About the project
     
 

At first the project will allow students and teachers to get to know each other by exchanging e-mails concerning personal information, one’s own school  systems and cultural backgrounds, with particular reference to traditional music.

From the preparatory visit emigration emerged as a theme of common interest, so the students will start to work on a story which will be the script of the musical; they will be given some guidelines to work on and there will be a competition from which the best story will be selected.

Once the script has been written (by the end of the 1st year), teachers and students will start experimenting with writing music and lyrics. The pupils will help each other by keeping in touch via Web-meetings, chat-lines, e-mails. They will write music and send it to each other in midi files and sheet form. That will give them the opportunity to arrange the songs, exchange ideas, discuss technical problems and details concerning costumes, scenes etc.

At the end of the second year each country will perform their own musical, mainly in their own languages, which will be recorded in order to show it to the other partners. As a final product there will be an international performance involving representatives from each school, which will combine different music styles (and languages) and will be recorded on DVDs which will  also include a documentary section showing what happened off stage and the expectations and impressions of the participating students and teachers. 

The project will be constantly monitored and evaluated through project meetings, back-ups, questionnaires, etc.
 
What are the concrete aims of the project and its expected impact on the participants and other interested parties (on the pupils, teachers, institutions, local community, wider educational community)?

-        Getting in touch with students and teachers from different countries and overcoming cultural barriers by means of music, drama, dance and a common language (English);

-          Giving the students the opportunity to establish personal relationships in different cultural contexts

-          Getting the pupils to work in a team and involving them into a project work

-          Improving linguistic competence and developing cross skills (analysis, synthesis, creative writing, problem solving, team working, use of the new technologies etc)

-          Confronting different teaching methods and developing innovative strategies
 
What kind of end product(s) do we intend to produce?

-   A musical in each country, and a final international performance;

- a DVD with a documentary section showing what happened off stage and the expectations and    impressions of   the participating students. Each country will produce a separate DVD as well as a common one.

-  A booklet containing the script, lyrics, songs and music scores.

 
How do we intend to evaluate the progress of the project and its impact on the participating pupils and teachers, the participating institutions and, where relevant, on the local community?
Evaluation will take place periodically, at a local and international level by teams including students and teachers. Part of the work will be recorded on DVDs. International meetings will play an important role along with other evaluation tools, including questionnaires and back-ups.
 

How do we intend to disseminate the results, experience and end products amongst the participating institutions, other institutions and the local community?

The development of the project and the final results will be disseminated through  the school Web-sites and magazines, local newspapers and TV channels. Parents and representatives of the school and the local community will also be invited to the performances.

  
     
What kind of specific measures, and how do we intend to take within the project to:

 

§         facilitate the participation of pupils with special educational needs?

§         ensure equal opportunities for the participation of female and male pupils and staff?

§         promote intercultural education, and/or to help combat racism/xenophobia?

§         facilitate the participation of pupils/schools who/which are disadvantaged for socio-economic or other reasons?

§         facilitate the participation of disabled pupils and staff?

§         enhance the participation of pupils from ethnic and other minority groups, in particular children of migrant workers, gypsies, travellers and occupational travellers?

Pupils with special educational needs will be involved in the musical to help them improve their skills. Moreover the schools have no architectural barriers, which will facilitate disabled students’ participation.  Teachers and students of both sexes will take part in the project.

The very aim of the project is promoting intercultural education and integration as well as fighting racism, as it emerges from the musical main theme. That will enhance the participation of ethnic minorities, too.
 
The role of all participating institutions and how an effective cooperation and distribution of tasks will be ensured.
During the first project meeting each partner will be given specific roles and tasks according to their skills and resources. All the schools will follow the jointly elaborated plan and will contribute to the production of materials according to the established timetable. Regular communication will take place among the partners to monitor the project.
 
The project intend to use information and communication technologies?
Technology will be used in each phase of the project ( Web-cam, e-mail, Midi-files, MP3, Audio) and video cameras will record all the activities of the students.
The project will ensure the active participation of pupils throughout the project (planning, implementation and evaluation.
Teachers and  students will work together  in every single phase of the project. To encourage full student participation the teachers will plan classroom activities that will stimulate the students’ interest and require them to make some decision about the evolution of the project. As a final step the students will be given the opportunity to evaluate the entire project experience. They will be encouraged to review the steps taken to complete their project and then reflect on what they have learned, their language improvement as well as their feelings about the experience.
How will the project be integrated into the curriculum of the pupils participating in the project at the institutions involved?
The project is addressed to students aged 14-16 who study both English and music. The latter, for some of the partner schools is a core subject, so the musical will be an integrating part of the syllabus. Besides, the use of English as the language of the project will allow the pupils to improve their communication skills. The theme of emigration will also involve other subjects like History, Literature, Geography, ITC and Arts, thus emphasising the multicultural dimension of the project.