IDEAL
Intercultural Drawing for European Adult Learning
August 2009 - July 2011
LIFE LONG LEARNING PARTNERSHIP: GRUNDTVIG
1. Summary
IDEAL – Intercultural Drawing for European Adult Learning – is a partnership of seven widely differing organisations aiming to disseminate a democratic approach to inter-cultural communication and cross fertilisation. They will collaboratively develop innovative methods of drawing that encourage adults to engage in creative life-long cultural learning. The IDEAL project, is based on the rationale, proven in the UK by The Campaign for Drawing, that drawing forms a:
1. Visual activity, transcending verbal barriers, and encouraging cross-cultural collaboration
2. Cultural expression that adults can practice, explore, celebrate, and share with others
3. Link between ideas and action, encouraging personal initiative and the capacity to take risks
4. Creative learning method, enabling adults to understand, develop and extend their capabilities
5. Powerful means of developing self-confidence, enabling individuals to take their place in society.
IDEAL will support seven partnership visits and interim activities in each country enabling learners (visual arts practitioners training as facilitators of this approach to drawing) to collaborate in drawing sessions for adult learners focusing on cultural themes. IDEAL will produce a methodological toolkit, published through partner organisation websites during the two-year project, to disseminate the results of IDEAL to other facilitators in cultural and educational organisations.
1. Visual activity, transcending verbal barriers, and encouraging cross-cultural collaboration
2. Cultural expression that adults can practice, explore, celebrate, and share with others
3. Link between ideas and action, encouraging personal initiative and the capacity to take risks
4. Creative learning method, enabling adults to understand, develop and extend their capabilities
5. Powerful means of developing self-confidence, enabling individuals to take their place in society.
IDEAL will support seven partnership visits and interim activities in each country enabling learners (visual arts practitioners training as facilitators of this approach to drawing) to collaborate in drawing sessions for adult learners focusing on cultural themes. IDEAL will produce a methodological toolkit, published through partner organisation websites during the two-year project, to disseminate the results of IDEAL to other facilitators in cultural and educational organisations.
2. General context of each organization involved
All partners are engaged in enabling older learners and other adults, as defined by Grundtvig, to participate in approaches to culturally focused life-long learning. Whilst some partners specifically target people who are disadvantaged through disabilities, or economic or personal difficulties, all include such groups through their socially inclusive approaches. These approaches, though markedly varied in scale, location, resources, institutional mission, and field or mode of operation, complement each other to form a strong partnership:
UK : The Campaign for Drawing is an independent charity with a national 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. 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 other cultural or educational organisations through its various programmes to engage in open and highly flexible approaches to drawing. ‘The Big Draw’ is an annual national event in October and involves many cultural organisations across the UK organising drawing sessions for the public. ‘Power Drawing’ is more educational and focuses on developing drawing as a means of learning, particularly with regard to skills of perception, communication, innovation and active change. As the lead partner in IDEAL, The Campaign for Drawing will seek to involve trainee facilitators in these programmes, but will also draw on its recent experience of ‘Drawing Attractions’, a programme aimed at using drawing to enhance visitor experience of heritage sites and historical buildings, and its current interaction with ‘Drawing Research Network’, an on-line forum whose Annual General Meeting will coincide with the first meeting of IDEAL in the UK. For IDEAL.
Ireland: Marino College of Further Education College is located in the waterside area and serves a disadvantaged area of the 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 adults. 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.
Greece: Second Chance College 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 living in severely disadvantaged regions. The college 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. As such, it serves notably disadvantaged urban and rural areas with high proportions of young adults who are socially marginalised or unemployed. The college therefore has a strong focus on adults who are educationally disadvantaged by not completing their basic education. 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 link 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 in exploring innovative approaches to drawing.
Czech Republic: Keramiké Studio Jarmily Tynerové s.r.o is situated in Kohoutov, a rural town 130 km north east of Prague. It is private foundation 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 programmes include re-qualification programmes 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 Keramike Studio include providing adults with pathways to improving competencies and knowledge, offering return-to-learning opportunities, providing for vulnerable social groups, and developing innovative practices in adult education. Itself housed in a heritage building, a Baroque former school, Keramike Studio will co-operate for IDEAL with the nearby Baroque cultural complex at Kuks. This is comprises a spa, hospital, church, important Baroque sculpture gallery, garden and wooded landscape, and is a designated UNESCO world heritage site.
Hungary: Szépmüveszti Múzeum is the foremost fine art gallery in Hungary and of recognised international standing with regard to the excellence and range of its collections. 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, which is the IDEAL partner, comprises experts in all the fields covered by the museum. It offers a fully comprehensive programme of public activities, for adults as well as children, all aimed at promoting a better understanding of the visual arts. These are largely delivered through lectures, and tours and focus on art appreciation. IDEAL therefore presents a valuable opportunity for the museum to engage in accessible creative practice as a means of enhancing cultural awareness and understanding. Though itself forming a significant cultural focus which will be central to the IDEAL visit to Hungary, the Museum of Fine Arts Education Department will link with other organisations in Hungary to identify the trainee facilitators for the drawing it aims to undertake with the partnership.
Germany: Initiative Zweichen bewegt ! ( ‘Initiative’ and ‘!' are both parts of the legal name) is a non-profit making private organisation based in Berlin. Founded by artists, it is comparable to The Campaign for Drawing in the UK and with a similar mission, though its field of operation is at present more localised. It promotes the flexible and innovative practice of drawing for adults, amongst others, as a means of both life-long learning and engaging with cultural experiences. It works with a range of museums and galleries and, for the IDEAL project, will be working with the Education Department of The Berlin Museum of Natural History.
Portugal: Associação Espaços do Desenho - is the only partner who is itself already fully engaged in producing and exhibiting drawings. It is an artist-run research and exhibition facility attached to a vibrant cultural centre, Fábrico Braço De Prata, located in the dock area of Lisbon. Housed in a former arms factory, the 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 particularly popular with young adults from all walks of life. 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’ specifically for groups of older people to engage in drawing as a means of self-development and discovery. In this, its activities directly parallel those promoted and encouraged by The Campaign for Drawing, and part of the IDEAL agenda will be to compare the two approaches through feedback from adult learners’ involved. IDEAL will also form a valuable means of training some of its young artists to engage in facilitating the drawing of adult learners. As part of an arts complex, the 'Fábrica Braço de Prata, Drawing Spaces is already integrated in a large cultural centre, with which it collaborates. (http://www.bracodeprata.net/contactos.shtml)
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 they collaboratively develop, test and evaluate will be readily suitable for Europe-wide dissemination and application.
UK : The Campaign for Drawing is an independent charity with a national 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. 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 other cultural or educational organisations through its various programmes to engage in open and highly flexible approaches to drawing. ‘The Big Draw’ is an annual national event in October and involves many cultural organisations across the UK organising drawing sessions for the public. ‘Power Drawing’ is more educational and focuses on developing drawing as a means of learning, particularly with regard to skills of perception, communication, innovation and active change. As the lead partner in IDEAL, The Campaign for Drawing will seek to involve trainee facilitators in these programmes, but will also draw on its recent experience of ‘Drawing Attractions’, a programme aimed at using drawing to enhance visitor experience of heritage sites and historical buildings, and its current interaction with ‘Drawing Research Network’, an on-line forum whose Annual General Meeting will coincide with the first meeting of IDEAL in the UK. For IDEAL.
Ireland: Marino College of Further Education College is located in the waterside area and serves a disadvantaged area of the 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 adults. 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.
Greece: Second Chance College 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 living in severely disadvantaged regions. The college 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. As such, it serves notably disadvantaged urban and rural areas with high proportions of young adults who are socially marginalised or unemployed. The college therefore has a strong focus on adults who are educationally disadvantaged by not completing their basic education. 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 link 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 in exploring innovative approaches to drawing.
Czech Republic: Keramiké Studio Jarmily Tynerové s.r.o is situated in Kohoutov, a rural town 130 km north east of Prague. It is private foundation 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 programmes include re-qualification programmes 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 Keramike Studio include providing adults with pathways to improving competencies and knowledge, offering return-to-learning opportunities, providing for vulnerable social groups, and developing innovative practices in adult education. Itself housed in a heritage building, a Baroque former school, Keramike Studio will co-operate for IDEAL with the nearby Baroque cultural complex at Kuks. This is comprises a spa, hospital, church, important Baroque sculpture gallery, garden and wooded landscape, and is a designated UNESCO world heritage site.
Hungary: Szépmüveszti Múzeum is the foremost fine art gallery in Hungary and of recognised international standing with regard to the excellence and range of its collections. 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, which is the IDEAL partner, comprises experts in all the fields covered by the museum. It offers a fully comprehensive programme of public activities, for adults as well as children, all aimed at promoting a better understanding of the visual arts. These are largely delivered through lectures, and tours and focus on art appreciation. IDEAL therefore presents a valuable opportunity for the museum to engage in accessible creative practice as a means of enhancing cultural awareness and understanding. Though itself forming a significant cultural focus which will be central to the IDEAL visit to Hungary, the Museum of Fine Arts Education Department will link with other organisations in Hungary to identify the trainee facilitators for the drawing it aims to undertake with the partnership.
Germany: Initiative Zweichen bewegt ! ( ‘Initiative’ and ‘!' are both parts of the legal name) is a non-profit making private organisation based in Berlin. Founded by artists, it is comparable to The Campaign for Drawing in the UK and with a similar mission, though its field of operation is at present more localised. It promotes the flexible and innovative practice of drawing for adults, amongst others, as a means of both life-long learning and engaging with cultural experiences. It works with a range of museums and galleries and, for the IDEAL project, will be working with the Education Department of The Berlin Museum of Natural History.
Portugal: Associação Espaços do Desenho - is the only partner who is itself already fully engaged in producing and exhibiting drawings. It is an artist-run research and exhibition facility attached to a vibrant cultural centre, Fábrico Braço De Prata, located in the dock area of Lisbon. Housed in a former arms factory, the 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 particularly popular with young adults from all walks of life. 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’ specifically for groups of older people to engage in drawing as a means of self-development and discovery. In this, its activities directly parallel those promoted and encouraged by The Campaign for Drawing, and part of the IDEAL agenda will be to compare the two approaches through feedback from adult learners’ involved. IDEAL will also form a valuable means of training some of its young artists to engage in facilitating the drawing of adult learners. As part of an arts complex, the 'Fábrica Braço de Prata, Drawing Spaces is already integrated in a large cultural centre, with which it collaborates. (http://www.bracodeprata.net/contactos.shtml)
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 they collaboratively develop, test and evaluate will be readily suitable for Europe-wide dissemination and application.
3. Objectives
For its two years of operation, IDEAL has four concrete and measurable objectives:
1. To train a minimum of 35 visual arts professionals to become drawing facilitators, and in so
doing to provide a minimum of 200 adult learners with an immediate opportunity to engage in
creative life-long learning through drawing
2. To actively engage trainee facilitators with a social range of European cultural values and capital
3. To electronically communicate the results of IDEAL in the form of a readily available ‘toolkit’
These objectives will respectively address the following:
1. The practice of drawing encourages acceptance of change, promotes creativity and develops
problem solving. Though an undervalued means of ‘learning to learn’, it is readily
transferable to wider social, economic and personal fields. Purposely making marks with various
materials is a universal practice, and therefore everyone has the potential to benefit from
more innovative forms of drawing as life-enhancing and culturally rich processes of
expression, communication and understanding.
2. If drawing is to be a flexible and adaptable means of life-long cultural learning, it needs to be
guided by people who are trained in the skills of facilitating the development of others through
the practice and demonstration of open, innovative, adaptable, questioning, and cross-
disciplinary methods. Unlike subject orientated teaching, facilitation is centred on learners by
enabling them to creatively explore their own directions in an informed and critical manner.
3. Learning through creative practice can be seen as an exclusive activity reserved for those with
‘talent’. Widespread communication, sharing good practice, showing products and – above all-
disseminating the methods involved serve to re-shape drawing as a universally accessible
learning process applicable to an infinite variety of circumstances.
The objectives will be achieved respectively through the following approaches:
1. This approach forms the core feature of the IDEAL project. Trainee facilitators will acquire, adapt and develop methods of facilitating drawing. Initially, they will work with adult learners with experienced facilitators participating in The Big Draw (Oct 2009). This is a national annual event
organised by The Campaign for Drawing during which British cultural institutions (museums,
galleries, historical buildings, libraries, cultural centres or heritage sites and covering arts, sciences and technologies) offer open drawing sessions to members of the public. At six subsequent IDEAL visits, trainee facilitators will collectively learn how to adapt and share their acquired skills and methods through working with the host partner’s adult learners. The issue of language differences will be approached through team work with trainee facilitators from the host nation and through using demonstration and illustration as learning and teaching methods. Between visits, trainee facilitators will apply their international experiences in developing individual approaches to facilitated drawing through working with adult learners in their own organisations, reporting back on their experiences, either directly, or through staff, attending subsequent partnership meetings.
2. Following the pattern established through The Big Draw, trainee facilitators will conduct drawing
sessions at IDEAL partnership visits in locations that strongly reflect the national culture of the
host partner. The host organisation will collaborate with a local cultural centre, if necessary.
Themes, approaches, subjects, materials and other features of the drawing activities will thus
connect directly with specific cultural artefacts, experiences and values of differing countries and
regions, enabling trainees to experience, understand celebrate the differences and similarities
involved.
3. On-line dissemination of IDEAL results will enable audiences Europe-wide to access best
practices, case studies, product images, methods and techniques throughout the two-year
project. Together, these results will form a ‘tool-kit’ that each partner will place on their own
organisation’s website with links to those of other partners, in accord with agreement at
partnership visits and employing a common template. Dissemination would be maximised
through the accumulated thousands of hits on partner websites, avoiding the high cost of
designing and maintaining a project-dedicated website with more limited access. This network of
well-used existing web-sites will help sustain the impact of IDEAL long after the conclusion of
its two year duration.
1. To train a minimum of 35 visual arts professionals to become drawing facilitators, and in so
doing to provide a minimum of 200 adult learners with an immediate opportunity to engage in
creative life-long learning through drawing
2. To actively engage trainee facilitators with a social range of European cultural values and capital
3. To electronically communicate the results of IDEAL in the form of a readily available ‘toolkit’
These objectives will respectively address the following:
1. The practice of drawing encourages acceptance of change, promotes creativity and develops
problem solving. Though an undervalued means of ‘learning to learn’, it is readily
transferable to wider social, economic and personal fields. Purposely making marks with various
materials is a universal practice, and therefore everyone has the potential to benefit from
more innovative forms of drawing as life-enhancing and culturally rich processes of
expression, communication and understanding.
2. If drawing is to be a flexible and adaptable means of life-long cultural learning, it needs to be
guided by people who are trained in the skills of facilitating the development of others through
the practice and demonstration of open, innovative, adaptable, questioning, and cross-
disciplinary methods. Unlike subject orientated teaching, facilitation is centred on learners by
enabling them to creatively explore their own directions in an informed and critical manner.
3. Learning through creative practice can be seen as an exclusive activity reserved for those with
‘talent’. Widespread communication, sharing good practice, showing products and – above all-
disseminating the methods involved serve to re-shape drawing as a universally accessible
learning process applicable to an infinite variety of circumstances.
The objectives will be achieved respectively through the following approaches:
1. This approach forms the core feature of the IDEAL project. Trainee facilitators will acquire, adapt and develop methods of facilitating drawing. Initially, they will work with adult learners with experienced facilitators participating in The Big Draw (Oct 2009). This is a national annual event
organised by The Campaign for Drawing during which British cultural institutions (museums,
galleries, historical buildings, libraries, cultural centres or heritage sites and covering arts, sciences and technologies) offer open drawing sessions to members of the public. At six subsequent IDEAL visits, trainee facilitators will collectively learn how to adapt and share their acquired skills and methods through working with the host partner’s adult learners. The issue of language differences will be approached through team work with trainee facilitators from the host nation and through using demonstration and illustration as learning and teaching methods. Between visits, trainee facilitators will apply their international experiences in developing individual approaches to facilitated drawing through working with adult learners in their own organisations, reporting back on their experiences, either directly, or through staff, attending subsequent partnership meetings.
2. Following the pattern established through The Big Draw, trainee facilitators will conduct drawing
sessions at IDEAL partnership visits in locations that strongly reflect the national culture of the
host partner. The host organisation will collaborate with a local cultural centre, if necessary.
Themes, approaches, subjects, materials and other features of the drawing activities will thus
connect directly with specific cultural artefacts, experiences and values of differing countries and
regions, enabling trainees to experience, understand celebrate the differences and similarities
involved.
3. On-line dissemination of IDEAL results will enable audiences Europe-wide to access best
practices, case studies, product images, methods and techniques throughout the two-year
project. Together, these results will form a ‘tool-kit’ that each partner will place on their own
organisation’s website with links to those of other partners, in accord with agreement at
partnership visits and employing a common template. Dissemination would be maximised
through the accumulated thousands of hits on partner websites, avoiding the high cost of
designing and maintaining a project-dedicated website with more limited access. This network of
well-used existing web-sites will help sustain the impact of IDEAL long after the conclusion of
its two year duration.
4. Partnership and distribution of tasks
All partnership staff, including the co-ordinator, will be actively involved in managing, monitoring, sustaining and publicising the project by being responsible for :
1) Liaising with his or her organisation to host one IDEAL partnership visit. Alongside in-visit travel and accommodation for other partners, this includes devising drawing sessions in which their own or local adult learners will work with partnership trainee facilitators. They will ensure that these sessions operate in a cultural context provided by themselves, or in a local cultural centre with whom they have negotiated a working link
2) Attending all partnership visits, personally or as appropriately delegated, as a means of maintaining the momentum of the project, regularly contributing to monitoring and review, actively contributing to formal project reports, and ensuring continuous contributions to the toolkit.
3) Ensuring that some drawing activities conducted by their organisations between project visits sustain, reflect and interact with project activities, and that the results are reported at the next project meetings for potential inclusion in the tool-kit
4) Making arrangements for the toolkit to be translated into their language, if necessary, and for it to be placed on the website of their own organisation; also, taking every opportunity to alert all forms of the media to the activities of IDEAL.
In addition, partnership staff will take on specific roles for IDEAL:
UK – in addition to co-ordinating IDEAL, The Campaign for Drawing will set the character and methodology of the project at the first partnership visit, and promote IDEAL through its network of cultural and artist communities in the UK
Greece – having the requisite skills, this partner will draw up a template for website pages and advise the partnership of its functions and maintenance, during the first three months of the project
Czech Republic – with 2009 as year of both Czech leadership and the year of culture in the EU, the Czech partner will investigate, and if possible, arrange opportunities for specific publicity in the early months of the project
Hungary – having a strong international profile in its field, this partner will explore opportunities for IDEAL to become embedded in the educational activities of more national galleries and museums
Germany -
Ireland – as part of a statuary educational institution, this partner will explore ways of introducing the IDEAL methodology into mainstream teaching and learning in post-compulsory education
Portugal – with the strongest interest in drawing practice, this partner will investigate opportunities for dissemination of IDEAL activities and outcomes to artist communities and research networks
1) Liaising with his or her organisation to host one IDEAL partnership visit. Alongside in-visit travel and accommodation for other partners, this includes devising drawing sessions in which their own or local adult learners will work with partnership trainee facilitators. They will ensure that these sessions operate in a cultural context provided by themselves, or in a local cultural centre with whom they have negotiated a working link
2) Attending all partnership visits, personally or as appropriately delegated, as a means of maintaining the momentum of the project, regularly contributing to monitoring and review, actively contributing to formal project reports, and ensuring continuous contributions to the toolkit.
3) Ensuring that some drawing activities conducted by their organisations between project visits sustain, reflect and interact with project activities, and that the results are reported at the next project meetings for potential inclusion in the tool-kit
4) Making arrangements for the toolkit to be translated into their language, if necessary, and for it to be placed on the website of their own organisation; also, taking every opportunity to alert all forms of the media to the activities of IDEAL.
In addition, partnership staff will take on specific roles for IDEAL:
UK – in addition to co-ordinating IDEAL, The Campaign for Drawing will set the character and methodology of the project at the first partnership visit, and promote IDEAL through its network of cultural and artist communities in the UK
Greece – having the requisite skills, this partner will draw up a template for website pages and advise the partnership of its functions and maintenance, during the first three months of the project
Czech Republic – with 2009 as year of both Czech leadership and the year of culture in the EU, the Czech partner will investigate, and if possible, arrange opportunities for specific publicity in the early months of the project
Hungary – having a strong international profile in its field, this partner will explore opportunities for IDEAL to become embedded in the educational activities of more national galleries and museums
Germany -
Ireland – as part of a statuary educational institution, this partner will explore ways of introducing the IDEAL methodology into mainstream teaching and learning in post-compulsory education
Portugal – with the strongest interest in drawing practice, this partner will investigate opportunities for dissemination of IDEAL activities and outcomes to artist communities and research networks
4. Cooperation and communication
Experience has shown that the most effective way of ensuring partnerships achieve their objectives is to plan regular personal contact between all partners. Whilst some matters can be resolved through e-mails and telephone conversations, such meetings are more direct and can more easily address any misunderstandings that might arise. There is also the added value of opportunities for social and cultural bonding that can be key factors in the success of a project.
Starting with the distinct advantage of four partners (UK, Ireland, Greece and the Czech Republic) having already collaborated at a Grundtvig contact seminar (Besancon, Nov 2008) and Hungary, Germany and Portugal being already known to The Campaign for Drawing through exchange visits, co-operation and communication is systematically built into the structure of IDEAL.
For the purposes of conducting the project, monitoring it, and achieving its main objectives,
the IDEAL partnership will meet seven times during the two years. As the activity core of the programme, meetings will comprise project mobilities hosted by each partner in turn (schedule at Section 6 below). Visits will naturally vary, but normally would be of four days duration (two days for IDEAL activities and two days for travel) and will normally include the host organisation making arrangements for:
- participants’ in-visit travel, accommodation and subsistence
- trainee facilitators to work with adult learners from the host organisation in drawing sessions,
and to share, compare and evaluate their experiences
- staff to meet, reporting back on activities between visits, monitoring project operation,
modifying it - if necessary, evaluating progress towards achieving objectives, and preparing
reports as appropriate
- staff and trainee facilitators to meet together, share results of their separate meetings, and
agree on material to be placed on websites
- public exhibitions or display of drawing session products, if possible
- cultural and social interaction by staff and trainee facilitators attending the visit
Starting with the distinct advantage of four partners (UK, Ireland, Greece and the Czech Republic) having already collaborated at a Grundtvig contact seminar (Besancon, Nov 2008) and Hungary, Germany and Portugal being already known to The Campaign for Drawing through exchange visits, co-operation and communication is systematically built into the structure of IDEAL.
For the purposes of conducting the project, monitoring it, and achieving its main objectives,
the IDEAL partnership will meet seven times during the two years. As the activity core of the programme, meetings will comprise project mobilities hosted by each partner in turn (schedule at Section 6 below). Visits will naturally vary, but normally would be of four days duration (two days for IDEAL activities and two days for travel) and will normally include the host organisation making arrangements for:
- participants’ in-visit travel, accommodation and subsistence
- trainee facilitators to work with adult learners from the host organisation in drawing sessions,
and to share, compare and evaluate their experiences
- staff to meet, reporting back on activities between visits, monitoring project operation,
modifying it - if necessary, evaluating progress towards achieving objectives, and preparing
reports as appropriate
- staff and trainee facilitators to meet together, share results of their separate meetings, and
agree on material to be placed on websites
- public exhibitions or display of drawing session products, if possible
- cultural and social interaction by staff and trainee facilitators attending the visit
5. Impact and European added value
The main impact of IDEAL will be extended Europe-wide access to a creative method of life-long learning that enhances democratic values in cultural experience. The impact will be evident in the way the project benefits those directly and indirectly involved:
LEARNERS
IDEAL will directly benefit a specific group of European learners (35 estimate): people with developed skills in the visual arts will re-train as facilitators of life-long learning through drawing. As project mobilities, they will be able to experience the necessary methodologies in action, understand the rationale and techniques involved, and see how they can be adapted to adult learners in markedly differing socio-cultural contexts. On conclusion of the project, they will be in a prime position to embark on re-directed careers as drawing facilitators, and to cascade the necessary approach and methods to other potential facilitators working in cultural organisations. Also, IDEAL will enable them to more successfully conduct drawing sessions in their own countries for adult learners who are increasingly multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, and often disadvantaged by language barriers.
The whole project will indirectly benefit some adult learners (200 estimate) who will be engaged in facilitated drawing sessions during the seven project visits. Others (700 minimum) will also benefit indirectly through drawing sessions facilitated by trainees between partnership visits in their own countries. As day-to-day learner groups associated with partner organisations, these will include considerable numbers of adults who are disadvantaged through social or economic circumstances, unemployment, disabilities, cultural marginalisation, personal or spiritual matters, gender or sexual orientation. The methodology of facilitated drawing has the capacity to encourage self-confidence and motivation for all such people, especially when drawing in mixed groups.
STAFF
IDEAL will directly benefit staff in three main ways:
As project mobilities, staff will be able to embrace a wider range of cultural reference points and values in their work during the project, and, most significantly, in years to come as well.. Understanding, accepting and working with the customs, perceptions and modes of operation associated with other countries is likely to become a universal transferable skill in a Europe of migrant workers, multi-national companies and international exchanges.
As junior or senior managers in their own organisations, project staff will become more aware of the potential of drawing as a transferable means of creative thinking. Since they all either come from, are involved in or have a commitment to wider fields of knowledge, skills and experience, they will be able to introduce more flexible and creative ways of working in these fields.
As staff engaged in practice, appreciation and teaching of the visual arts, they will become aware of more flexible methods, differing criteria and – above all- the capacity of drawing to cross barriers posed by verbal language and increase individual awareness of the cultural values involved.
LEARNERS
IDEAL will directly benefit a specific group of European learners (35 estimate): people with developed skills in the visual arts will re-train as facilitators of life-long learning through drawing. As project mobilities, they will be able to experience the necessary methodologies in action, understand the rationale and techniques involved, and see how they can be adapted to adult learners in markedly differing socio-cultural contexts. On conclusion of the project, they will be in a prime position to embark on re-directed careers as drawing facilitators, and to cascade the necessary approach and methods to other potential facilitators working in cultural organisations. Also, IDEAL will enable them to more successfully conduct drawing sessions in their own countries for adult learners who are increasingly multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, and often disadvantaged by language barriers.
The whole project will indirectly benefit some adult learners (200 estimate) who will be engaged in facilitated drawing sessions during the seven project visits. Others (700 minimum) will also benefit indirectly through drawing sessions facilitated by trainees between partnership visits in their own countries. As day-to-day learner groups associated with partner organisations, these will include considerable numbers of adults who are disadvantaged through social or economic circumstances, unemployment, disabilities, cultural marginalisation, personal or spiritual matters, gender or sexual orientation. The methodology of facilitated drawing has the capacity to encourage self-confidence and motivation for all such people, especially when drawing in mixed groups.
STAFF
IDEAL will directly benefit staff in three main ways:
As project mobilities, staff will be able to embrace a wider range of cultural reference points and values in their work during the project, and, most significantly, in years to come as well.. Understanding, accepting and working with the customs, perceptions and modes of operation associated with other countries is likely to become a universal transferable skill in a Europe of migrant workers, multi-national companies and international exchanges.
As junior or senior managers in their own organisations, project staff will become more aware of the potential of drawing as a transferable means of creative thinking. Since they all either come from, are involved in or have a commitment to wider fields of knowledge, skills and experience, they will be able to introduce more flexible and creative ways of working in these fields.
As staff engaged in practice, appreciation and teaching of the visual arts, they will become aware of more flexible methods, differing criteria and – above all- the capacity of drawing to cross barriers posed by verbal language and increase individual awareness of the cultural values involved.
6. Partnerships organizations
IDEAL has the potential to benefit organisations directly through supporting the activities of participating staff (as above), but also through the project forming an example of what is possible through collaboration with European partners. A number of the organisations have very little or no experience of international projects and those that have may be apprehensive about the cultural differences involved. IDEAL is planned to have maximum impact through cultural interaction and its emphasis on collaboration is not only likely to motivate staff towards effecting such changes in their organisations, but it also provides encouragement for organisations to engage in more ambitious cultural projects in future under other Grundtvig actions.
Closer to the project medium, partner organisations will be alerted to the cultural potential of drawing and the possibility of embedding it as a permanent part of their provision through employing suitably trained facilitators to introduce self-development through the practice of drawing. IDEAL will also demonstrate to organisations that enabling learners to approach cultural differences through drawing can be a strong motivator towards participation in further life-learning.
IDEAL will introduce, develop and disseminate a distinctive methodology for engaging in life-long cultural learning through facilitating open, flexible and innovative drawing. As a result, IDEAL will collectively produce an evolving toolkit, featuring methodological examples, instances of good practice, case studies of success and images of project products which will feature on each partner organisation’s website through the project and after its conclusion. The toolkit will be collaboratively tried and tested by all partners before it is made available for Europe-wide use: a truly international outcome that no partner could achieve alone. IDEAL will thus bring added European value by functioning as more than the sum of its parts.
Closer to the project medium, partner organisations will be alerted to the cultural potential of drawing and the possibility of embedding it as a permanent part of their provision through employing suitably trained facilitators to introduce self-development through the practice of drawing. IDEAL will also demonstrate to organisations that enabling learners to approach cultural differences through drawing can be a strong motivator towards participation in further life-learning.
IDEAL will introduce, develop and disseminate a distinctive methodology for engaging in life-long cultural learning through facilitating open, flexible and innovative drawing. As a result, IDEAL will collectively produce an evolving toolkit, featuring methodological examples, instances of good practice, case studies of success and images of project products which will feature on each partner organisation’s website through the project and after its conclusion. The toolkit will be collaboratively tried and tested by all partners before it is made available for Europe-wide use: a truly international outcome that no partner could achieve alone. IDEAL will thus bring added European value by functioning as more than the sum of its parts.
7. Evaluation
Seven points of collaborative evaluation are built into the structure of IDEAL in the form of partnership meetings. With staff and trainee mobilities from all partners, each of this will provide opportunities for:
1) Staff to share views on achievement of IDEAL objectives by individual partners and by the
partnership as a whole
2) Trainee facilitators to collectively evaluate their experiences in the light of project objectives
3) Staff and trainee facilitators to meet together, share perspectives and jointly evaluate progress
On conclusion of each partnership visit, the Co-ordinator will provide written feedback to project staff and trainee facilitators, summarising progress to date in achieving objectives. These will be collated to form both the interim report (Aug 2010) and the final report (June 2011)
The main evidence for in-project evaluation will be feedback from:
Staff and trainee facilitators, as those directly involved in IDEAL
Adult learners (informally gathered by trainees and staff) as indirect beneficiaries
Local cultural organisations with whom partners have linked during the project
Numbers of trainee facilitators and indirect beneficiaries involved in the project
Variety of drawing activities and products during the two years
Number of website hits on the ‘toolkit’ (if recordable)
Any media coverage of visits and drawing sessions
Additional evidence for the expected impact of IDEAL will be drawn from:
Indications of IDEAL methodology being embedded in partner institutions
Concluding feedback from trainee facilitators about their future prospects and intentions
1) Staff to share views on achievement of IDEAL objectives by individual partners and by the
partnership as a whole
2) Trainee facilitators to collectively evaluate their experiences in the light of project objectives
3) Staff and trainee facilitators to meet together, share perspectives and jointly evaluate progress
On conclusion of each partnership visit, the Co-ordinator will provide written feedback to project staff and trainee facilitators, summarising progress to date in achieving objectives. These will be collated to form both the interim report (Aug 2010) and the final report (June 2011)
The main evidence for in-project evaluation will be feedback from:
Staff and trainee facilitators, as those directly involved in IDEAL
Adult learners (informally gathered by trainees and staff) as indirect beneficiaries
Local cultural organisations with whom partners have linked during the project
Numbers of trainee facilitators and indirect beneficiaries involved in the project
Variety of drawing activities and products during the two years
Number of website hits on the ‘toolkit’ (if recordable)
Any media coverage of visits and drawing sessions
Additional evidence for the expected impact of IDEAL will be drawn from:
Indications of IDEAL methodology being embedded in partner institutions
Concluding feedback from trainee facilitators about their future prospects and intentions
8. Active involvement
Active involvement of learners and enhancing pedagogical methods are key features of IDEAL:
LEARNER INVOLVEMENT
The learners in the IDEAL project are mainly young adult trainees, who will be central to implementing the programme and evaluating its outcomes. During the seven project visits, they will progressively acquire, practice, enhance and evaluate their skills as facilitators through working with the host’s local adult learners. Opportunities for doing so will be structured into each partnership visit with particular emphasis on enabling them to interact with adult learners, take increasing responsibility for drawing sessions, and collectively evaluate their experiences amongst themselves. Trainees attending the first visit will either cascade their acquired skills to others engaged in later mobilities, or carry their skills forward for further development at later partnership visits. Either way, they will be asked to collectively evaluate their experiences amongst themselves during each visit, and bring them to a meeting with project staff to decide on what resulting material (examples of methods, best practices, case-studies, or drawing products) is placed on the websites. Local adults will personally benefit from drawing sessions as collaborative participants whose informal feedback will guide both trainees and staff in future project activities.
ENHANCING PEDAGOGICAL METHODS
IDEAL is structured to enable visual arts practitioners to function less in a teaching mode (delivering a pre-determined agenda of instruction, guidance or activities and judging the results according to external standards - economic, professional, academic or cultural) and more in a facilitation mode (providing support, encouragement and criteria attuned to learners, enabling them to conceive, identify, achieve and evaluate what they consider appropriate to themselves and their own creative development). Staff will be directly involved in ensuring that this democratic spirit of ‘learner centred learning’ underpins their discussions and actions in planning project activities, implementing them and evaluating the outcomes. A key feature in enhancing pedagogical methods is that staff, in consultation with trainee facilitators, will ensure that the toolkit does not take a prescriptive or instructional stance but provides indications, inspiration and encouragement to others engaged in democratically facilitating the cultural development of adults through the practice of drawing.
INTEGRATION INTO LEARNING AND OTHER OUTGOING ACTIVITIES
The IDEAL partnership project with be integrated into participating organisations in two ways differentiated by the time scheme on which they operate:
Integration with Learning and Teaching
The drawing sessions organised by each partner when they host a project visit will be part of their standard provision. The main difference from the perspectives of adult groups involved being that the facilitator with whom they are working will almost always be from another country bringing approaches and viewpoints that may be markedly different from those with which they are familiar. Conversely, the facilitator will need to understand and respect the cultural base of the adults with whom he or she is working. Each will be expected to accommodate the other’s position. Experience has shown that the shared practice of innovative drawing is valuable in this respect because it can often be conducted through demonstration, physical guidance, illustration, gesture and facial expression. Nevertheless, verbal language problems can be addressed through team work between visiting trainees and those from the host country - a further form of cultural dialogue. Cultural cross-fertilisation, which is central to the project, will thus be directly integrated into learning and teaching of the host organisation. Drawing sessions in a partner organisation present opportunities for trainee facilitators and adult learners to carry forward their experiences of widening cultural horizons.
Integration with Ongoing Activities
These form a longer term extension of the above and relate to an organisation’s activities during the second year of the project and - most importantly - after its completion. It is intended that IDEAL will generate sufficient momentum to at least influence teaching and learning styles in their organisations by persuading managers that not only is facilitation of learning a more appropriate approach to adult learners, but also that drawing is a much more widely applicable and transferable process of acquiring, presenting and evaluating cultural knowledge and awareness than is commonly assumed.
Dissemination and use of results
Dissemination will be concurrent with the project and after its conclusion.
LEARNER INVOLVEMENT
The learners in the IDEAL project are mainly young adult trainees, who will be central to implementing the programme and evaluating its outcomes. During the seven project visits, they will progressively acquire, practice, enhance and evaluate their skills as facilitators through working with the host’s local adult learners. Opportunities for doing so will be structured into each partnership visit with particular emphasis on enabling them to interact with adult learners, take increasing responsibility for drawing sessions, and collectively evaluate their experiences amongst themselves. Trainees attending the first visit will either cascade their acquired skills to others engaged in later mobilities, or carry their skills forward for further development at later partnership visits. Either way, they will be asked to collectively evaluate their experiences amongst themselves during each visit, and bring them to a meeting with project staff to decide on what resulting material (examples of methods, best practices, case-studies, or drawing products) is placed on the websites. Local adults will personally benefit from drawing sessions as collaborative participants whose informal feedback will guide both trainees and staff in future project activities.
ENHANCING PEDAGOGICAL METHODS
IDEAL is structured to enable visual arts practitioners to function less in a teaching mode (delivering a pre-determined agenda of instruction, guidance or activities and judging the results according to external standards - economic, professional, academic or cultural) and more in a facilitation mode (providing support, encouragement and criteria attuned to learners, enabling them to conceive, identify, achieve and evaluate what they consider appropriate to themselves and their own creative development). Staff will be directly involved in ensuring that this democratic spirit of ‘learner centred learning’ underpins their discussions and actions in planning project activities, implementing them and evaluating the outcomes. A key feature in enhancing pedagogical methods is that staff, in consultation with trainee facilitators, will ensure that the toolkit does not take a prescriptive or instructional stance but provides indications, inspiration and encouragement to others engaged in democratically facilitating the cultural development of adults through the practice of drawing.
INTEGRATION INTO LEARNING AND OTHER OUTGOING ACTIVITIES
The IDEAL partnership project with be integrated into participating organisations in two ways differentiated by the time scheme on which they operate:
Integration with Learning and Teaching
The drawing sessions organised by each partner when they host a project visit will be part of their standard provision. The main difference from the perspectives of adult groups involved being that the facilitator with whom they are working will almost always be from another country bringing approaches and viewpoints that may be markedly different from those with which they are familiar. Conversely, the facilitator will need to understand and respect the cultural base of the adults with whom he or she is working. Each will be expected to accommodate the other’s position. Experience has shown that the shared practice of innovative drawing is valuable in this respect because it can often be conducted through demonstration, physical guidance, illustration, gesture and facial expression. Nevertheless, verbal language problems can be addressed through team work between visiting trainees and those from the host country - a further form of cultural dialogue. Cultural cross-fertilisation, which is central to the project, will thus be directly integrated into learning and teaching of the host organisation. Drawing sessions in a partner organisation present opportunities for trainee facilitators and adult learners to carry forward their experiences of widening cultural horizons.
Integration with Ongoing Activities
These form a longer term extension of the above and relate to an organisation’s activities during the second year of the project and - most importantly - after its completion. It is intended that IDEAL will generate sufficient momentum to at least influence teaching and learning styles in their organisations by persuading managers that not only is facilitation of learning a more appropriate approach to adult learners, but also that drawing is a much more widely applicable and transferable process of acquiring, presenting and evaluating cultural knowledge and awareness than is commonly assumed.
Dissemination and use of results
Dissemination will be concurrent with the project and after its conclusion.
9. Concurrent dissemination of results
In IDEAL, ‘results’ can be seen as the methods, case studies and example activities that will be formally and systematically disseminated through the tool-kit. Project staff will try to ensure that these are placed on their organisations’ websites as soon as possible after partnership visits. Results can thus be tracked not only by any project participant but also by anyone else who goes to one of the websites – other staff and learners of the organisations, members of local communities and the wider life-long learning community across Europe. The key point being that anyone can take what they want from the websites and adapt or apply it to their own circumstances as a learner or facilitator.
Whilst the toolkit will be a formal and large scale means of disseminating results, an informal and small scale but powerful means will be provided by the adult learners themselves. Particularly with regard to peers in the organisation and local communities, they will relay the results – what they did and what they made – no doubt with evaluations. The IDEAL project will influence this vital form of community dissemination for the good by paying close attention to the efficiency and effectiveness of drawing sessions provided for adult learners.
Results could also be disseminated by demonstration, in that in some host organisations the sessions would be observable and audible from a distance by learners and staff leading to another form of informal ‘word of mouth’ dissemination.
A different and more directly accountable means of disseminating results will be through the formal reports produced at the half-way point of the project and on conclusion. Though Grundtvig formal requirements, they can also act as communications about the project to partner organisations.
Finally, project staff or trainee facilitators, either as individuals or in groups, will be encouraged to disseminate the results of IDEAL by presenting papers at conferences or seminars, or by writing articles for journals or magazines – all targeting the wider life-learning community. Staff will also be encouraged to similar disseminate the results to local communities through regional media.
Whilst the toolkit will be a formal and large scale means of disseminating results, an informal and small scale but powerful means will be provided by the adult learners themselves. Particularly with regard to peers in the organisation and local communities, they will relay the results – what they did and what they made – no doubt with evaluations. The IDEAL project will influence this vital form of community dissemination for the good by paying close attention to the efficiency and effectiveness of drawing sessions provided for adult learners.
Results could also be disseminated by demonstration, in that in some host organisations the sessions would be observable and audible from a distance by learners and staff leading to another form of informal ‘word of mouth’ dissemination.
A different and more directly accountable means of disseminating results will be through the formal reports produced at the half-way point of the project and on conclusion. Though Grundtvig formal requirements, they can also act as communications about the project to partner organisations.
Finally, project staff or trainee facilitators, either as individuals or in groups, will be encouraged to disseminate the results of IDEAL by presenting papers at conferences or seminars, or by writing articles for journals or magazines – all targeting the wider life-learning community. Staff will also be encouraged to similar disseminate the results to local communities through regional media.
10. Concurrent dissemination of experiences
Experiences are primarily those of project learners (trainee facilitators), but again also those of local adult learners with whom they work. The experience of trainee facilitators will be immediately disseminated firstly amongst themselves and then to participating organisations through project staff. Their experiences would also feature in the process of selection and the form of presentation in the tool-kit, through which their experiences, collectively agreed and evaluated, will be disseminated much more widely.
The experiences of adult learners would be subject to the informal ‘word-of-mouth’ dissemination as described above
The experiences of adult learners would be subject to the informal ‘word-of-mouth’ dissemination as described above
11. Concurrent disseminated products
Products will be drawings in the very widest sense, but may not take the form of conventional drawings using paper or sketchbooks and traditional drawing materials. These will, of course, feature largely amongst the products but facilitation by definition can encourage a wider range of activities using an infinite variety of materials, means and locations. Products may thus include three dimensional items, movement and performance, large scale installations or light and sound. Though it may not therefore be possible in all cases, products of drawing sessions at partnership visits should be informally and temporarily exhibited for the benefit of the adult learners and trainee facilitators who produced them (important in developing self-confidence for both groups), staff, learners and managers in the host organisation. Again and wherever possible, exhibitions should be made available to members of the public, press or local authorities. Products, albeit it with less sense of presence, will be disseminated through the tool-kit where they can stay in the public domain for a much longer period of time.
Dissemination of products by whatever means is likely to have the most impact in terms of democratic approaches to culture. This would be through other people in the wider life-long learning community seeing the end-products of learners exercising their own choices and indications of what might be possible for them.
Dissemination of products by whatever means is likely to have the most impact in terms of democratic approaches to culture. This would be through other people in the wider life-long learning community seeing the end-products of learners exercising their own choices and indications of what might be possible for them.
12. Dissemination after project conclusion
The impact of IDEAL will be sustained by the continuing practice of trainee facilitators and their influence on teaching and learning in the cultural organisations in which they find future employment. It is anticipated that through their example they will cascade the methodologies and approaches involved to others working in the same field. The tool-kit will have a continuing presence on the websites of those organisations participating in IDEAL to be seen and used by anyone consulting the website or pursuing the links provided.
