Cultural Learning for Families
A Grundtvig Learning Partnership
Abstract
Cultural institutions like libraries, museums, science centres and theatres are offering arts and cultural education programs. Most institutions are specialized in young audiences but only a few currently developed programs including a family approach. The Grundvig partnership will raise the question of which qualitative variables have a major impact on the success of family learning programs across different generations, e.g. design of the educational surrounding, communication efforts, co-operations with educational and social institutions, etc.
Approach
The LP will be a thorough reflection of qualities of national practices during meetings that the partners will organise in their cities. They might be based at institutions such as libraries, museums, science centres or in the performing arts sector.
Results of the partnership will be incorporated into a good practice catalogue informing politicians and practitioners.
Insights
1st meeting 17-18 October 2011 – Vienna, Austria
Host: EDUCULT
At the first meeting, the partners had the chance to get to know each other and their institutions. Together, the aims and objectives of the partnership were defined more clearly and tasks were distributed. The partners visited examples of good practice on cultural education for families in Vienna and the surrounding. On the first day, the group explored the MuseumsQuartier and talked to the directors of Dschungel Theatre and ZOOM children’s museum as well as to a staff member of the Wien Xtra Children’s information service. On the second day, the group went to Klosterneuburg. There they experienced a guided family education tour through the Museum Essl exhibition, role-playing as “parents” and “children”.
Thank you to all the institutions involved for an interesting program!
Pictures of our meeting can be viewed on our facebook-page.
Second meeting 16-17 February 2012 – Barcelona, Spain
Host: Interarts
A vivid impression of “cultural learning for families” could be gained at the second meeting in Barcelona. At the Im l‘Ateneu Popular de Nou Barris, a father of three children told us about the community project of the circus academy. The Biblioteca Bon Pastor, situated in an outskirt, reported on their collaboration with a local health center: the so-called reading on prescription for parents. At l’Auditori, we could watch and listen to the performance of an outreach project “Et toca a tu” (“It’s your turn”) and at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya the current development of new programs were presented.
Thank you to Interarts for a rich program and thank you to all our partners for an open and fruitful exchange!
Pictures of our meeting can be viewed on our facebook-page.
Third meeting 11-12 June 2012 – Ljubljana, Slovenia
Host: ŠKUC
Nataša Bucik from the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport provided insight into national strategies for cultural education in Slovenia.
At the Museum of Contemporary Art (MSUM) we not only had a presentation of their education departement but were also invited to have an internal workshop for the discussion of quality criteria in family learning.
We also visited the Maldinsko Theatre which organises an annual festival for cultural education called „Bobri“ (=“Beavers“): In 2012 they distributed 16.000 tickets for theater, dance and film performances – free of charge!
A highlight was the city cinema kinodvor: It offers a broad range of education activities – youth clubs, a mobile cinema or the parent-baby-breakfast to name but a few. What we found particularly interesting was their thorough and sensitive discussion of the needs of their different target groups. An example to follow!
We want to thank ŠKUC for organising this meeting and for being a wonderful host!
For pictures of the meeting please visit our facebook page or flickr.com.
Fourth meeting 29-30 October 2012 – Munich, Germany
Host: BKJ
We travelled all the way across Munich during our fourth Grundtvig meeting. In the house of play at Westkreuz we not only heard about all their offers for families but also made our very own modelling clay. In the very east of the city we visited Quax, centre for leisure time and cultural education.
It was especially interesting to gain knowledge about municipal cooperations and networks aiming at fostering cultural education for families. Evelyn Knecht from Spiellandschaft Stadt e.V. provided insight into these strategies in Munich.
We want to thank BKJ and especially Christa Knappik for organising this meeting and for being a wonderful host! We are looking forward to welcoming all partners in February for our final meeting in Vienna.
For pictures of the meeting please visit our facebook page or flickr.com.
Fifth meeting 28 February-1 March 2013 – Vienna, Austria
Host: EDUCULT
The fifth and final meeting of the learning partnership was mainly focused on discussion in order to draw together the results and to come to a successful report on the project: How do we define „cultural learning“? Which concepts of „family“ are the basis for our project? What qualities do institutions need to carry out education work for families? were some of the issues we discussed. But there was also time for two visits: at the Brunnenpassage a community arts centre in Vienna’s vibrant 16th district we experienced an institution that reaches different generations, but not necessarily families through its work. At ((superar)) we had the chance to discuss with the management and some of the choir conductors from Vienna, Graz and Bosnia-Herzegovina about their work at schools, for which the support of parents is essential.
We would like to thank our partners for a very fruitful partnership! The report with examples from practice and recommendations how to offers for families will be presented here around the end of May.
Here are some impressions of the meeting: flickr and Facebook
