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1. Fostering equality and young people involvement through cultural activities

2. Combating discrimination and poverty through cultural activities

Fostering equality and young people involvement through cultural activities

The government's emphasis on basic cultural provision promotes equal access to culture, and the goal of social inclusion is also present. The paradigm shift can be illustrated by the change in the training of youth workers. It used to be part of vocational training in higher education and belonged to the social sector. In 2017, after the introduction of youth specialisation of Cultural Community Coordinator BA (Közösségszervezés BA), it was assigned to the education sector of humanities with the explicit aim of shifting the perspective from the corrective approach to the preventive one, in which culture and the creation of inclusive communities play a key role.

Combating discrimination and poverty through cultural activities

The Public Education Strategy

The role of cultural activities in combating poverty appears in the Public Education Strategy 2021 - 2030 (Köznevelési stratégia 2021 - 2030) in two interrelated mentions. The strategy mentions the role of Arany János Talent Support Programme (see below) and emphasises the provision of personalised support 'for groups of pupils at risk of dropping out of school without qualifications (e.g. by using art education tools).'

Arany János Talent Programme

The role of cultural activities is also reflected in the talent development programmes. The most important programme is the Arany János Talent Programme (Arany János Tehetséggondozó Program) that 'enable disadvantaged students to study in good quality schools, and also focus on personal development alongside education'.

The programme covers the entire country with almost 3 000 students participating. It is based on a complex approach: the development process is supported by educational, cultural and social activities, for example, using drama pedagogy methods. The Educational Authority coordinates the programme, and the Ministry of Interior (Belügyminisztérium) is responsible for the funding. (For more information see sub-chapter 4.4.)

National Social Inclusion Strategy

The Hungarian National Social Inclusion Strategy 2030 (Magyar Nemzeti Társadalmi Felzárkózási Stratégia 2030), that includes the objectives of Roma inclusion, combating poverty and child poverty and has nine areas of intervention. The area 'youth affairs, childbearing, family formation and lifestyle' focuses mainly on employability, family planning and drug prevention. Culture as such is mainly linked to the area of 'Roma identity, community building, awareness raising, advocacy', where 'value-adding culture with Roma roots' is to be made more visible in order to create integrated communities. In addition, the strategy generally emphasises the role of cultural institutions in lifelong and non-formal learning. (For more information about the Social Inclusion Strategy see chapter 4. Social Inclusion)