International Observatory
Culture and Arts Education in conflict and Post-Conflict Context
The Art to Face Observatory is a collaborative platform dedicated to advancing knowledge and action at the intersection of arts, culture, and education in crisis and post-conflict settings. Bringing together researchers, artists, educators, and humanitarian actors, it maps emerging practices, documents local initiatives, and fosters dialogue across regions affected by war, displacement, or social fragmentation.
Anchored in the principles of the UNESCO Framework for Culture and Arts Education (2024), the Observatory promotes the recognition of artistic and cultural practices as essential components of inclusive, equitable, and quality education — even, and especially, in contexts marked by conflict, displacement, or reconstruction.
Its main objectives are to:
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Map and document emerging practices of arts and cultural education in crisis-affected contexts;
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Foster interdisciplinary research and cooperation among artists, educators, and humanitarian actors, etc.;
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Strengthen capacities through shared tools, resources, and creative methodologies;
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Advocate for the integration of culture and the arts into humanitarian, educational, and peacebuilding policies.
Through comparative research, creative methodologies, and advocacy, the Observatory aims to make visible the transformative role of arts in healing, resilience, and peacebuilding.
Thematic Working Groups
Art to Face operates through four Thematic Working Groups (TWGs) that bring together professionals from diverse regions and disciplines. Each group explores a specific dimension of arts and cultural education in crisis and post-conflict contexts, combining field experience, research, and creative collaboration.
Working group 1.
Artists & Cultural Interveners
This group explores the role, ethics, and creative strategies of artists, mediators, and cultural actors working in sensitive, unstable, or transitional environments. It highlights artistic autonomy, embedded practices, and the political or emotional risks of creating in crisis.
Working group 3. Memory, Heritage, Peacebuilding & Transitional Justice
This group connects cultural memory, artistic expression, and peacebuilding processes. It examines how the arts contribute to transitional justice, intergenerational transmission, and community healing in post-conflict settings.
Working group 2. Formal and Non-Formal Education (Culture and Arts Education)
This group investigates how arts and culture are integrated into formal and non-formal education systems, especially in emergency or post-conflict contexts. It connects teachers, NGOs, universities, and communities working toward educational resilience through the arts.
Working group 4. Protection, Trauma, Mental Health & MHPSS (Adults and Children)
This group focuses on the intersection between artistic practice, protection, trauma care, and psychosocial support (MHPSS) for both adults and children. It explores how the arts can support emotional resilience, healing, and safe expression in vulnerable contexts.
Together, these working groups form the living fabric of Art to Face — a space for dialogue, research, and creative action where knowledge and imagination meet to support resilience and social transformation.
Would you like to join the Observatory?
We welcome researchers, artists, educators, and humanitarian actors who wish to collaborate, share their experiences, or contribute to our collective mapping and reflection. Contact us to become part of the Art to Face Observatory and help strengthen the global dialogue on arts and cultural education in crisis and post-conflict contexts.