Bridging Differences Through Music Erasmus Project

Project Title

Bridging Differences Through Music

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 school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Creativity and culture; Disabilities – special needs; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

In this project we use the power of music to establish our own inclusive and cohesive European community. We include all kinds of people, with different abilities, disabled, gifted and talented, because everyone must play an active role together to be future citizens of Europe. We bring together Spanish children from the standard primary school, disabled students from Poland and Romania, young gifted and talented musicians from Turkey and adult musicians and members of the Italian association. We found a way to integrate them all and we made them create many new and distinctive things through music. As the understanding of the social, emotional and physical needs of different individuals can vary and especially people with disabilities face the threat of social isolation, we wanted them to acquire a little more social identity, mutual respect and skills needed to interact with other people.
Regarding European priorities, the project was based on intercultural experiences such as cultural diversity and international understanding. Teachers and members of the association shared and exchanged their experiences and practices to develop educational and social skills by sharing ideas, tasks, knowledge and materials. The students had abundant opportunities to develop social skills while interacting with each other. That promoted their self-confidence, cooperation and acceptance skills. The participants also increased the use of ICTs. We met special musical instruments that can be developed or produced for people with disabilities.

ORGANIZATIONS:
CEIN MONTERO DE ESPINOSA; Almendralejo, Spain. (Coordinator) It is an educational center for primary and pre-primary that has approximately 400 students from 3 to 12 years old. Our curriculum is adapted to the peculiarities of our autonomous region and with some characteristic elements such as regional, national and European identity.
Isparta Bilim sees Sanat Merkezi (TURKEY). Isparta Art and Science Center is an informal school that offers extra-curricular and educational activities for gifted and talented students to study art and music.
Centrul Scolar pentru Educatie Incluziva Cluj-Napoca (ROMANIA). The institution offers educational services for children with severe and moderate intellectual disabilities, learning difficulties and motor problems and autism spectrum disorders.
ZESPOL SZKOL SPECJALNYCH NR 8 (POLAND). It is a special school for 210 children from 6 to 23 years old with different types of physical and mental disabilities.
Associazione Culturale “AccordiAbili” (ITALY): It is a non-profit organization whose main objectives are to develop new technologies that allow people with disabilities to play a musical instrument or engage in any creative activity.

The most important activities have been:
Show me your rhythm: the partners shared their rhythms and the others played these rhythms.
Each partner presented their national anthems.
Present your instruments: each partner presented the instruments of their countries.
Sing my song with your instruments: each partner sent an original music without lyrics. The other partners wrote a verse in their own language for one of the topics where they shared their feelings.
Story of your songs: presentation of a song and its story to the other members and sing one of the songs shared.
Show me your dance: presentation of dances and their music and dance steps. These dances were performed and adapted to their own song.
The partners made a digital album of traditional dresses.
Each partner prepared a video saying “All we need is love”.
Main singers of Folk: each partner presented the most important popular singers of their country and their music.
Music has no barriers: prepare a presentation of musicians with disabilities from their countries.
My spiritual relaxing music: introduction of relaxing, instrumental or religious music and its instruments.

We made use of musical practices in the form of presentations, videos, social networks, advertisements, posters, brochures in order to learn and compare different lifestyles. We also created our own Love and Peace songs and played together during common concerts. In addition to cultural events and public exhibitions, we created an electronic book of our project songs, a calendar and DVD with songs for dissemination purposes.

All partners shared the same need to integrate their participants with different types of skills, strengths and backgrounds that enriched the scope of the project. All participants acquired lifelong skills establishing this inclusive society.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 135761 Eur

Project Coordinator

CEIP MONTERO DE ESPINOSA & Country: ES

Project Partners

• Centrul Scolar pentru Educatie Incluziva Cluj-Napoca
• ZESPOL SZKOL SPECJALNYCH NR 8
• Sehit Polis Mehmet Karacatilki Bilim ve Sanat Merkezi
• ACCORDIABILI