LEAVING HOME, COMING HOME. AN INTERNATIONAL 6 COUNTRIES EUROPEAN PROJECT

From 2015 in our school we are developing an international project funded by UE to make students aware of migration in our countries. The team is formed by secondary and vocational schools from Darmstadt (Germany), Kraków (Poland), Istanbul (Turkey), Bacău (Romania), Agde (France) and Barcelona.

We have decided to point out several subprojects related to each other which will all lead to an anthology film in the end. This project takes this cooperation one step further and combines now the content of our topic, not only didactical or methodological cooperation: We will cover Europe from Spain to Turkey, in a way, we are representing all kinds of European strategies to deal with the challenge of migration. This is also the reason why we decided to stay together, even in a huge group of six partners which is not easy to coordinate. We will have the unique chance to get an overview over European strategies and to get in touch, understand and hopefully solve misunderstandings related to mentality. Our common film will reflect on this but be different from other film productions, because it will be based on the idea of an anthology film (also known as an omnibus film, package film, or portmanteau film). This is a feature film consisting of several different short films, often tied together by only a single theme, premise, or brief interlocking event (often a turning point). Each one is directed by a different director, these directors will be international teams of our European schools.

Another important aspect has been the formation of European consciousness, the development of mutual respect and the acceptance of cultural diversity. This has been supported by the establishment of a European Club that has taken place at various occasions, it has also played an important part during the times when students meet in reality.

In Spain different student’s groups have been involved. E.g. one group will carry out the project 4 in touch with a German group. Eventually, another group will find the Spanish UK migrants. In all cases the students were from the first level of "Batxillerat". Some parts of the project may be integrated into the general curriculum.

Spain, as project 4 coordinator, has launched the ancestor research: The participants with migrant backgrounds in both countries have examined their own families/circle of friends and acquaintances. They have provided maps, portraits, genealogical trees and creative shoots on family lives.

Our main products are a short film (22 minutes), three Micro Theatre plays, a board game about the refugee’s way across Europe and several pedagogical materials using to present and work this issue to the students. We are working now in a web page as well.

The dissemination of our project by our film will be coordinated: A campaign on this has been developed during the last meeting in Kraków (march-2018). We hope that the impact of the project goes beyond the participants who are directly involved and adds an educational perspective to the curricula. We will then reflect on methods to disseminate our ideas via our film and work out a campaign to go on. This Conference should be one of the main ways.