ABOUT THE PROJECT
KA2: Strategic partnership between schools
Re: ART TRUeSTory
Secondary School of Arts and Crafts in Bechyně (SUPŠ Bechyně, Czech republic)
Escola Artística de Soares dos Reis of Porto (EASR Porto, Portugal)
- we succeeded in receiving a subsidy to organize project meetings for the management of the project itself, to launch exchanges of students and teachers, learning activities and to work on the outcomes in the form of various art steps, publications and exhibitions at both schools
- we intend to enhance language teaching and learning skills in English, as a communication language, but also to arise interest for another European language, for a foreign country, culture, people, in order to motivate students to travel abroad and to get involved into international cooperation between schools
- the aim is to support creative and personal approach to art, to include project activities in our school curriculum and to involve students from both schools in the project via competitions, voting contests, art activities etc.
- to learn various art techniques from each other, to realize that students are part of the project and they bear the responsibility for the success of the whole two-year work
The project Erasmus+ KA2 has been supported from the funds of the European commission and it allows a two-year cooperation between the Secondary School of Arts and Crafts of Bechyně and Escola Artística de Soares dos Reis of Porto. We have many points in common, indeed: both schools were founded in 1884 as one of the oldest art schools in the country and we share very similar study fields (graphic, ceramic, industrial and multimedia design).
The project was called Re: ART TRUeSTory, suggesting only by the name that our aim in two years is to create an animated story that will be inspired by both our cultures, written by students, technically and artistically produced, promoted on posters, accompanied by their own logos and all in all, actively created both by Portuguese and Czech students.
School exchanges, visits of our typical towns, art museums, galleries, and workshops will become part of the work on the project. Our aim is to involve students from all study fields, due to a large spectrum of activities that are involved in the project work. We intend using English as a communication language; however, we are also looking forward to learning bases of another European language.
We strongly believe that Erasmus+ project will achieve what we are expecting, i.e. it will join more closely our school with a foreign school, it will motivate our students to use their skills more practically and creatively and that students will be more interested into speaking English, travelling, broadening their minds and creating friendship with people all around the world. We do hope that the project will be successful and we all will learn as much as possible!
KEY WORDS OF THE PROJECT
Re: ART TRUeSTory
….we write the story of our personal lives and the history of our schools…
Thanks to international meetings and exchanges we may create new friendships, share our personal and teaching experience, basing on mutual understanding between us. Here below are the key words appearing in the name of the project, or to be read between letters that represent our common goals:
Re (as a written, oral or art response to situations, impulses, information, facts)
ART (as a means of our common work)
TRUE story (are our thoughts about others reality or concepts? do we base on experience or prejudice? we also have a lot of dreams, imagination to be perceived and followed)
or THROUGH story (language as a tool for any kind of communication)
or TRUST (in the others, in one’s personal experience, in gaining self-confidence)
the whole leitmotif of the project is STORYTELLING (storytelling represents an important form of interpretation of ideas and a way of approaching human beings; thanks to brainstorming, discussion we would like to write a common story, to construct together the knowledge about Czech/Portuguese culture)
ABOUT THE SUPŠ BECHYNĚ SCHOOL
The Secondary Art school of Bechyně was established in 1884 as the first Czech ceramic school. The former study fields were stove-making, pottery and ceramic painting. In 2009 the school was renamed as Secondary School of Arts and Crafts – Bechyně (SUPŠ Bechyně). Nowadays, more than 200 students are studying in four main art specialisations (ceramic, industrial, graphic and multimedia design), in a three-year vocational study field (producer and decorator of ceramics). The studies are designed for students from 15 to 19 years. Next school year a two-year distance post-high study field, called Technology of ceramics, is going to be open for future students.
Since the beginning of its existence the school has brought up more than 3900 graduates – many successful artists, craftsmen, technicians and renowned art teachers among them. The school was especially significant in the development of the ceramic industry in Bohemia, Moravia and in Slovakia. Moreover, the school hosts biennial international ceramic symposia, taking place since 1966 with the cooperation of our school, organize public summer ceramic courses, days of open workshops and art exhibitions where works of both students and teachers are displayed.
The school is equally open for international cooperation. There are various successful international projects running on (exchanges with art school in Trento, Landshut, Porto), the school supports internships in international companies (Laufen s.r.o). Our effort is to readjust the education to changing demands of the time, to modernize teaching and to raise creative graduates who would be able to succeed in the domestic and international competition.
ABOUT THE SOARES DOS REIS SCHOOL OF ARTS
The current Soares dos Reis School of Arts was officially established in January 1884, and designated at that time as Industrial Design School Faria Guimarães do Bonfim. Its activity began a year later in poor facilities of a small housing building. In 1887, a new building was meant to hold the school, that changed its name to Industrial School Faria Guimarães. But the constructed building was delivered to the Asylum of Abandoned Girls, keeping the school in the old facilities.
In the year of 2008 the School as moved to new facilities located in Major David Magno Street. A school campus composed of several new buildings, comprising classrooms, workshops and support facilities, features excellent conditions and high availability for a modern, twenty-first century school.
As Specialized Artistic Teaching School, Soares dos Reis – currently named Soares dos Reis School of Arts – is dedicated to the teaching and practice of the visual arts and mainly offers four specialized art courses: Audiovisual Communication, Communication Design, Product Design and Artistic Production. These four courses, directed solely at the level of high secondary education (before college), resulting in three grades – 10th, 11th and 12th – are oriented in a double perspective: study prosecution in technological specialization courses or higher education (university or polytechnic) and placement into the active, working life. The knowledge and learning of the students are guided by a team of teachers with specific and pedagogical training in the arts, as well as teachers of special techniques in various technological areas, that are a valuable heritage and an asset for the School teaching quality.
The International Projects Department (IPD) at Soares dos Reis School of Arts, aims to promote the mobility of students, allowing an opening of educational and professional horizons through exchange of values, knowledge and experience. In the context of education internationalization, the IPD ensures the internal organization and dissemination of information about the programs / initiatives and mobility partnerships between institutions, respective lines of funding and application procedures.