Arts for Future Erasmus Project

Project Title

Arts for Future

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 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Creativity and culture; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy

Project Summary

This project has been developed due to the actions taken by young people all over Europe to speak out for the protection of the environment. The movement “Fridays For Future” is a serious claim of the young. The youth is more than ever willing to support environmental beneficial activities. As political and social/environmental decisions are taken and influence the life of the young, this project helps the youth to get into contact with political institutions, authorities, groups of interest and individual citizens to state their opinion and take influence. Students are willed to take on responsibility/make changes for a more sustainable life. It´s their claim and energy for sustainable practices which needs to be supported. It´s not enough for the young to just talk. They want to take action, too. This goes in line with the goal set by the EU to be the first climate neutral continent by 2050. The European Green Deal set by the European Comission in 12-2019 is an integral part to implement the United Nation´s 2030 Agenda and the sustainable development goals for which education is a central element.
There are six partner schools (Germany, Spain, Greece, Sweden, Croatia, France) participating. Most pupils taking part in the project actively are between 14 and 18. Those with financial and social obstacles are given priority.
To achieve the project´s objectives art functions as the fundamental common tool. The students set a sign/warning by creating together impressive pieces of art out of waste. This will allow them to be heard even once the voices get silent i.e. the project is finished. With upcycling products and artefacts out of used material students take action. The artifacts are sold at events held in school/the community and the money is donated to charities to complete the three dimensions of sustainability. Additionally the making of all upcycling products are put as video tutorials on the common project website so that the idea of the project is spread and that there is the opportunity for everybody to learn and reproduce. Creating the video tutorials on the upcycling products and the film documentaries on the impressive pieces of art students improve their IT skills. Throughout the project students learn how to make use of technological/digital tools responsibly and creatively and work with the potentials of digitalisation. BYOD (Bring your own device) is used where meaningful and bound up in the IT-systems of schools to support the learning experience. Participants try out new digital applications and gain hands-on experience. Media literacy and media skills are focused on when the Street Art event is planned, organized and started (action learning) . With the use of social media platforms the idea is spread widely. Students enhance their media appearance, learn about dangers, to reflect and think critically but also train their communication capabilities in order to strengthen and add value to their communication style (constructivist learning).
Right from the beginning pupils of all nations create a common website and a logo for the project. There is a logo competition done in each school and the winning logo is digitalized (competitive learning). The logo is used for all dissemination processes. Two surveys are done among the international participants to examine their attitudes towards the environment/their CO2 footprint. In the discussions following the results are examined and solutions for a more sustainable friendly living collected. The ideas are noted down in an ebooklet on “50 easy things you CAN do to save the environment”. Therein included is an agenda on plastic free event management, a list of “climate recipes” and sustainable foods and practical tips on how to get new clothes by setting up a textile market. To get backgound knowledge on the topic presentations are done on the more abstract term of sustainability, the use of plastic in Europe, on sustainable textile industry and on the link of food and climate change (peer education). Podcasts including interviews done (inquiry based learning) on sustainable clothing, the use of plastic and sustainable living in the Alps are also put on the common website as all the other results are. When doing the project´s activities the students enhance their language skills and learn intercultural competences.
Collaboration with professional artists, cooperatives, art galleries, municipalities and further authorities take place and support the students´ work on the project (cooperative learning) as professional advice is given. Additionally the participants investigate on cultural aspects of all the cultures involved when contributing to a photo exhibition, an exhibition on national artists, visiting museums and taking part in guided tours on Street Art.
As all the results are available on the common website and the eTwinning platform a wide range of people learn about the project´s idea and can get inspired to live a more sustainable life.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 197346 Eur

Project Coordinator

Gymnasium Bad Aibling & Country: DE

Project Partners

• IES TIRANT LO BLANC
• Hålabäcksskolan
• 3 Geniko Lykeio Galatsi
• PROVENCE FORMATION
• Gospodarska skola Varazdin