“(De-)Construction of media reality in the context of current migrations presented by film and on stage. ” Erasmus Project

Project Title

“(De-)Construction of media reality in the context of current migrations presented by film and on stage. “

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 Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Integration of refugees; Migrants’ issues

Project Summary

(De-)Construction of media reality in the context of current migrations presented by film and on stage.

In the course of estrangement of many people of the European ideas it was necessary to unite young people from different countries in order to strengthen the European idea together. Therefore it was necessary to also get acquainted with the “unknown” to meet the challenges together.
Different cultures meet in almost every European country e.g. because of wars in the Near East. Due to this fears arise, problems seem to be unavoidable and conflicts are inevitable.
The people were facing the question of what correct social intercourse and accepting each other needs to allow a peaceful living together in which economic fears were also integrated. It was an important reason for our group to talk about this problems.
The media also played an important role. The media communicate, depending on their focus, quite often apparently objective perspectives which sustainably influence the population and at the same time our students as the future generation.
In order to teach the students a critical contact with the topic of migration and to show them besides the problems the chances of a manifold living together, they are supposed to be sensitized by the project for the role of the media with reference to escape and expulsion. The focus is to make the project participants reach a self-reflection of the situation of the refugees, in particular in France and Germany (e.g. with a theatre performance). With the help of the project the fear of the population against foreigners and against racism can be prevented. The aim of the project is to show that humanity can be seen and felt here and that it is inevitable.
To reach the mentioned competences and aims a theatre class as well as students from the refugee class of the Reichenbach-Gymnasium Ennepetal and from a theatre class of the Lycée Gustave Eiffel are supposed to visit and/or accompany foreign im-migrants for a period of two years who have left their home countries alone or with their families during the last two years. The age of the participating students is between 14 and 17 years. In particular, it is the goal of the project to integrate the students of the refugee class in the project in order to mediate their experiences and to support the encounter within the school community. This is where the project team sees the chance to give examples of daily situations with the refugees to reflect their experiences to the fears caused in the media.
In order to find something out about the students’ background, the focus of the first year of the project will be put on research which will be filmed, documented and recorded. In this context, it is possible that students from the refugee class do interviews with other refugees and that they support their fellow students e.g. with translations.
An intensive, critical examination will start in the second year of the project with the classification and evaluation of the acquired materials. With the help of teachers and artists (e.g. theatre and authors) the materials will be exchanged, compared and put together in a theatre studio to a play of a documentation of the first year. In order to explain the main issue of expulsion and flight as displayed in the media to outsiders, the students are supposed to develop and perform theatre scenes from the documentary.
It is the aim to come to a deepening informative exchange about the current situation of migrants in Germany and France. A key question will be, which experiences the students have about the current migration situation in Germany and France, which they will document, and these experiences will be related to the situation shown in the media.
After a first visit of the partner country the students are supposed to transcribe the intended documentaries and in the second year to perform these on stage. In preparation for this, workshops (e.g. working at journalistic standards) will be offered by professional institutions. In addition to that the e-twinning platform will enable a constant exchange between the project partners and their experiences or working level. At the second visit of all participants in France, the results will be presented. The documentaries will be displayed and explained. Therefore, the material has to be shortened, amended or according to the agreement put together according to its key aspects, so that a theatre play with a documentary part can develop.
Starting in spring 2019 the first script will be rehearsed by all students and will afterwards be performed by the entire group in Germany and France.
In connection with the performance the evaluation of the entire project and the distribution of the results on various media and its sustainability will be important.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 66440 Eur

Project Coordinator

Städtisches Reichenbach-Gymnasium-Ennepetal & Country: DE

Project Partners

• LYCEE POLYVALENT GUSTAVE EIFFEL