Artistic Directors Development – Upskilling Project for Choral Educators Erasmus Project

Project Title

Artistic Directors Development – Upskilling Project for Choral Educators

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 : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

The project “ADD UP – Artistic Directors Development – Upskilling Project for Choral Educators” aimed at the development of substantive skills and transversal competences of artistic directors, choral conductors and choral coaches dealing with formal, non-formal and informal musical education. ADD UP involved organizations from four countries (France, Italy, Poland, UK) which are active in culture and education sectors. The project contributed to the enhancement of the participants’ skills thanks to the exchange of experiences between highly professional, experienced educators and less experienced, young choral directors and coaches. The project included short-term training activities for participants, organized in all countries of the partnership: these international workshops ensured peer learning activities and hands-on experiences. The Strategic Partnership, thanks to its international dimension brought an essential added value enabling an exchange of experiences between participants presenting different cultural approaches to the choral music, a profound analysis of different types of choral music from the project countries and presentation of their subjective perceptions, and by these means an improvement of intercultural skills, cultural awareness and cultural intelligence. The possibility of work in international group boosted social competences of the participants, notably flexibility, freedom from prejudice, handling stress, self-confidence, sense of belonging and, last but not least language competences and digital competences. After the workshops the participants received the certificates and updated their Europass CV and Language Passports.
ADD UP involved also other, less direct and indirect target groups:- choral conductors and educators from collaborating organisations (about 80 educators) – choristers from ensembles and choirs collaborating with the participating organisations and project’s participants were involved in the activities at all stages off the project. (over 300 choristers) – people from other indirect target groups – formal and informal partners of participating organizations, including professional and amateur choristers, artistic education providers, cultural centres organizing artistic events in the local communities, stakeholders interested in the development of the cultural sector, standards raise and it’s educational offer (about 100 persons). The international trainings enabled the cooperation with several ensembles of different sizes and characteristics (i.e. mixed adult and children choirs, male and female choirs) which were involved in the practical activities during the workshops including rehearsal practice with choirs and open concerts open to the public. As the role of the musical directors and coaches in the choir is to serve as a high-profile, enthusiastic advocate of choral music, the goal of the peer-learning method integrated into the project aimed also at improving the capacities to inspire and energise. The practical workshops included also several concerts open to the public. These concerts were a good occasion to disseminate the project idea and it’s results. During the concerts video and audio recordings were created and then watched and commented providing professional tips.
The local activities combined online consultation activities and self-paced learning on the theoretic material and practical work with local choirs active within the participating organizations. Between the transnational trainings, the choristers worked with the participants of the project on a specially selected repertoire. The project contributed to a strengthening of the participating organisations by developing their potential and educational offer but the acquired competencies and the pedagogical methods exchanged and practiced during the project lifetime will be adaptable not only in the partner organizations but also easily shareable with other cultural organizations active in choral education.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 59625 Eur

Project Coordinator

Fulltura – Stowarzyszenie Form Twórczych & Country: PL

Project Partners

• 20,000 Voices
• INSIEME VOCALE VOX CORDIS ONLUS
• Ensemble vocal les Affinités Electives