art as in society.
6. Thank You
A heartfelt thank you goes to the teachers who made the journey to visit us at the museum multiple times and always welcomed us warmly into their classrooms.
We sincerely thank the students for their willingness to participate, their joy in making new experiences, and their many creative ideas that continue to inspire our work as art educators.
We thank Julia Haimburger for her expertise, inspiration, and tireless advocacy for equality.
We also thank OEAD for their financial support and the wonderful guidance and advice provided through the culture connected 2025 funding program.