International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation

Yehudi Menuhin, one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century, created the International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation in Brussels in 1991 as an international non profit making association set up by royal decree. His vision was to give life to long term projects, with the aim of giving a voice to the voiceless through artistic expressions under all its forms. The task the International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation undertakes is to remind the political, cultural and educational institutions of the central place of art and creativity in all the processes of personal and societal development. Taking Yehudi Menuhin’s Legacy as a source, it initiates artistic projects that share the voices of different cultures in Europe. This endeavour is realised in several fields of action, supported by different programmes:

art at school: the MUS-E® programme introduces art in primary schools to develop children’s creative powers and release their creative potential, thus preventing violence and racism through fostering harmony and a sense of aesthetics from the earliest age. Implemented in 13 countries, MUS-E® now involves around 50,000 children from 523 primary schools, thanks to the support from the European Union and many national and regional governmental authorities and partners. Over 1,000 artists take part in the programme. Lord Menuhin’s wish was that all children could sing and dance at school every morning.
art and intercultural dialogue: An important mission of the International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation is to raise awareness, recognition and inclusion of cultural minorities. We act as an ambassador for underrepresented groups, ensuring their voices are heard at European level. The Assembly of Cultures of Europe (ACE) is one of the ways we promote intercultural dialogue. Today new partnerships are established with cultural experts, minority advocacy groups, artists, diverse associations or institutions in their field of action (education, social, environment) which combine their activities and generate a thorough reflection in the platform created around the Assembly of Cultures. Lord Menuhin’s wish was that all cultural groups could have real access to European authorities and that European institutions could give all cultural groups the practical opportunity of expressing themselves.
art on stage: artistic promotion worldwide. Thematic multicultural concerts unite the voices of several cultures through music, singing or dance. Alongside Stéphane Grappelli, Ravi Shankar, Marcel Marceau or Miriam Makeba, to mention but a few, Yehudi Menuhin used to introduce us on stage to the soul of a range of cultures through their musical expression. He knew how to find the words of the heart, creating a magic space within which we were all united. It is this spirit that the International Foundation strives to perpetuate today by organising an annual concert or artistic event illustrating intercultural dialogue on stage. These multicultural events of the IYMF carry a strong message based on tolerance and understanding, which is also anchored in a wider reflection on intercultural dialogue.

ACTIVITIES/DOWNLOAD
Brochures or press kits or other communication stuff
leaflet IYMF (zip file)
EUROPEAN PROJECTS
META – Minorities Education Through Arts
The META project is financed by the EU’s Erasmus+ programme. META is a partnership of five partners covering four countries: Belgium, Germany, Italy and Spain. Its aim is to advance the eradication of barriers that cause inequity in European education systems.

E-ARTINED
A web based course for teachers on: How to use Art in Education considering Social Inclusion and with a special focus on Art in Nature. The work will be finished and evaluated by September 2018.

Arte para la motivación

Art4Rom
The Art4ROM project aims at fostering intercultural dialogue, mutual understanding and social inclusion among children (both Roma and non-Roma) aged between 5-10, by using an innovative educative methodology based on the practice of the arts in school and non-school environments