Music on the Move
Start date: Jun 1, 2016,
End date: Sep 30, 2016
PROJECT
FINISHED
The “Music on the Move” youth exchange project will explore diversity among participants from Greece, Croatia, Italy, Romania, Slovenia and the UK connecting them through cooperation in creating music. The exchange will take place by river Kolpa in Slovenian Bela krajina region between 22 and 30 Aug 2016.Music is an efficient medium transcending cultural differences and recognizing the benefits of multicultural society. European values of pluralism, indiscrimination, acceptance, justice, and solidarity are reportedly threatened by economic difficulty and the growing migrant crisis. This is why we will build on music creation and performance to help promote a more tolerant and inclusive society with a positive perception of migrant men and women. We will examine migrations and the necessity for intercultural dialogue, research our migrant roots and experiences, and review how these issues are reflected in musical evolution.The participants will be selected based primarily on affinity for music and/or interest in migration issues. One of the key components in the selection process is equal gender representation while the underprivileged will have priority. The participants’ desired age range will be 18 - 30, because musical creation and the demands of the programme demand a level of maturity to supply a safe supportive psychological creative environment.In the course of the “Music on the Move” exchange, participants will develop skills in musical composition, lyrics, vocal technique, choir harmonizing, and performance. They will also be instructed in supporting activities of musical productions; i.e. organisation, promotion, direction and technical support. They will hone their skills in creative teamwork, the most difficult type of teamwork. Through collaboration and mutual support they will also improve their social skills, a key element of creating possibilities and opportunities for the young. They will be encouraged to think autonomously and critically while daily activities will contribute to a healthy self-appraisal and improve their motivation. Parts of activities will be prepared and executed by the participants to support their initiative. In a supportive and safe environment they will form fruitful personal connections while building confidence and a diverse skill-set enabling them to participate more actively in society. We plan to include social games and presentations aimed at getting better acquainted with fellow participants. This will build awareness and understanding of other cultures and contribute to the development of a healthy sense of European consciousness and identity. The participants will also get to know Slovenian cultural diversity and specifically the Bela krajina cultural region. To this effect we will organise sight-seeing and feature local cultural creators.One of the goals of EU policies is to increase cultural bonds between Europeans, which started to fall in question lately, with member countries resurrecting borders. Choosing a border location will provide first hand experience of how a rigid border influences everyday life and cultural cooperation between nations.At the concluding performance the participants will be able to present the acquired skills in the form of a concert. At the same time the event will be a convenient opportunity to present the Erasmus+ “Youth in Action” programme. We will film the exchange including the final performance and create a video presentation of the results. At the Kolpa nature park the participants will be able to develop a respect for intact nature. A nine-day stay by river Kolpa with constant outdoor activities will be beneficial to their health. We believe that the content will advance competencies and skills of the participants, furthering their personal development and increasing their employability and cultural and social inclusion on an intercultural level. Such programmes of informal education are invaluable for the underprivileged youth because they provide the opportunity to cooperate and socialize within a supportive environment of equals with equal opportunities.The “Music on the Move” project is a further development of the “Rhythm of Youth” successful Erasmus+ project of 2015 (https://youtu.be/jqS_-4c6T8E) that combined music workshops and generally beneficial content tied to music and performance. The project was praised by the participants and pronounced an example of good practice by the Erasmus+ national agency.