CONTEXT
Between the 13th and the 17th of May 2019, pupils and teachers from all the partner countries involved in the Erasmus+ project “Hand to Hand – Together in Europe” (reference number 2018-1-RO01-KA229-049337) attended the second short-term exchange of groups of pupils (C3), which was hosted by the partner school Şehit Ali Aksoy Ortaokulu from Akhisar (Turkey). This transnational learning/teaching/training activity was dedicated to the works of the club “Art heritage” and it was entitled “Communication and interpersonal relationships”. The topic of the physical mobility was becoming acquainted with the artistic, folkloric and cultural heritage from all the five partner countries.
MONDAY, MAY 13TH
On the first day of the exchange visit, the participants were warmly welcomed by the Turkish project team, led by the school headmaster, Mr Cevdet Çağrı Yağan. The pupils were given the opportunity to introduce themselves in a novel way, by using the team building game “The spider web of friendship”. This fun and entertaining activity was a great ice-breaker, allowing pupils to get to know each other, develop their interpersonal abilities and improve their English speaking skills.
Next, all the participants gathered in the school’s festivities room, and pupils from each team presented their materials about local and national cultural and tourist events promoting artistic and cultural heritage. The PowerPoint presentations contributed to developing the participants’ interest in knowing, preserving and promoting ancient traditions, customs, crafts and arts.
After a delicious lunch consisting of traditional Turkish dishes prepared by the parents of the pupils involved in the project, the participants watched presentations and videos detailing the activities carried out and the works done within the “Art heritage” clubs from each partner country between November 2018 and May 2019. The activity was a kaleidoscope of beautiful arts and crafts explored by the pupils from all the partner countries, serving also as an exchange of good practices among the project teams.
The following activity was involving pupils in transnational workshops, during which they tried out traditional Turkish handicrafts, such as decorating pottery, weaving on vertical looms and Ebru painting, known as paper marbling. All the pupils had the opportunity to demonstrate their artistic talent, develop their practical skills and become acquainted with Turkish crafts and traditions.
The first day ended with a trip to the central area of Akhisar, where the participants visited the ruins of the ancient church of Thyateira, one of the seven Christian churches from Asia Minor mentioned in the Book of Revelation, and also met the mayor who assured the foreign guests of all his support for the transnational activities.
TUESDAY, MAY 14TH
During the second day, all the participants enjoyed themselves and each other’s company while visiting the ancient cities of Hierapolis and Laodicea, and walking on the travertine terraces from Pamukkale. Here, calcium-rich springs have shaped an unreal landscape, made up of snow-white limestone, mineral forests, petrified waterfalls and terraced basins. A true nature wonder and famous tourist attraction, Pamukkale (meaning “cotton castle” in Turkish) is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 15TH
The third day was another great opportunity for the pupils and teachers to travel back in time by visiting the Greco-Roman city of Ephesus. Its extremely well-preserved cobblestoned streets and grand monuments allow the visitors to envision the city’s original splendour, this impressive site having been inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List. The guests also visited the House of Virgin Mary, located in the vicinity of Ephesus, and the Basilica of St. John from the town of Selçuk.
These educational trips allowed the participants to enrich their knowledge on ancient European history, early Christianity and artistic heritage, and also to become acquainted with Turkish culture, lifestyle and cuisine.
THURSDAY, MAY 16TH
The fourth day was very rich in interesting, colourful and vibrant activities which involved all the participating pupils. First, each team presented a material providing fascinating information about national folklore, especially about traditions, customs and rituals. Talented pupils from each team also performed a sketch or dance recreating an ancient ritual, such as the Tarantella traditional dance from Italy, the ritual of asking a girl’s hand in marriage from Turkey and traditional wedding rituals from Romania. The recordings of the ancestral rituals performed during the exchange visit will be added to the collection “Dance, Music and Colour”.
In the afternoon, the pupils delighted the audience with mouth-watering details about each country’s traditional cuisine. Each team of pupils, helped by the teachers, also cooked a traditional recipe, this workshop taking place on the premises of the technical school Mesleki ve Teknik Anadolu Lisesi from Akhisar. The dishes prepared by the students were then tasted by all the participants, turning the activity into a true culinary journey which resulted in becoming acquainted with the traditional cuisine from all the five partner countries.
FRIDAY, MAY 17TH
The last day of the physical mobility started with a meeting of the coordinators from all the partner schools, which was mainly dedicated to evaluating the activities organised during the exchange visit to Turkey, discussing details about the third short-term exchange of groups of pupils scheduled to take place in Italy in November 2019, and also to analysing the project’s progress. Meanwhile, the pupils took part in sporting activities, games and dances organised in the school’s festivities room that resulted in further strengthening the bond created among them.
The participants spent one more afternoon together, during which they took a trip to the city of İzmir to enjoy the sight of the Clock Tower and visit the historical Kemeraltı bazaar, one of the oldest and most vibrant shopping centres in Turkey. In the evening, it was time to express our gratitude to the hosts for their hospitality and say good-bye to the other participants.
CONCLUSION
During the second short-term exchange of groups of pupils hosted by the partner school Şehit Ali Aksoy Ortaokulu from Akhisar (Turkey), the participating pupils and teachers became acquainted with the traditional crafts, folklore, cultural events and national cuisine from all the five partner countries, and also became aware of the importance of valorising cultural and artistic heritage.
During the preparation of the materials and also during the workshops organised by the hosting school, the pupils developed many useful competences, such as their ICT skills, practical abilities, teamwork skills, creative and critical thinking, as well as their English knowledge and communication skills. Moreover, the activities gave pupils the opportunity to demonstrate their artistic talents, and thus to increase their self-esteem, to develop their interpersonal abilities, as well as to connect with children their age from other European countries.
The exchange visit represented an extremely positive experience for all the participants and provided a valuable overview of the partners’ cultural diversity which led to an attitude of mutual understanding, tolerance and respect, as well as to close friendships.