Between 22 and 25 May the 6TH Erasmus + ' Art for Coexistence ' project was held in Évora (Portugal). ' Art for coexistence ' has the participation of the foundation Yehudi Menuhin Spain and for this appointment the Spanish delegation is made up of people from the university Rey Juan Carlos, the city of Velilla de San Antonio, represented by the councillor of Culture, together with artists and educational centers participating in the project and people of the foundation Yehudi Menuhin Spain to form a group of nine people. The VI Erasmus Project + ' Art for Coexistence ' was organized by the Association Yehudi Menuhin Portugal, in collaboration with the Évora School group Manuel Ferreira Patrício and the city Council of Évora. The meeting also included the support of the University of Évora and the Fundación Eugênio de Almeida. We wish to thank those responsible for the organization in Portugal for the good reception, the organization and the opportunity that gave us to participate in their experience of ' art for coexistence '. They were not only exceptional hosts, but we had the opportunity to check the excellent work that is being done in the project, and enjoy at the same time a city as beautiful as Évora the involvement of the children and teachers in the program was patent. The artists showed us their work and participated in various workshops. It is so much what we have received that it is difficult to choose what to transmit.
The day to day in Évora
The different participating countries were arriving at the destination on the 22nd with the intention of being able to start the next day in a day full of activities.
The 23rd began with a visit to the city of Évora, where you could enjoy a traditional Portuguese song and was attended by Sara Dimas who was able to welcome the visiting group as one of the representatives of the Municipal Chamber of Évora so com or Isabel Bezelga as representative of the Association Yehudi Menuhin of Portugal. In this reception of the city Council we had the opportunity to check the interest that, both the municipal and the academic institutions, have for the culture, combining the modernity with the conservation of the tradition and identity of its people. After this, the group moved to Cruz da Picado school where the boys and girls of the educational center performed different dances and projected the videos made during the course by the participants of the center. After a joint meal, the students of the centre were able to enjoy the sessions of three artists: Alejandra Pérez (Spain), Anna Gulyas (Hungary) and Fernando Pérez (Germany). To conclude the day, the group had the opportunity to visit the University of Évora where Pablo Rodrigues took a guided tour of the same. At the Escuela da Cruz da Picado, the artists, teachers and children showed us their work and participated in the workshops prepared by artists of various nationalities. All speaking the universal language of gesture and art.
- They showed us the stories written, illustrated and put in audio by the children.
- Work on emotions, equally illustrated.
- We watched a video mounted by the artists of the school where the children dramatized and interacted with objects imagining what other function they could have, showed us their dreams, what they wanted to be older.
- What to say about the multisensory classroom for children with autism spectrum disorder! We really liked the idea of how to do with not many resources, but with enthusiasm and creativity.
- We participate with the children in workshops by artists from Spain, Hungary and Germany (Alejandra, Anna and Fernando).
[Gallery columns = "2" ids = "1191,1195"] On the 24th it began with a visit to the Convento dos Remedios, where one could enjoy a brief explanation of the oral tradition and an artistic presentation was made by the centre of Oral tradition. In the same space, it was possible to make an exchange of good practices where each country was exposing different actions from which the rest could be nourished. From there, a transfer was made to another of the faculties of the University of Évora, where, on this occasion, it was possible to enjoy the workshops of four artists participating in the project: Belá Augusti (Hungary), William Verastagui (Switzerland), Jose Manuel García-Muñoz ( Spain) and Celida Mendonca (Portugal). After the meal, the group moved to the Fundación Eugénio de Almeida where a visit was made to the Center for Art and culture by Jose Alberto Ferreira and continued with a guided tour of the historic center of Évora. The meeting concluded with a cultural day after dinner in which the different representatives of each country were able to enjoy a performance prepared by the Portuguese artists. This is one of the last meetings of the project and the participants will be able to meet again in the next meeting that will be held in Budapest at the end of September. [Gallery columns = "2" ids = "1197,1198"] These international encounters enrich us very much, allow us to reflect on the richness of the differences and the many things that unite us: the love for education, culture, art, the dedication and affection that we have with children, the conscious that We are that without them there is no future, the need to give them every opportunity to develop fully.