PROJECT

In 2015, the Joint Report from the Commission and Member States on the implementation of the strategic framework ET 2020 proposed new priorities for 2016-2020 for developing  ‘relevant and high-quality knowledge, skills and competences developed throughout lifelong learning, focusing on learning outcomes for employability, innovation, active citizenship and well-being’. In addition to this, the Paris Declaration has also stressed the need to ensure that learners acquire solid social, civic and intercultural competences (2015). Although all agree on the importance of young people acquiring key competences, many of them do not develop these competences or simply do not use successful innovative approaches to achieve them. However, the document indicates as one solution to link learning to real life experience in order to achieve better results.

Moreover, in the context of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, much emphasis is put on rediscovering the common roots, and on the social and educational aspect of the cultural heritage. 

Nowadays, various cities across Europe, and in particular Sansepolcro (IT), Visé (BE), Torrijos (ES) and Mindelheim (DE) work to maintain medieval and Renaissance traditions such as flag waving, crossbow shooting, archery and swordsmanship not only as cultural heritage and tourism leverage, but mostly to educate and pass on to younger generations these arts and skills, being the fundaments of common cultural roots and identity. Such activities are developed as part of extracurricular activities at school as well as through non formal and informal learning opportunities that finally enhance community belonging and social cohesion. Thus, young people can develop specific abilities and cultural awareness and expression key competence (see Council Recommendation on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning, 2018).

The main goal of CHERISH is to develop innovative practices to raise awareness on the importance of Europe’s cultural heritage through educational activities that promote the acquisition of abilities and competences, involving pupils, schools, teachers and cultural organisations.

The following specific objectives have been identified:

- to promote the acquisition of physical and mental abilities (coordination, concentration, dexterity, spatial perception) and the key competences 8 “Cultural awareness and expression”, particularly through medieval and Renaissance sports and re-enactments, which still need to be enhanced at EU level as common cultural identity and heritage

- to support teachers, educators and all the relevant cultural heritage key stakeholders in designing and implementing structured non-formal and informal learning activities to allow youngsters to acquire these abilities and competences

- to set up a formalised cultural network as basis for a future Cultural Route, with a solid school ambassadors’ programme, which guarantee further sustainability to the educational programme beyond CHERISH project completion

- to foster understanding of European and cultural values.

NEEDS

Some scholars such as Manfred Spitzer, author of ‘Digital Dementia’ (2012), believe that our life today is defined by multitasking and that the simultaneous use of multiple digital tools play a fundamental role in the material life of many young people. The risks behind this are difficulties to maintain a high level of concentration and attention, of acquiring notions, information and knowledge in a superficial way. Therefore, school pupils engaged in the project activities, that on one hand will approach specifically the handling of objects such as swords, arches, flags and crossbows, and on the other co-design side activities such as music, choreography, dance and painting, will have the opportunity to connect with real life situations and be able to develop concentration, coordination, dexterity and spatial perception. In addition, there is a need of ensuring common educational approaches and shared vision about the added value of EU cultural heritage as economic and social development engine, to  support and accompanying these historical events passed on from generations to generations, for centuries.

TARGET GROUPS

• Secondary school pupils
• Teachers
• Schools
• Cultural makers
• Cultural organisations
• Policy makers
• Local community

TRANSNATIONAL ASPECT

The EU added value lays on the need of building, for the first time for this specific historical and cultural heritage, a transnational set of tools to embed the educational dimension of the European cultural heritage in the cultural offer similarly developed in different countries at European level. The added value will be given by the Outputs of transnational character to be jointly developed by cultural organisations, public authority, educational institutions (schools and VET and AL training centre) of 4 EU countries, as well as on specific activities designed to boost a solid cultural education related to EU medieval sports.