On a journey with the ARTist Erasmus Project

Project Title

On a journey with the ARTist

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 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

Our project involved 6 European preprimary and primary schools from different countries: Belgium, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Romania and Spain. This project aimed to develop a framework for arts education to
strengthen the (inter)personal development of each child.That is why the partner organisations performed activities that contributed to the creation of a manual with art education based methods. During the project, the teachers exchanged good practises on different themes of art: craft, music, dance and drama. Per year, the teachers worked on one theme with their pupils. The teachers exchanged good practises; looked for new methods, tested them with their pupils and integrated them into the manual. The learning activities for children were a means for teachers to train each other in specific methods and to test these methods on the pupils. At the end of the 3 years, the teachers had access to a framework and an ‘arts education manual’ to develop a rich learning environment, where each child can reach its full potential. An important character in the project was the mascot Jan, who gave assignments to the pupils. There was also an extensive assignment that spanned over the 3 years. This culminated in a musical and dramatic performance of the musical, in every country, created by the conjugated effort of the children and teachers in the six partner schools.
The project aimed to explore, create and reflect on art in order to enhance the creativity of all our pupils by exposing them to new ways of learning. Learning artistic expressions lead to an increase of motivation and self-confidence, the development of an emotional intelligence and consequently a better starting point from (pre)primary level.
The main thread throughout our project was formed by the touring teddy bear Jan,who is an artist and interested in all kinds of arts. Each partner school has a similar teddy bear of their own as a mascot. He travelled virtually through Europe giving 14 assignments to the pupils of the 6 partner schools. The children were asked to carry out the assignments during the three-year project to assist Jan in his travels.
There was a creative assignment that spanned over the three years. This culminated in a musical and dramatic performance called ‘On a journey with Jan the Artist’ in each organisation using what they have explored, created, shared and learned during the three project years.
The assignments focused on the different aspects of Art: through painting,sculpture, printmaking, photography, music, dance and drama. It took the pupils, teachers and the school community to worlds and meanings that promote human nature and give people the opportunity to see life in a different way.
Children,teachers, parents and the local partners like museums, local artists and Art galleries were involved into our project. As we progressed through the project we encouraged the use of other European languages.
To intensify this process of getting to know each other and each others’ culture we organised 2 short term learning activities for pupils of the 5th and 6th grade of each partner school. Furthermore we wanted to enhance Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) through the project: motivating children and teachers to practice modern technology like tablets, eTwinning, Skype, different programmes on the computer, etc.
The main result is a manual for teachers with best practises on teaching and learning art. The manual focuses on skills of the 21st century as innovative thinking or out of the box thinking by means of art education.
During the project best practises were exchanged, based on the experiences of each partner school. These best practises were compiled in a manual with description of 21st skills, aims, activities, organisation, cooperation and communication.
This manual is intended for all the teachers from all partner schools and will be made available to other schools.
The child-centered elements of the project helped to develop new ways of learning for our children through creating the outputs in collaboration with one another.Teaching and learning methodologies used in their current practice were shared. The best practises were implemented into the classroom. Developing an artistic track was meant to help children to find hidden treasures and help them deal with personal success and failure. In order words, we invested in social capital for the future. Children were equipped with an extra set of competencies, which they were able to use in their school career (keeping motivated) and in their future life (life-long learning).

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 135450 Eur

Project Coordinator

GBS De Bosmier & Country: BE

Project Partners

• Muuruveden koulu
• Clubul Copiilor “Martha Bibescu”
• CEIP PLURILINGÜE VISTA ALEGRE
• ASTIKI SCHOLI 11TH OLOIMERO DIMOTIKO SCHOLIO CHIOU
• St. Josephs Primary School