Partners
Dundalk Institute of Technology; Artesis Plantijn Hogeschool Antwerp, Belgium; Stord Haugesund University College, Norway
Project Description and Outputs
This project explored Creative and Aesthetic and learning processes involving the integration of creative, arts-based methods in learning. The project involved a multi-disciplinary approach and students from a variety of backgrounds participated. The multi-disciplinary nature of the project allowed for interesting results and collaborations among students and teachers. As part of the project students participated in three intensive periods in Ireland, Norway and Belgium. During each of these visits students engaged in a number of workshops across disciplines such as music, drama, art, film and storytelling. Students prepared workshops and facilitated workshops for students in local primary and secondary schools in each country. The facilitation of workshops in a country where the primary language was not English was a challenge for many of our students. A European Dimension was achieved by allowing IP students to experience learning in “real” schools in other countries, to experience communication in other European countries However, it was an opportunity for our students to explore how one could use artistic and creative methods to communicate with the school children. During each visit students visited a number of cultural and historical sites in each country. Such visits acted as an inspiration to our students when devising their workshops and also the material for the final performance. The project had a learning, social, network and idea-generation impact on all those involved. The learning impact was the realization of the students’ capacity to create transversal learning environments in which inspirations from several fields may be used to build exciting, creative and aesthetically unique learning platforms across borders.
For the intensive programme hosted by DkIT, over the two-week period, students took part in workshops covering multiple aspects of the creative arts, including improvisation, sound, film, drama, creative practices, art, song and dance. Particular emphasis was placed on Irish traditional song and dance, as students learned how to play the tin whistle and how to ceilí dance. During the second week, students arranged presentations, which they delivered to groups of students from two local secondary schools, St. Louis’ Secondary School and St. Vincent’s Secondary School. A trip to the cities of Dublin and Belfast was also featured on the itinerary, giving the students a chance to observe and study Irish culture in two of the country’s most prominent metropolitan areas.
The three colleges collaborated on a creative performance, which included elements of art, drama, dance, film, music and photography, staged for the public in the MacAnna Theatre on the final day of the course. Students who participated in the programme felt that it helped them enhance a range of skills including their organizational, performance and communication skills, as well as boosting their self-confidence. The diverse mix of students brought a wide variety of thoughts, ideas and perspectives to the table, which encouraged students to be open-minded and to consider ideas from a number of different aspects. During the process, the students became aware of cultural contrasts, varying perspectives and different ways of encountering and interacting with the world around them. As an exploration of creative thinking, the performance demonstrated how their experiences shaped their creativity, as they were challenged to keep an open mind and explore creative opportunities.
