DIversity of CEramics Erasmus Project

Project Title

DIversity of CEramics

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Cooperation between educational institutions and business; Creativity and culture; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation

Project Summary

The project ‘ DIversity of CEramics – DICE’ was aimed to learn, develop and improve participants’ professional and transferable skills and competences. The secondary schools from Portugal, Latvia, France and the Czech Republic cooperated in creating, designing and handmade manufacturing different kinds of products from ceramic clays. Since the schools prepare students for their professional career, the activities were focused on aspects of diversity in the ceramic production in the European regions with various ceramic traditions and roots.

The main objectives concerning to the students and teachers were:
– supporting traditional handmade crafts = ceramics/pottery
– getting familiar with procedures and technologies used by manufacturing various kinds of products in partner schools and local factories
– improving professional and transversal skills which has an effect in their employability and increasing students´ chances in the labour market
– expanding creative minds and imaginations (2D + 3D ceramic compositions)
– improving skills for manufacturing and presenting the final products
– increasing students’ motivation to learn about cultures, both directly and by web-based tools
– helping students realize differences as well as similarities between partner countries related to their cultural, social and historical aspects that will enhance mutual understanding and
respect for individual cultures
– encouraging teachers of vocational subjects to introduce and develop new methods and techniques
– giving teachers who will promote ideas and goals of the project chances for working on cross-curricular activities
– developing the knowledge of English and ICT for communication as well as for specific purposes
– work and cooperation in international teams

About two hundred of participants (120 in international workshops) were involved in the project, most consisting of students (age 16-19) and their vocational teachers who planned, implemented, produced, assessed and disseminated activities and outcomes gained in the project. It was believed that the overall project team with the cooperation of the schools’ implementation teams and participants were able to achieve the goals and fruitfully accomplish all the activities and products planned in the proposal.
The activities in the project included various kinds of work. On one hand, the participants used IT tools (social networks, web research, presentations, videos and spreadsheet) for communication, work and presentation results of their outcomes using mother languages and English as Lingua Franca, on the other hand they designed, discussed different components of the procedure and finally handmade manufacture own ceramic products in national and international teams. They learned how to cooperate, communicate, suggest solutions or defend own ideas and imaginations in order to produce outcomes usable for their professional lives (videos, presentations, a fictitious ceramic business) as well as goods for exhibitions and ceramic teaching/learning.

Seven international workshops (the last one was cancelled due to Covid-19) with different kinds of ceramic clays and approaches were organized in the project. The host school which was responsible for preparation, organization and assessment of the workshop, made a schedule combining visits of cultural institutions and regional companies as well as work on the products. The participants introduced their ceramic traditions/history as well as curricula to the partners. Besides that they designed and manufactured ceramic products in the international teams. In addition they learned new techniques in practice by trying, doing and decision-making so significant in their future career. The contents of workshops depended on the host schools and they included different approaches to the clays like ceramic “sculptures” made from various casts, wall compositions of plates, using vegetables for making plaster moulds and traditional spa cups.

The project helped students and teachers to improve and enhance not only their professional and vocational skills but also transferable competences so important for their employability or entrepreneurship. Moreover, it made participants aware of belonging to a ceramic community at a local, regional, national and European level. The examples of the best practice were integrated into the schools’ curriculum so that have a long-term impact on preparation of present and future students.

Project Website

http://supskv.cz/erasmus/index.php/cesky/dice-diversity-of-ceramics/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 116892,6 Eur

Project Coordinator

Stredni umeleckoprumyslova skola Karlovy Vary, prispevkova organizace & Country: CZ

Project Partners

• Profesionalas izglitibas kompetences centrs “Rigas Dizaina un makslas vidusskola”
• LYCEE HENRY MOISAND
• Escola Artística de Soares dos Reis