INTEGRA PROJECT 2012 - 2014
European cooperation in the area of adult education
Grundtvig Programme is part of the European grant Lifelong Learning Programme, LLP 2007-2013. It is focused on European cooperation in the area of education of adults, educational needs of people in all forms of adult education, i.e. focused on people older than 16 years with the exception of full time students of higher secondary and tertiary education institutions or universities.
European Commission provides through GRUNDTVIG programme financial means (grants) for mobility of people who are involved in the area of adult education and for project activities to institutions which provide or support adult education.
3 Integra Project
In the year 2013 started the project supported by the Slovak Academic Association for International Cooperation, the National Agency for Life Long Learning Programme in the sub-programme Grundtvig with the name INTEGRA. Partners in the project are Social Services Homes and Homes for seniors. The project coordinator is: » citizens’ association Traditional Folk Arts and Crafts Partners of the project: » Centre of social services, Český Těšín » Dom Pomocy Spolecznej im.Wladyslawa Godynia, Kraków » Éltes Mátyás Nevelési Oktatási Kozpont , Mosonmagyarovar The project was focused on teaching folk crafts to disabled people, seniors and occupational therapists. One of the active participants of the project was also the Social Services Home Zelený dom in Skalica. In the years 2013-2014 the mobility meetings took place in all partner towns: Český Těšín, Mossonmagyarovar, Skalica , Krakow and Piešťany. The opportunity was used not only by clients of the institutions, but also by occupational therapists, who could learn new technological procedures in production of new products and then they used them in their home organisations. This brochure will inform you in more detail on the course of the project, its results and mainly on the need to work in similar projects. All the partners prepared it together and expressed their knowledge, experience, and mainly their effort to continue in the started activities also in the future.
4 Material and published photographs have been provided by the project partnersl
Basic information about the organization The citizens´ assotiation Traditional Folk Arts and Crafts Strečanského 602, 920 41 Leopoldov, Slovakia
The citizens’ association Tradičné ľudové umelecké remeslá (Traditional Folk Arts and Crafts) was founded in 2006. Its activity is focused on maintaining traditional arts and crafts, presentation of crafts and craftsmen in Slovakia as well as abroad. Main activities of the association include organising of international festivals of folk craftsmen, work with disabled people and senior citizens, education for occupational therapists. Organising of events started in 2009 in the Slovak spa town Piešťany with the event Traditional folk arts and crafts. In the first year 120 craftsmen participated and the number of participants has increased year by year. This event is very popular with craftsmen as well as visitors. Young visitors are discovering traditional crafts and the older ones are remembering. Every year the visitors can see up to 50 kinds of crafts. They can admire the work of potters, tinkers, woodcarvers, jewellers, lace makers, decorated Easter eggs makers, makers of cornhusk-dolls, leather products, and a lot of other traditional Slovak crafts. Our intention is also to introduce craftsmen from other countries. Our invitation has been accepted by the craftsmen from the Czech Republic and Moravia, Poland, Serbia, Sweden, Belgium, Croatia, Macedonia, China, Hungary, Israel, Slovenia. The event is under the patronage of the First Lady of Slovakia, Mrs. Silvia Gašparovičová. The project Traditional folk arts and crafts won the award from the National Agency for Development of Small and Medium Enterprises in 2011, and we advanced as the national candidate to the European round of this competition where we won the “European Enterprise Promotion Award”.
5 Our developing activities have brought us also to cooperation with the Slovak Academic Association. We have been cooperating with this organisation since 2010, and the Association has supported us in several projects prepared by us in the GRUNDTVIG sub-programme. The projects have been focused on teaching the disabled people, seniors and occupational therapists in the area of folk arts and crafts. We have actively cooperated with social services homes (DSS) within these projects, e.g. DSS Zelený dom in Skalica, Slovakia. We prepared the workshop “Learn a craft” in the High Tatras, courses for individual participants, two-year project INTEGRA where our partners are also social services homes from the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary. We have a special cooperation with the citizens’ association Quadrifolia. In our mutual projects we are focused on teaching seniors and disabled people traditional crafts and education for occupational therapists. Since the year 2012 we have been organising events in Senec, Slovakia and in 2013 we started this tradition in the Slovak towns Hlohovec, Skalica and Žilina under the name Folk Arts and Crafts. In all these events there are 80-150 traditional producers as participants who present their own art. This is one of the conditions for their participation. Regular participants are social services homes – DSS Zelený dom in Skalica, DSS Merema from Modra and DSS Betánia from Senec. In 2014 we organized seven international festivals of folk craftsmen in Slovakia: in Nitra, Piešťany, Hlohovec, Skalica, Štrbské Pleso, Senec a Žilina. The events Traditional arts and crafts are held under the patronage of the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic. Photographs from our activities and events can be seen here: http://picasaweb.google.com/tlur.sk
More information can be found here: www.ludoveremesla.org
Ing. Miloš Kunkel, Chairman of Citizens´ Assotiation Ľubica Kuzmová, coordinator of the project
6 Basic information about the organization Social Service Centre Český Těšín, a contributory organization Sokolovská 1997, 737 01 Český Těšín, Czech Republic
The emergence of organization The organization was established on May 1, 2012 and is a successor of the merged contributory organizations Home for the elderly people Český Těšín, and the Social Services Český Těšín , whose founder is the Czech town Český Těšín.
Provided registered social services: • Home for the Elderly (residential social service established from March 3, 2003) • health services (terrain social service established from October 1, 2006) • personal assistance (terrain social service established from September 1, 2008)
Other operating unregistered services: • Rental of compensatory aids • Club for Elderly
All of these services except Club for Elderly are domiciled in the object of home for the elderly.
This home is residential care, whose mission is to provide social services for Elderly according to their individual needs. We strive for adequate support and assistance
7 for common needs and activities of users and at the same time dignified and happy spend a the autumn of life. The service has a capacity 72 seats in 54 rooms, of which 36 are single rooms and 18 double rooms with private facilities. Target group are elderly people over the age of 65 years. The service is used mainly by elderly people of the town of Český Těšín.
Care service and personal assistance is a residential social care services whose mission is to provide help and support in a domestic or natural social environment to the elderly people, the disabled and the chronically ill patients who need assistance of another person to meet their particular vital needs to such an extent in order to maintain and to support their current self-sufficiency and mitigate the risk of social exclusion.
The general aim of these services is to provide day care and personal assistance so that the user could stay as long as possible in their home or natural social environment and the opportunity to maintain and develop their abilities and skills and maintain existing practices. The target group of users are elderly people over 65 and people with disabilities or chronic illness aged 19 to 64 years. The total capacity of nursing services is set to 200 users, whom we can ensure the importation of food and 100 users, whom we can provide care. The total capacity of personal assistance is 7 users. Both services are intended for residents of the town Český Těšín and its surrounding areas.
Ing. Januš Foltyn, Director of Centre of Social Services Český Těšín
8 Centre of Social Services Český Těšín, a contributory organization (CSS)
Grundtvig Lifelong Learning Project was the first project funded by the EU, which was attended by our organization. I have to admit that before the start of the project we were full of expectation and uncertainty of how we manage role of a partner in this project. On the other hand, with the Polish partner has joined us have several years of cooperation. So we already knew what we can expect from it and also activity, initiative and clearly defined goals of our Slovak project coordinator were promise for successful project implementation.
I have to state that the project has exceeded our expectation. In the project we engage more people in your organization than we had originally anticipated and therefore we could pass on more information about the project to our users, who were involved in this project indirectly, through our employees.
At the first partnership meeting in our country in Český Těšín we presented primarily methods of work with paper (so-called quilling) and our own methods of work with ceramics. The results of these methods, we had the chance to see at a second meeting at our Hungarian partners, where to the work with ceramics were involved disabled youngsters, as well as at the third meeting with Slovak patrner. Thereby was also fulfilled one of the objectives of this project, the integration of persons with disabilities.
Fine motor skills when working with paper yielded results in the form of products, presented by our Polish partners, which certainly had a positive impact on increasing self-confidence and optimism for seniors. Due to the adverse health condition of our users, these (except meeting in Český Těšín) could not personally present the results of their interest activities at meetings in the partner organizations, therefore employees of our organization prepared for them presentation of all partner meetings. Very positive response among our users had a presentation from the festival of folk crafts in Slovak Skalice where they have been exhibited their products. Possibilities to present
9 themselves are also elsewhere than in our organization (even abroad), which motivates our users to become more involved in the motivational activities in our country, which has a positive effect on their psychological state and increased confidence. At the professional level of our employees in turn would affect the transfer of practical experience between participating employees of partner organizations. I consider this greatly important form of internships and thus as one of the forms of lifelong learning. The results of the project are clearly motivational character among our elderly people and employees and contribute both to improve the quality of life for our elderly people, but also for the moral appreciation of the work of our employees. Due to the fact that it was the Slovak- Czech-Polish-Hungarian, and perhaps with the exception of the Hungarian side was not among the partners greater language barrier. If we would like to participate in other future projects with international participation (especially with partners from Western countries), it would have been a language barrier a certain lack that we had to remove in the future.
10 Meeting I in the Czech Republic-Český Těšín 15 - 17 October 2012
The first meeting of partner institutions in the project Grundtvig Partnership was held on 15 17 October 2012 in the Czech Republic. The host organization was the Centre of Social Services Český Těšín, contributory organization. It was a three day event, which was attended by thirteen representatives of partner institutions from Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. Four employees involved for the host organization for the realization of the meeting. Users of the home for the seniors actively participated in individual activities of the meeting.
The first day of the meeting was dedicated to welcoming all participants, mutual acquaintance and an introductory presentation of the partner institutions. The tour of the home for the elderly people and facilities for leisure and motivational activities of the users took place in the afternoon. Subsequently guests attended regular joint event of the users of the home, the birthday reunion, which included performances of regional folklore and Slezan and Slezánek. After the dinner the day was ended with the tour of the history of Český Těšín and monuments of the Polish town Cieszyn.
11 On the second day, guests had the opportunity to get acquainted with the work of an interest in a pottery workshop. They were introduced to various techniques implemented work. For the two selected techniques (working with paper quilling and the formation of ceramic products from clay balls and snails) candidates were directly involved in the process of manufacture, acquire partial steps selected techniques and produced their own products. The directors of each of the partner institutions visited as an excursion Integrated Social Institute Komorní Lhotka, with which Social Services Centre Český Těšín cooperate long-term. The afternoon program included samples of imported products users of partner organizations and photo slide shows equipment our Hungarian colleagues.
The final day of the meeting started with an encounter of the users of the home for the elderly people with guests. The representative of the Slovak partner demonstrated a performance on the traditional Slovak musical instruments. Users in return sang to the guests Czech songs and a regional representative under the leadership of the Polish institution had the opportunity to try singing Polish folk songs by the drawing pictures. Representatives of each partner institution received mayor of Český Těšín during the day, who was familiar with the mission and further course of the project Grundtvig Partnership.
The entire three-day event was finished with recapitulation of moments experienced by all partners, by thanking host organization for the preparation and realization of meetings, mutual pass of presents and small gifts. All participants greatly appreciated the opportunity to actively participate in leisure activities of users to work together with elderly people in the interest and pottery workshop, where they gained inspiration and ideas for their next work. The meeting according to all partners exceeded their expectations. It went in very friendly and warm atmosphere, which was enlarged by their overall experience. Mgr. Gabriela Kuffová, head of the department of social services and outreach services CSS Production of ceramic bowls of marbles or “snails”
12 Tools: » ceramic clay » ceramic kiln » form » foil » sponge, brush » burel » engobes, transparent glaze » slip Workflow: 1. First, for easy turning or removing, we lay out the bowl with prepared tin foil. 2. From prepared clay we slice off pieces of which we model beads or remove larger pieces of clay, model snake and turn back into the shape of a snail. Size modelled balls or snakes depend on the individual choice of each elderly. 3. Balls or snails are inserted side by side into the prepared mould, with slight pressure we push them against the walls and to improve their connection we use slip. 4. After filling the mould we smooth inside of the bowl with a damp sponge. 5. After drying, the clay, we remove the bowl from the mould and put it to burn in a ceramic kiln. 6. After firing the bowl, we wipe the surface of the bowl with the burel and wash with a sponge. 7. If we want to have a coloured bowl, we use engobes or transparent glaze. For elderly people is important to learn the clay properly form and knead into a desired
13 shape with proper compliance of the workflow. Working with clay has therapeutic effects especially for elderly people with the disorder of fine motor skills.
Quilling The basic element of this technology is the use of strips of paper which, after being rolled into spirals subsequently formed into various shapes.
Tools: » paper » scissors » paper shredder » pin or skewer » dispersion glue » decorative material (pad, foam balls, pot, etc.)
Workflow: 1. The size paper A4 paper we cut up into strips with a width of 3-4 mm, of any length. For faster procedure we can insert the paper into the shredder that quickly and accurately cut the equally wide strips of paper. 2. A slip of paper we put into a notch at the tip of the stick or pin so that it overlaps a maximum of 2 mm over the edge.
14 3. We begin to spin a pin, while a strip of paper we let loose (with only moderate pressure of the thumb) to slip between the thumb and the index finger of our hand. 4. After the twist of the strip we glue created spirals with disperse glue. 5. A small amount of glue we apply to the tip of the strip of paper which is glued to the wall of the spirals. 6. We can glue before removing the pin spiral or after removing a stretching it. 7. Spirals can be formed into various shapes of different sizes (e.g., loose spirals, petals, drops, etc.) 8. Ready spirals of different shapes we stuck to the selected decorative tool. Local activities: Project “Senior Internet Euroklub - SIEC” Thanks to many years of collaboration with the Centre of Social Services Český Těšín
(CSS) with OS TRIANON are in our organization made computer courses in the ‘Senior Internet Euro Club’, involving both seniors CSS, and from the Český Těšín town, as well as secondary school students from grammar school Český Těšín. In the courses we offer seniors the use of cutting-edge information sources such as the internet. After completing the course, many of the course participants already work with their own Internet at home.
A major benefit is the inter-generational collaboration among seniors and their teachers
15 (The second-year or third-year students from grammar school Český Těšín), which proved very useful. The older ones are happy to go with the times and the younger one can verify their communication skills, the ability to express themselves, share their knowledge and also to train their patience. This also fulfills the minimum standards of social rights in the EU countries included in the European Social Charter.
Pre-Christmas exhibition of works of special interest workshops social service providers from the region of Cieszyn Silesia and Poland
The traditional Christmas exhibition of the work of special interest workshops social service providers from Cieszyn region and Poland is always organized by the Centre of Social Services Český Těšín (CSS) at the end of the year, since 2004. This exhibition presents products primarily of our seniors and seniors of our cooperating organizations providing social services of Cieszyn and Ustron, Komorní Lhotka and the other invited organizations. Total participation in the exhibition were 7-8 exhibitors. The exhibition is a two-day exhibition, it is open to the public and enjoys great interest of visitors every year. The project Grundtvig during exit meetings got acquainted employees of the various partner organizations with new methods of activation in the interest of users of workshops. These new experiences have been forwarded to our seniors. Public could
16 admire the results of the work on the Christmas shows in our organization in December 2012 and 2013, where there were presented products, that have been created using the new methods of work.
Ing. Januš Foltyn, Director of Social Services - Český Těšín
International Day of Older Persons in Ustroń (Poland)
On August 14 2013, the Center of Social Services Český Těšín, an organization participated in the International Day of Older Persons, held on the square in the Polish spa town Ustroń. It was the fourth year of this one-day event, in which got involved ten representatives of regional providers of social services in Poland and the Czech Republic. CSS, as well as other participants had the opportunity to present to the public not only providers of social services, but also the products of their users.
It was a unique opportunity to show to the public the products in international meetings implemented within the Grundtvig Partnership Project. The event also included live music of users of selected social service providers and regional ensembles, which helped to create nice atmosphere of the day. Representatives of each exhibitors had a enough room for cooperation with colleagues from other facilities. The mutual exchange of knowledge and practical experience, presentation of the methods and techniques applied in the work with the elderly is a
17 traditional part of the event. For CSS attended the event two users who are actively involved and participate in leisure and motivational activities in the home for the seniors CSS. Mgr. Gabriela Kuffová, head of the department of social services and outreach services CSS
Multimedia presentations from the meeting in Mosonmagyaróvár
Since last year our organization has participated in Grundtvig Partnership Project. In this project, we had the opportunity to visit the school of our Hungarian partners for the physically and mentally disabled children and young people in the spring of 2013. During the three-day stay, we had met with the local workers, educators, instructors, children themselves and young people. The main goal of our meeting was to exchange experiences in various work practices and approaches to work. The gained knowledge we then transferred to the work with our seniors in our interest workshops. Through a multimedia presentation, we prepared for our seniors just a small taste of what we have learned in Hungary and what we have experienced. We prepared them, among others, degustation of typical Hungarian specialties, that we
18 had brought for them as well we brought a little lesson in dancing, singing and having fun together on the Hungarian note.
Because most of our seniors due to their age and state of health could not personally attend the meeting in Hungary, we (our staff and participants) had tried to bring near to them our experience as closely as possible. Therefore, we had allowed them to see the photo report of the visit of the Hungarian town Mosonmagyarovar and the tour of the local schools and workshops for the physically and mentally disabled children and young people. Thus, we neared to our seniors, at least partly, lovely atmosphere and acceptance we had received at the meeting with our Hungarian colleagues.
Multimedia presentations from the meeting in Kraków and Skalica
Similar presentations of the meeting in Hungary we had prepared for our seniors from the other meetings held under the Grundtvig Partnership Project, the Slovak Skalice and Polish Krakow. In June 2013, we had visited our Slovak partners from the House of Social Services for Children and Adults - Green House and we had also actively participated in the Festival of Folk Craft on the square in Skalice, organized by the project coordinator of our Traditional Folk Arts and Crafts. Gorgeous festival atmosphere left us with unforgettable impressions.
In October 2013, our delegation had met again with all the project partners for the elderly in Krakow, Poland. Presentations from these meetings included a “virtual” tours of historical sites and royal towns Skalica and Krakow. We also neaerd to our seniors the history of these two tows, as well as new knowledge gained in the workshops of interest in the workshops of our Slovak and Polish partners. We presented them some products of the users of social services from Skalice and Krakow, we had brought them for an example, which have been made using new working practices.
Both presentations seamlessly led to the discussion. A number of issues related to
19 the festival of folk crafts in Skalice, which had great success with products created by our seniors of interest in the workshop and a lot of questions also related to the users of the Home for the Elderly from Krakow, given that some of them are a group of repatriates from faraway Kazakhstan. We offered to our seniors a demonstration of their culture and language, which we presented at the sample of video show. We had seen that the prepared presentation from the stay of our employees with our foreign partners have been the right form of communication to our seniors about the importance of Grundtvig Partnership Project.
Izabela Zajac, a worker in social services (basic non-teaching educational activity)
Basic information about the organization
20 Éltes Mátyás Nevelési-Oktatási Kozpont Szent István király út. 97, Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary
Mosonmagyaróvári Éltes Mátyás Primary School,Kindergarten,Special Skills Development Vocational School,Student at home,Unitary Special Education Methodological Institution is a special needs educational institution. It performs Mosonmagyaróvár regios with special needs children, students. Our duties: - to educate and train students with learning disabilities (mildly mentally damaged) at 1st to 8 th grades - to educate children/students with intellectual disabilities (moderate mental retardation), pre-school education, education groups, elementary school groups and VET grades from 1st to 12 th grades students - autistic students’ individual skill development 1-8 th school grades - severely, multiply handicapped students educational development
21 - preparation for home care to ensure development within the framework of those students who have disabilities and can not participate in school education - Special education methodology as an institution: o travelling special education teachers to help the receiving (integrating) schools: consultation, counselling, occupational development - rural students who can use the school college placement In the 2013/2014 academic year we have 156 children/students in our school. Special education teacher staff is 47, the number of assistants to help educators work directly is 18. In our institution of compulsory classroom sessions too much emphasis on the different therapies, recreational activities to maintain. Prominent among these is the role of crafts in various artistic occupations.
Etelka Várgané Éder - Director of Mosonmagyaróvári Éltes Mátyás Primary School,Kindergarten,Special Skills Development Vocational School,Student at home,Unitary Special Education Methodological Institution
Meeting II in the Hungary-Mosonmagyaróvár 21-23 March 2013
The second projectmeeting was in Hungary, Mosonmagyaróvár on 2013. march 21-23. Our students debut show was really succesful. Our folklor dance group’s act was for a hungarian traditional music. The mentally disabled and autistic students of our music therapy group played on folk instruments. We tried to get every teacher, worker of our institution to be a part of this project especial your special education teachers and students. Our project partners tal so could try how to decorate ginger bread, how to make corn cobdoll and beading. We are planning a common exhibition from the
22 products we have done. On the evaluating meeting the partners shared their experiances. It was our pleasure that everybody talked highly about the excellent organization, the useful programs and the Professional workin our institution. They saw the international projects experiances in our activity. Local activities :
23 Between the meetings we’re teaching in the workshops the new techniques to the colleagues and students. We arranged a Grundtvig Day in 2014. april 11th to pass the knowledge. We invited the mentally handicapped adult residents of homes for the elderly and day care home representatives. We prepared to the special day with what we learned at the project meeting: project product representation and exhibition. We taught pottery, egg decoration, paper weawing, making paper flowers and beading. We are very excited and pleased to have worked with our guests and our dissabled youth of our institution. It was good to see the true happiness, when someone finished his/her work and showed to eachf other: “See, I made this” :) This day brought long lasting memories for all participants.
Meeting III in the Slovak republic- Skalica 21-23 June 2013
24 After two excellent mobilities in Český Tešín and in Mossonmagyaorovar also a meeting in Slovakia took place. The third mobility meeting of INTEGRA was held in the town
Skalica between 21 23 June 2013. The place of the meeting was the Social Services Home Zelený dom in Skalica. The employees of this institution previously took part in the meeting in two towns and they managed the obligations of the organiser in their Social Securities Home very well. 22 participants from partner organisations came to Skalica. This meeting was different from previous meetings. While in Český Tešín and Mossonmagyarovar was teaching of folk crafts the main activity, in the meeting in Skalica the participants had the possibility to try practically the sale of their products which they brought with them. These were all the products the procedure of production they learnt during the previous meetings and they created these products themselves during the local activities. However, education was also a part of the programme in Skalica. On the first day, after their arrival the participants learnt new technological procedures for making products from the “fimo” material, they learnt to create pictures under the name encaustic. On the following day our guests, participants of the international festival of the folk craftsmen were in the Sloboda square in the free royal town Skalica. This town has been famous for traditional craft fairs taking place here since a long time ago. Our association
25 is the organiser of several international festivals and one of them is held also in Skalica. 80 folk craftsmen took part in this event among them were very successful participants of the Integra project as well – Social Services Homes from Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Their approach to this task was very responsible and they came well- prepared with plenty of beautiful products. During the event their presented their country with traditional costumes what emphasised the atmosphere of the festival. Not only occupational therapists and employees of the Homes of Social Services came to Skalica. They brought their clients with them. A very nice possibility for them was the participation in the event and success at sale of the products. Also this, providing help to handicapped people and their integration into activities of the international festival is the goal of the Integra project. We believe that this practical experience is the beginning of similar activities of project partners, and that they will participate together with their clients. What is more, they took home with them not only nice memories, but also an economic effect of their participation in the events. The participatants could see also the historical sights of the town Skalica with a guided tour and experienced nice moments during our gatherings in the evening.
26 Basic information about the organization Dom Pomocy Spolecznej im.Wladyslawa Godynia Sołtysowska 13, 31 589 Kraków, Poland
On a commission of the Municipality of Krakow, the “Zdrowie dla budowlanych” Foundation [Health for Building Workers Foundation] has been running the Władysław Godyń Nursing Home located in Krakow at ul. Sołtysowska 13D since 2003. Residents of the Nursing Home participate in the “Integra” Project, which is part of the Grundtving Programme under the Lifelong Learning Programme. This facility is intended for 67 people of advanced age. Those who return from Kazakhstan are the first to be admitted (40 places). At present, 41 women and 27 men reside in the Nursing Home; the youngest resident is 51 years old and the oldest one - 95 years old. The purposes of the facility are as follows: to provide well-being, nursing and supporting services for people who require round-the-clock care due to their age, illness or disability; to provide comprehensive psychological support in crisis situations related to a new life situation; to help develop abilities to handle a sense of helplessness; to provide the residents with spiritual and material support in order to ensure safe and decent life with privacy and independence adjusted to the level of their self-reliance, as well as their physical and mental fitness. There are 44 people employed in the Nursing Home and residents are taken care of by nurses and carers round the clock. In the Nursing Home, residents are able to use rehabilitation treatment, receive psychological support, as well as participate in various kinds of occupational therapy (ergotherapy, music therapy, art therapy, silvotherapy,
27 play therapy) five days a week. Workers of the therapeutic care department offer residents a wide range of cultural, sports and recreational events, e.g. dancing parties, picnics, bonfires, cinema and theatre outings, meetings with interesting people, concerts, as well as trips and rehabilitation holidays. In the Nursing Home, they conduct an adaptation programme for repatriates and other residents. The object of this programme is to help the residents with their adaptation to new life conditions.
Marek Janda,Director of Home „ Pomocy Społecznej im. Władysława Godynia” in Krakow
Meeting IV in the Poland - Kraków 14-16 October 2013 The fourth meeting under the “Integra” Project was held on 14 - 16 October 2013. It was organised by the “Zdrowie dla Budowlanych” Foundation seated in Krakow. Representatives from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary had an opportunity to participate in a music meeting, art workshops, as well as folklore activities, including folk dance lessons and learning household equipment characteristic of particular regions of Poland. During this three days’ meeting, art workshops were organised in the Nursing Home attended by its residents and therapists - participants of the project. In the course of the workshops, one could learn a decorative technique of decoupage and make tissue paper collage. Another presented technique was painting with Plasticine.
28 Before painting, Plasticine had to be warmed up in hands and then spread over cardboard with fingertips. This method allows one to use the tools that are used in ceramics. It may be applied in the realization of themes of different kinds. With the use of this art, a low-relief may be made. Works painted with Plasticine are characterized by diverse texture and an interesting range of colours that make them works of a high artistic value. As this method provides a wide variety of possible artistic expressions, it may be used to achieve different objectives - from therapeutic and training to relaxation goals. The very process of creation improves manual skills, and the end result is a source of positive aesthetic impressions which certainly help lift one’s mood.
In turn, a group of five people (senior residents of the Nursing Home) working under the management of a music therapist worked out and practised a vocal programme as part of music therapy constituting a fragment of project activities. Their repertoire included pieces of variable timbre and dynamics, elaborate harmony and diverse rhythm. The lyrics that had been chosen were to show the charm of the surrounding world, as well as optimistic moments in every man’s life which may be experienced regardless of age. The activities culminated in a performance of the group referred to above. The event included a therapeutic aspect of both active and
29 receptive music therapy. While preparing for the performance, the vocal group worked intensively so as to remember the melody line of the pieces and memorize lyrics with the use of different methods of learning.
In the area of receptive music therapy, the performance provided the listeners with positive emotions and experiences that were able to lift their moods. The group created an atmosphere which facilitated the integration and helped overcome interpersonal barriers in spite of the existing language barriers. The performers succeeded in arousing the audience’s interest and stimulating the listeners. Thanks to those activities, it was possible to achieve the following music therapy objectives: culture-forming, as well as cognitive - didactic goals. The results of the work of the group confirm the assumption that a person may learn throughout his/her entire life. We hope that this event will provoke its participants to take a deeper interest in music and poetry. A journalist from a local paper was also present during the classes which were conducted together with the residents of our Nursing Home. After the meeting, a positive article dedicated to the senior residents of our Nursing Home was published in newspapers, showing the elderly activities, as well as the initiatives taken for their benefit under the “Integra” Project. The partners of the Project had also an opportunity to visit with a tour guide the underground museum in the Main Market Square in Krakow, as well as to learn about the architecture and history of the city while taking the Royal Route and visiting the Wawel Cathedral. To complete the fourth Project meeting, its participants had the pleasure of listening to a recital of our colleague, Piotr Bzowski.
Local activities: In accordance with the objectives of the Integra Project, we applied and propagated in the local community of Krakow the techniques and methods which had been previously learned. An Easter Palm was the first work that had been created in the Czech Republic with the use of the techniques learned during the meeting and then presented to a broader
30 audience. All elements used during the creation of the palm were made with the use of the following techniques: quilling, tissue paper art and paper wicker. The work was presented in March 2013, during the Easter Palm Competition in the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Krakow organised by Stowarzyszenie Pomocy Socjalnej Gaudium et Spes [the Association for Social Assistance Gaudium et Spes]. Then, on the 10th Anniversary of the Nursing Home, an exhibition of art and craft works was organised presenting works created with the use of the techniques learned under the project. The participants of the occupational therapy classes had a chance to present their works of the past few months to the invited guests and other residents of the Nursing Home. The skills they had learned and the possibility to present them to a broader audience enabled the seniors to perceive themselves as respectable members of the local community who not only are able to exist but also to make their contribution to the cultural development of this community. Later (during the period from November to December 2013), residents of the Nursing
31 Home presented their skills to the young people who had practical training in our facility. A lot of works that were created during art activities were also displayed at the artistic handicraft exhibition organised in Jesuit University Ignatianum in Krakow. Due to the joint work and the activities in the local community, the goal of the elderly activation and the intergenerational integration was achieved. Thanks to such actions, the participants of the activities became aware of their abilities, usefulness, as well as of their possibilities to create something useful, and it had a positive influence on the level of their self-esteem. In November 2013, handicraft workshops were organised during which residents of our Nursing Home taught the new techniques to members of the Community Senior Club No. 25 located in Krakow at ul. Dywizjonu 303. The seniors learned quilling and tissue paper arts, and made Christmas decorations. The new skills used in the course of the workshops, as well as the presented educational abilities of the elderly contributed significantly to breaking stereotypes of perceiving
32 an older person as non-flexible and not interested in learning new things. Hence, it brought a change in the social acceptance of activities which may be taken and carried out by the elderly. On the 9th anniversary of John Paul II’s death (2 April 2014), an evening meeting in memory of this Great Pole was organised in the Nursing Home. The lyrical and musical performance was prepared together with the members of the friendly Senior Club. The time spent together, and the commonly experienced emotions integrated the participants of the meeting and strengthened the already existing positive bonds.
During the preparations for the events described above, modern technologies were also used. As part of the project, a “computer corner” was created, serving the needs of the Nursing Home residents where they can learn how to use computer programmes. Such skills will give the seniors access to the information on the Internet and will help them communicate with their friends and family living in remote parts of the world. Social activity and work, as well as the contact with other people allow one to forget about loneliness, pain and illnesses. They teach how to co-exist in a group, and help establish relations with other people. Due to the realized tasks, the seniors have integrated with the people they have worked with. They have created by themselves a system of social support for their own ideas and activities.
Meeting V in the Slovak republic- Piešťany 17-18 May 2014
Two years have passed really quickly and we expected the final mobility meeting in Piešťany. The Spa Island in Piešťany welcomed between 17 and 18 May not only the craftsmen, but also our partners from Český Tešín, Mosonmagyaróvár and Krakow. Since the previous meeting in Krakow everybody was working hard and was preparing products for the final meeting – the top of our 2-year effort. We wanted to show what new we created and to confront our products with the products of other partner organisations. Similarly as in Skalica, also in Piešťany participants presented their country in national costumes. The clients of the Home of Social Services from Skalica
33 performed their folklore programme, which was as always excellent. In the audience was present also the Minister of Economy who opened the event. They met each other as friends and before they left, they promised each other that future meetings will follow. The course of the project and its results will be the best appreciated by all the organisations and individuals who found here inspiration for their every day work and motivation to participate in similar projects also in the future.
34 35 The Social Services Home for children and adults in Skalica – Zelený dom
The Social Services Home for children and adults in Skalica – Zelený dom after several years of mutual cooperation with the citizens association Traditional folk arts and crafts welcomed our offer to participate in the Integra project with enthusiasm. Our institution after experience with the presentation of work of our handicapped clients to the public, at schools, in clubs of retired people felt the need to cooperate with a similar facility. The possibility to be included in this international project improved the level of work of our occupational therapists as well as of our clients. The goals set in the project exceeded our expectations a lot. With regard to the age of our clients, the occupational therapy has become the priority in our institution. This therapy is focused on the production of artistic, hand-crafted as well as utility products. Therefore the cooperation with occupational therapists working in similar institutions was a great opportunity for us to learn other techniques. The participation in the project meant for our clients not only the possibility to learn new occupational techniques, but also making contact with the clients from several institutions from three other countries. However, the decisive was the opportunity to present the results of their work to other specialist and to the public, who could assess and admire their skills and abilities. The interest in their products enriched the personalities of these clients and they have become “non-professional professionals” and their self-confidence has developed into another dimension. The feeling of success, appreciation eliminates the feelings of inferiority among the clients, increases their self-confidence, develops creativity, fantasy, abilities, fine motor activity and perception skills. This experience motivated significantly not only the occupational therapists who directly participated, but also the professional staff in the institution and has brought encouragement into our not easy, but beautiful work.
Mgr. Beáta Minďašová, Director of The Social Services Home for Children and Adults in Skalica
36 Local activities in Zelený dom - Skalica
Christmas hobby workshops in Green House in December 2013 The social services home for disabled people- Green House in Skalica organized in December 2013 together with the civic association Quadrifolia five Christmas hobby workshops for primary and secondary schools in Skalica and Senica. The aim of Christmas hobby workshops was to show life, work and skills disabled clients , to try art techniques , to involve children, young people and public in to work. These activities help to connect the world of healthy and disabled children and they break barriers which still exist in the society. Apart from educators, trainers also the clients particapated in the Christmas workshops. Various art techniques were presented. The clients produced products and had the opportunity to know new friends trom schools. The disabled children presented four art techniques: » encaustic – painting with hot wax » painting on glass » work with Fimo » work with beads
37 The children and students with the help of tutors and our skilled clients could create a small gifts. The local activity of Citizen Association Traditional Folk and Arts Handycraft
Local activities of Traditional Folk Arts and Crafts „Kovačica October“
The event „ Kovacica October“ is a very important event of theSlovak minority in Kovačica, Serbia. This community has already been maintaining its language, customs and they brough from their old homeland for 200 years . Every October cultural events with many prominent personalities take place. The members of the civic association participed in this event for the first time. They represented a lot of popular Slovak craftsmen and their products. The chairman the civic association performed in the cultural programme and played the traditional slovak musical instruments. Further activities were opening of the Museum of Naive painting which has made Kovačica famous throughout the world . An exhibition in the Museum opened by the Ambassador of the Slovak Republik in Serbia Jan Varšo. Miloš Kunkel opened also an exhibition of the Club Kreatornica. The members of this club presented their products in the occassion of the first anniversary of the Club Kreatornica.
Workshop for children the in Low Tatras.
38 Civic association with its members participated in the event for children from Slovak children´s homes on 6 December 2013. We prepared for children in Christmas atmosphere workshops where we together with the children prepared Christmas decorations and other gifts. Children could try the work on ceramic circles, creating figures from clay, they learnt to make pictures and Christmas balls for the Christmas tree. After the event the winners were chosen. The event was attended by 40 children and they worked with three lecturers from the civic association.
39 Products´ of the project
40 Products´ of the project
41 Products´ of the project
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Prepared by : Citizens´ Association Traditional Folk Arts and Crafts.
Material and published photographs have been provided by the project partners.
is project was implemented with the financial support of the European Union. Only the authors of the materials and articles who contributed into the brochure are responsible for their contents. is brochure does not represent the opinions of the European Commission, and the European Commission shall not be responsible for the use of information contained in the brochure.