Performing Arts for Life Skills Erasmus Project

Project Title

Performing Arts for Life Skills

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: Inclusion – equity; Creativity and culture; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

The KA2 Strategic Partnership entitled ‘Performing Arts for Life Skills’ (PALS) between the Liceo Enrico Medi in Senigallia, Italy and the Lycée Joseph Savina in Tréguier, follows the successful European Quality Label eTwinning project, ‘News in Europe’ (https://sites.google.com/site/newsineurope) between the two schools in 2016. A strong working relationship was established which led to an efficient sharing of responsibility and a degree of respect which ensured the timely completion of individual tasks. This was an excellent foundation for additional collaboration. Moreover, the particular characteristics of our individual schools allowed us to work together and share our expertise in different fields: the Lycée Joseph Savina offers specialized courses in the Performing Arts, theatrical production and the Circus while the Liceo Enrico Medi specializes in the teaching of Modern Foreign Languages.The theatre was the vehicle for our project.
Our priorities were those of social inclusion and equity, creativity and culture and the teaching and learning of foreign languages. The 23 Italian student participants and their 26 French partners were all born around the year 2001 and are still in search of their paths in life, many of them still have to develop a sense of self-esteem and self confidence. PALS has enhanced their creativity, helped them acquire language and special life skills and taught them to appreciate the importance of tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality as common values for European Citizens.
In the course of its two-year life cycle beginning on 1 September 2017, the project included two transnational project meetings for key teachers and two learning/teaching/training activities for the students. The students performed two plays, the first in Tréguier and the second in Senigallia both in English and French in the local theatres before invited audiences. During the first year, there were also introductory activities to help participants learn about each other’s culture and about European ideals. The initial project meeting in France introduced the Italian teachers to the Performing Arts as a school subject and gave all the leaders the opportunity to plan and coordinate the year’s activities. The participants then began studying the play ’DNA’ by the British writer Dennis Kelly which deals with the alarming behaviour of a group of teenagers. Communication was facilitated by use of the eTwinning platform and allowed participants to share views on selected films and create speeches for their performance to give the victim a voice. The mobility of the Italian students in France was dedicated to the study of this drama and theatrical technique in specialised workshops, the final performance and cultural visits.

In the second year, during their second transnational meeting, the teachers worked together in Italy to plan the final parts of the project, take into consideration language needs while deciding on the script for the final production. It was decided not to deal with cyberbullying as originally planned but to focus on the problems facing young people facing particularly difficult family situations and their need for social inclusion and a normal life. The performance was based on the work ‘The Monster in the Hall’ by David Greig about a young girl who has to look after her sick father. The participants prepared ideas together in Twinspace on the eTwinning project: ‘Families: same problems,different solutions’and the concluding mobility included some language preparation, drama workshops, rehearsals, the final performance and cultural activities.
As well as improving their language skills, the participants performed together on stage in an inclusive group. They learnt about themselves and their own potential, understood the reasons for unsociable behaviour and developed new ways of interpreting the reality around them in order to prepare for their adult lives as tolerant, open-minded citizens.
The project, P.A.L.S. heightened awareness of the issues of inclusion on a local, regional and international level. Participants improved their language skills, discovered their creativity and improved their self confidence. Videos of both performances are available. The relationship created between the two schools will be further endorsed by another approved KA2 Erasmus+ project.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 95563 Eur

Project Coordinator

LICEO STATALE “ENRICO MEDI” & Country: IT

Project Partners

• LGT Joseph Savina