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IDEAL – Intercultural
Drawing for European Adult Learning – is a seven-fold partnership of
differing organisations aiming to establish and disseminate creative methods of
facilitating drawing for adult learners as a democratic form of inter-cultural
dialogue. IDEAL will transfer approaches that develop cultural expression,
social competences
and inter-personal skills with the rationale, proven in the UK by The Campaign
for Drawing, that drawing forms a:
Through mobilities and
interim activities in their own country, adult learners (visual arts
practitioners) will be trained to facilitate culturally themed drawing
workshops – ultimately benefiting well over a thousand adult learners during
the project. The impact of IDEAL will be sustained through disseminating best
practices as a toolkit, published concurrent with the project on partner
organisation websites, thus making the methodology available Europe-wide as an
innovative pedagogical approach to adult learning.
All partners are engaged in enabling adults, including older learners, to participate in approaches to culturally focused life-long learning. Whilst some partners specifically target vulnerable and marginalised social groups, all partners offer them opportunities for personal development and/or return to learning through their socially inclusive missions and on-going activities. Though markedly varied in scale, location, resources, institutional mission, and field or mode of operation, the organisations complement each other to form a strong partnership:
UK : The Campaign for Drawing
is an independent charity with a nation-wide remit to raise the profile of
drawing and to promote its use as a tool for thought, creativity, and social and
cultural engagement for everyone in all regions of the UK. Since it sees drawing
as a basic human skill that people can use in all walks of life, those who are
socially, educationally, culturally or economically disadvantaged are
automatically included in its scope. The Campaign operates in an advocacy and
facilitatory role, encouraging and enabling cultural or
educational organisations across the UK to engage in non-formal and in-formal
learning through its drawing programmes. ‚The Big Draw‘ is an annual
national event in October and involves many cultural organisations up and down
the country to organise and conduct open drawing workshops for members of the
public. ‚Power Drawing‘ is specifically educational and focuses on
developing drawing as a means of learning, particularly with regard to skills of
perception, communication, innovation and promoting active change. As the lead
partner in IDEAL, The Campaign for Drawing will involve trainee facilitators in
these programmes, but will also draw on its recent ‚Drawing Attractions‘
programme that explored drawing as a means of enhancing visitor experience at
heritage sites and historical buildings. The Campaign also works with the
‚Drawing Research Network‘, an on-line forum hosted by the Open University
whose Annual General Meeting will coincide with the first meeting of IDEAL,
enabling partner organisations to link with drawing research projects. For
IDEAL, The Campaign for
Drawing will co-operate with a number of national and regional cultural
organisations.
Ireland: Marino College of Further Education
is located in the waterside area and serves a disadvantaged sector of Dublin. As
a long established Further Education College, it provides a range of Post
Leaving Certificate vocational programmes for younger people but also
return-to-learning or access courses and life-long learning programmes for
vulnerable and marginalised adults. It is thus engaged in both formal and
non-formal learning. Given its location, the college has developed a strong
profile in providing for people who are economically, educationally or
personally disadvantaged, or have special learning needs. For the IDEAL project,
Marino College will collaborate with The LAB, a purpose-built facility for the
arts. As well as The Arts Office, The LAB includes a gallery and rehearsal
spaces that are used for exhibitions by emerging artists and to encourage
differing art forms.
Greece: Second Chance School
was founded under the auspices of the European Commission for Education &
Training as part of its Europe-wide programme to provide opportunities for young
adults who have not
completed their basic education. The school is located in Assos-Lechaio, a
coastal municipality close to Corinth centred on the town of Perigali, and is
attached to a larger cultural and educational centre (Institute of Constant
Adult Education IDEKE). It serves urban and rural areas, and has a strong focus
on adults who are educationally disadvantaged by not
completing their basic education. The goal is to combat exclusion from society
due to lack of education. The school provides a certificate, equivalent with a
junior high school degree, which helps adult learners to improve their
employment status and also provides them with knowledge they can use in their
everyday needs. The distinctive teaching method is
centred on personalised projects tailored to the needs of each individual, and
aims to engage learners in interactive learning as a means of confidence
building. The IDEAL partnership is with the IT and media section of the college,
who propose to work closely with the folk art and performance (dance and music)
sections of the parent cultural centre (NELE) in exploring innovative approaches
to drawing.
Czech Republic: Keramické Studio Jarmily Tyrnerové
s.r.o
is situated in Kohoutov, a rural town 130 km north east of Prague. It is
private organisation concerned with practice, education, and research in
ceramics, with a particular focus on exploring contemporary applications and
relevance of Czech national traditions in ceramic arts. Its formal, non-formal
and in-formal leaning programmes include re-qualification
courses for adult learners certified by the Czech Ministry of Education,
international symposiums and a potters in residence scheme, and life-long
learning programmes for adults. The objectives of Keramické Studio include
providing adults with pathways to improving competencies and knowledge, offering
return-to-learning opportunities, providing for vulnerable and marginalised
social groups, and developing innovative practices in adult education. Itself
housed in a heritage building, a Baroque former school, Keramické Studio will
co-operate for IDEAL drawing workshops with the nearby Baroque cultural complex
at Kuks. This comprises a spa, hospital, church, important Baroque sculpture
gallery, garden and wooded landscape, and is a designated UNESCO world
heritage site.
Hungary: Szépmüveszeti Múzeum
is the foremost fine art gallery in Hungary, of recognised international
standing with regard to the excellence and range of its collections and thus
offering outstanding opportunities for informal cultural learning. Located in
the centre of Budapest, it displays high quality examples of European art
including classical and Egyptian sculpture and European painting from the
Renaissance to the Twentieth Century. The museum houses a number of world famous
paintings by old masters, and there is a flourishing programme of international
quality temporary exhibitions. The Education Department comprises experts in all
the fields covered by the museum. It offers a comprehensive programme of
non-formal learning opportunities for adults, all aimed at promoting better
public understanding and appreciation of the visual arts and largely delivered
through lectures and gallery tours. Partnership in IDEAL therefore presents a
valuable opportunity for the Education Department to engage in innovative
creative practice as a means of enhancing cultural awareness and understanding
amongst adults. Though part of a significant cultural centre, the Education
Department will also link with other organisations in Hungary to identify the
trainee facilitators for the drawing it aims to undertake with the
partnership.
Germany: KulturLabor e.V.
is a non-profit making private organisation based in Berlin. Founded by museum
educators and artists, it promotes and enhances cultural learning through active
engagement in the arts.
KulturLabor develops projects for cross-generational learning within museum
settings. It promotes the flexible and innovative practice of drawing for adults
as a means of both life-long learning and engaging with cultural experiences. It
works with a range of museums, galleries and other cultural institutions. For
the IDEAL project, it will work with the Education Department of The Berlin
Museum of Natural History.
Portugal: Espaços do Desenho – Drawing Spaces
is the only partner that focuses wholly on exhibiting, researching and
conducting drawing activities. It is an informal and non-formal learning
facility run by artists and attached to a vibrant centre for contemporary
culture, Fábrico Braço De Prato. Located in the socially disadvantaged dock
area of Lisbon, this centre is a noted focus for innovative and forward
looking performances, literary activities and music with a strong interest in
cross-disciplinary ideas and action. It is popular with people of all ages and
from varied walks of life and socio-economic backgrounds, including local people
with low qualification levels. Drawing Spaces is a dedicated to drawing and has
developed an international reputation for the quality of its work. It has
organised international seminars and accommodated working residencies for
artists from across Europe. As part of its regular programme, Drawing Spaces
organises "Drawing on Sundays': workshops specifically for older people to
engage in drawing as life-long learning, so IDEAL will also enable some of its
young artists to employ their skills in facilitating drawing for adults. Though
continuing to works closely with Fábrico Braço De Prata as its parent
body, Drawing Spaces will also link for IDEAL with Fundaça~o Carmona
da Costa, a leading Lisbon gallery that promotes drawing exhibitions and
publications gallery.
There is thus a notable diversity amongst partnership organisations:
urban/rural, large/small, education/culture,
public/private/international/local, high culture/popular culture,
inclusive/targeted, etc. This will ensure that the approaches to drawing that
IDEAL will collaboratively develop, test and evaluate will be readily suitable
for Europe-wide dissemination and application.
In the period from October 1, 2006 to June 30, 2008, the CZ.04.1.03/1.1.08.3/3323 Requalification Project is being held at the Ceramics Studio for the positions of “Work with Ceramics” and “Ceramics Instructor”. This project is co-financed by the European Social Fund and the state budget of the Czech Republic.
In the framework of the project, 22 participants received a “Certificate of Requalification for Work with Ceramics” and the same number obtained a “Certificate of Requalification for the Position of an Instructor of Ceramics”. Throughout the project, the Ceramics Studio cooperated closely with the KAROlinka Trutnov mothers’ centre, where model programs for children and their mothers were tested. These programs and other ways of utilizing ceramics were summarized at a four-day conference entitled “Ceramics as a medium for developing creative abilities”.
We are preparing a project in the Grundtvig program for 2009, aimed at adult education. The project will be based on exchange of teaching experience with educational institutions in other countries of the EU. Cooperation was established in 2007 with the Centre National de la Céramique (www.cnifop.com) ceramics school; in 2008, we are cooperating with the Ceramics Atelier of the Department of Applied Art of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava and are addressing other partners.