Fostering equality and young people involvement through cultural activities

Culture is also used to promote equality and encourage young people’s involvement in social and civic life. Participation in cultural activities is understood as a form of engagement that supports agency, expression and inclusion, particularly for young people whose voices may be underrepresented in formal decision‑making structures.

Cultural participation provides young people with opportunities to express individual and collective identities, engage with diversity and participate in shared spaces of meaning‑making. Through artistic creation, cultural projects and community‑based initiatives, young people can explore social issues, negotiate perspectives and contribute to public discourse. These processes support learning about democratic values, pluralism and mutual respect in experiential ways.

Youth involvement through culture is often facilitated by youth organisations, youth workers and cultural mediators, who create participatory formats and inclusive environments. Such initiatives prioritise involvement over consumption and encourage young people to take active roles as creators, organisers or contributors, rather than passive audiences.

At policy level, equality and participation are promoted through alignment between cultural and youth policies, recognising cultural activity as a pathway to engagement and empowerment. While cultural participation alone does not guarantee equality, it is seen as a supportive context for developing civic competences, strengthening social bonds and fostering a sense of belonging.

In this sense, culture operates as a space of participation and empowerment, contributing to young people’s involvement in community life and reinforcing inclusive and democratic practices at local level.

Combating discrimination and poverty through cultural activities

In Portugal, culture is increasingly recognised as a complementary policy instrument for addressing social exclusion, discrimination and socio‑economic vulnerability among young people. Cultural activities are not used as substitutes for social or economic policies, but as supportive mechanisms that can foster participation, visibility and social interaction, particularly in disadvantaged contexts.

Cultural initiatives addressing discrimination and poverty are most often implemented at local and community level, where cultural activities are integrated into broader educational, social or youth‑oriented interventions. These initiatives frequently target young people living in economically vulnerable territories, young people with migrant backgrounds, and groups at risk of social exclusion. Through artistic expression, collective creation and cultural participation, such projects offer spaces where young people can articulate experiences, build confidence and establish social ties.

Schools, youth organisations and local cultural institutions play a central role in this approach. School‑linked cultural projects contribute to inclusion by ensuring that participation does not depend on family resources or prior cultural capital. Community‑based cultural initiatives, often supported by municipalities, prioritise accessibility, low‑threshold participation and collective engagement over artistic performance or professionalisation.

At national level, institutions responsible for youth, citizenship and integration policies support cultural activities that promote dialogue, intercultural understanding and social cohesion. In this context, culture is framed less as an end and more as a facilitating environment for inclusion, learning and encounter. While such initiatives may not directly address material poverty, they contribute to mitigating its social effects by reducing isolation, strengthening participation and fostering recognition.

Overall, the use of culture to combat discrimination and poverty in Portugal is characterised by indirect, preventive and community‑based approaches, embedded within wider social and educational policies rather than standalone cultural programmes.