MAD for Culture is a Youth Project that has brought together people from different European countries in a 5-day program of activities on cultural heritage and traditions, to improve European citizenship, youth participation and transnational unity. The main objective of this KA1 has been to deepen the knowledge of European cultural heritage, trying to understand the differences and common origins of different EU countries, focusing on the interrelation of different traditions that made the EU one of the most heterogeneous cribs and rich of the world.
The main activities of the “MAD for Culture” project gave participants the opportunity to know the importance of cultural heritage through tangible culture (such as monuments, landscapes and works of art) and intangible culture (such as folklore, traditions, language, and knowledge). Participants had the opportunity to reflect and discuss the subject and explore different cultures and backgrounds through the arts used as a tool to share and create traditions. The activities were aimed at young people to appreciate the richness of their environment and develop an awareness of local, national and international heritage.
This project has been held in Madrid, Spain and it was funded by the Spanish National Agency of the Erasmus + Program and has brought together 42 young people from 7 different countries: Spain, Holland, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Poland and France, aged between 18 and 30 years.
Partners:
Spain – MAD for Europe – https://www.madforeurope.org
Italy – ETV EuroTreviso – https://www.etveurotreviso.eu
Portugal – AE Benavente – http://www.aebenavente.pt/
Greece – Hellenic Youth Participation – www.hellenicyouthparticipation.com
Netherlands- ILA, Your Partner in the Netherlands – http://www.ilabour.eu/
France – Association Enosis – http://associationenosis.wixsite.com/enosis
Poland- Zespól Szkól Zawodowych nr 1im. Komisji Edukacji Narodowej – http://www.zsz1.edu.pl/
TARGET GROUP: Young people between 16 and 30 years old.
Activities:
ENERGIZERS
We started with some energizers and self-introduction “name-games” so each one could know each other. Some of the games they did were to say their names up, put themselves in order depending on age or write the names on a piece of paper and try to find out who it belonged to. (Plaza Tirso de Molina)
“FINDING OUR COMMON ROOTS”
Starting from a conversation, each participant wrote down five things they had in common with one partner. Once partners had identified five commonalities, they found a new partner in the group. Participants continued repeating this step until they had identified five new people they have connections with. The common characteristics which came out from this game were written on a poster representing a tree. (Hostel Hall)
“ORIENTEERING: DISCOVERING THE ARCHITECTURE OF MADRID”
With a map notified with different points in the city, groups had to go around and guess the European influences of the Spanish monuments. We gave each group a map where each point/monument contained a description of a building. Participants guessed which Spanish monuments were similar to another, specific monument, present in another EU Country. (Madrid City)
“WALKING IN EACH OTHER’S SHOES. AN EXERCISE OF EMPATHY”
Participants formed a line in the centre of the room, holding each other’s hands. Each one of them had a card that described a person through some basic characteristics: they had to impersonate the person described in their card. The game started from the gender: the participants that had a card/paper which said that they were male, had to step forward. Those who had a card which said that they were female, couldn’t move. The game continued with other characteristics (skin colour, religion, education, sexual orientation, social/political status…) and participants moved forward or backwards depending on the characteristics written in their card. (Plaza Tirso de Molina)
“UNIQUE WORDS: THE RICHNESS OF EU LANGUAGES”
Some words are untranslatable in other languages: this game helped youngsters to learn new words that have a specific and unique meaning and cannot be translated in other European Languages. Participants were divided into teams, and each one created an artwork to visualize the word of their team. Each team represented in different ways: through a drawing, choreography, a “sculpture” made with simple materials. (Hostel Hall)
“THE ORIGIN OF LANGUAGES”
Europe finds its richness in the diversity of languages and cultures. However, a lot of languages seem similar, and it’s because they share common roots. With the help of the map of the origin of language, the participants, separated into groups of different nationalities, had to fill in the blue blanks of the tree, in order to put the different languages they spoke in the right spot. Later, we did a Europe Short Quiz about European Institutions and different questions (Hostel Hall)
“BUILDING KNOWLEDGE THROUGH CINEMA AND PHOTOGRAPHY”
Participants understood the Movida movement and its art through the documentary «Costus, el documental» by Ernesto de Chicote. The follow-up activity after the documentary had a photo contest in which participants had the chance to explore the Barrio of Malasaña, namely the heart of the Movida. Youngsters discovered the movement through alternative stores and street art; they tried to create pictures inspired by La Movida movement. (Hostel Hall + Barrio Malasaña. 120 min)
“A WALK THROUGH LITERATURE”
This activity was a Gymkhana in Barrio de Las Letras and concerned the Literature Cultural Heritage. Participants were divided into teams and had to answer questions/ solve riddles concerning famous Spanish authors. To obtain the answers/solutions, participants had to go and walk through the streets of the Barrio de Las Letras, to find the correct answers. All paths were concern Literature. (Barrio de las Letras, 120 mins)
“PUZZLE PAINTING: RECONSTRUCTING ART”
Each team received a copy of three famous paintings, of different painters/countries/eras/styles. These paintings were cut into pieces like a puzzle: the teams had to reconstruct the paintings, recomposing the pieces of the three different puzzles. In the back of each painting, a tagline describing the painting was present, containing the data of the painting: Name of the Author, Country, Year, Art Technique, Place of Exhibition. These elements were missing, and the teams had to look for it and guess the right solution. (Hostel Hall)
“VISIT OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE”
Participants had a tour accompanied by an expert to visit the monumental area and emblematic places of the city of Madrid (The Royal Palace, Plaza de Oriente, Plaza de España and Templo de Debod). A walk where they discovered the value of cultural heritage and the importance of conserving them so that it lasts in the collective memory of Europe (City Centre of Madrid)
“FINAL GROUP GAME”
Each participant had a piece of paper on their back so the others could write down messages. We gave them ten minutes to go around the room and write something they appreciate about each person on the paper. (Hostel Hall)
“Final public event: UNVEIL OURSELVES THROUGH MUSIC”
Music has always been a powerful tool to unify people and spread messages in a universal way. Each national group thought about a famous song that represented the history/culture/folklore of their country. All the groups had to mimic/impersonate the song through a short choreography, with the song playing in the back with speakers. The performance took place in a public space, so that they engaged the citizens, diffunding the goals of the project. (Templo de Debod)
FAREWELL FESTIVITY: YOUTH PASS CERTIFICATES
INTERVIEW ON THE RADIO
We had the opportunity to visit a local radio in the City Council of Madrid and tall about MAD for Culture. It was a great experience, and we had a lot of dissemination of it in social media. We participated in the program “Extraordinarios”.
If you want to listen to this interview, click here: https://www.m21radio.es/podcast/extraordinarios/extraordinarios-19112018
MEALS AND DINNERS
Each day, meals and thematic dinners from one country were held. In total, 9 lunches and dinners:
Sunday 18th November: Spanish dinner
Monday 19th November: Italian lunch and Portuguese dinner
Tuesday 20th November: Polish lunch and Greek dinner
Wednesday 21st November: Spanish lunch and French dinner
Thursday 22nd November: Packed lunch and Dutch dinner
Website and Social Networks:
-Website: https://ka1madforculture.wordpress.com
-Facebook: KA1 MAD FOR CULTURE
Posts:
-APV of our KA1 MAD for Culture in Madrid
-KA1 MAD for Culture, our fourth Youth Exchange!
Photos