GAIAC (Grupo de Acção e Intercâmbio Artístico e Cultural) has emerged from the work of some of its members who, over the last fifteen years, have developed work dynamics at European level with young people. Being part of the European network "Drums for Peace", it develops artistic and cultural projects with network partners and other local and international organizations.
It is a socio-cultural association based in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, consisting of teachers, trainers and young people, mostly young adults with international experience and especially motivated for volunteer and creative work. The main activities focus on European mobility projects, especially in creative areas, using the arts as an instrument of inclusion. Having a wide collaborative work with several municipalities and local authorities in the north of the country, especially in Vila Nova de Gaia, Gaiac has the youth as a target audience, from 15 to 30 years of age, giving young people the opportunity to participate in youth exchanges, and in the remaining activities there is only the minimum age of participation from the age of 18.
It also has an agreement with the António Sérgio group of schools, which is a partnership for youth exchanges and European Voluntary Service, in order to contribute to the promotion and contact between the different cultures and activities at a deeper level and at the same time providing a service of awareness of European Culture, using the arts as a form of social integration.
GAIAC has experience in organizing workshops and trainings, most of them with local artists and performers. In this specific field, the objective of this work is to include participatory methodologies, involving all types of people and including groups that suffer from social exclusion.
The members of Gaiac team are professionals from various artistic and social areas, contributing to a more profound and meaningful project organization and artistic formation in each activity.