EUROPEAN CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT DIFFERENT COLOURS, SIMILAR PATTERN HELSINKI–OSTRAVA • 2019 ERASMUS+ Ostrava (CZ)–Helsinki (FIN) 2019 waldorfská Ostrav vá organizace STŘEDNÍ ODBORNÁ ŠKOLA WALDORFSKÁ OSTRAVA, příspěvková organizace Ludovíta' Štúra 1085/8 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba Czech Republic www.soswaldorfostrava.cz HELSINGIN RUDOLF STEINER - KOULU Lehtikuusentie 6 00270 Helsinki Finland www.rudolfsteinerkoulu.fi CONTENT 1. Foreword ..........................................................................................................................................3 2. Description of the project ..............................................................................................................4 3. Architecture ....................................................................................................................................6 4. Performing arts ............................................................................................................................10 5. Life in Finland and Czech republic .............................................................................................12 FOREWORD Our way of life flourishes in different environment naturally, culturally and socially. To consciously recognise the qualities of our lives we need to face and appreciate the differences as well as the similarities in the life of people, who are embedded in different environment. When we do so, we can develop more understanding of the environment and empathy for the other people's situation in general, which is the first step to overcome the prejudices. To achieve this we need to experience and study the culture of the partner country, express and mediate our own culture to our partners. The most rewarding way is to work together and to experience everyday life by the stay in the families and by the shared free time life. This is what was offered to the participants and what the majority of them has widely used and appreciated. For many of them this was therefor really essential life experience. The natural and social landscapes of the participating schools offered a lot of space for different approaches and outcomes, because there are many differences (industrial x cultural, seaside x inland, regional centre x capital), as well as many similarities (urbanistic changes influencing nature and culture in modern times). And so the project fulfilled its aims for participants as well as for the schools and public as you can see in this bulletin. 3 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT The main objective of the project was to encourage the active citizenship in the students through multidisciplinary artistic approach and to improve their language skills. Each of the students had a possibility to deeply connect him/herself with the subject of the project in a way appropriate for him, to use, show and document his/her best abilities and competencies and this way to be more interested and involved in different activities of the project. To achieve this, participating students took their own part in the process - from the planning and choosing the themes till the evaluation. On this base they built relationship and out of it real understanding of the project objectives. Project therefore supported active development of various abilities and competencies and their evaluation, so the participants could recognise and record their potencials and this way be prepared to actively step into the world. The main content of the project was to experience and study the culture of the partner country and express and mediate their own culture to the partners. The natural and social landscapes of the participating schools have many differences (industrial x cultural, seaside x inland, regional centre x capital), but they have similarities as well (urbanistic changes influencing nature and culture in modern times), so there was a lot of space for different approaches and outcomes. 4 THE PROJECT IN DETAIL The students worked generally in joined (from both schools) groups, where each small combined group had a specific task. There were two main fields to choose from, which were combined at the end to one shared result: a) visual art and architecture and it’s relation to the cultural expression of each nation b) performing art in connection with the cultural expression of each nation. The groups first searched the locations, objects and materials to work with, then did the observation, followed by the presentation. a) architecture group first found interesting objects of architecture, typical monuments and pieces of visual art of the countries, observed it and it’s connection to the cultural environment, gather the material and prepare the presentation of the objects (picture, plan, drawing, presentations). b) performing arts group first searched for the typical folk, and modern art expressions (music, dance, drama), then they prepared the performance on the base of the chosen pieces of art, presented it to the public and document it. The participants showed at the end of the project the results of their formal, non-formal and informal learning, development of their soft and hard competencies in a holistic way through the recorded self-reflection in European portfolio certificate and Europass. 5 ARCHITECTURE HELSINKI General aims were to gain knowledge about Finnish architecture and especially contemporary architecture. The theme was lingering aroud the minimalistic and aesthetic lines distinctive in contemporary Finnish architecture are ubiquitous in the country’s public and residential buildings. As a result of the processes the students had a personal holistic experience of various contemporary spaces such as a makers space, a library and in general the city planning and infrastructure. The students made excursions to architectural spaces related to certain functions as religion, different cultural aspects e.g. soundscape and music (movie theatre, music house). Finland is well known from it’s environmentally aware architecture. A striking example of new Finnish architecture is the Helsinki Central Library which is getting international praise. This library named Oodi (Finnish for „ode“) opened December 5, 2018. In these times of global warming and climate change there is a growing need to learn about sustainable design. Wood is related to sustainability, but for Finns, it’s also related to the national identity and the central library is a pioneer project selected by the Finnish government in celebration of the centennial of Finland’s independence 2017. The library’s façade from Finnish spruce and the building is extremely energy efficient. During the Erasmus project it was clearly seen that the ecological, local and energy efficient materials are increasingly guiding designing. Exchange projects attractions and visited places of interest gave a wide perspective to the architecture starting from Alvar Aalto, regarded as the most influential architect of modern Finland, to the traditional (Uspenski Cathedral) and contemporary churches (Rock Church) and various cultural spaces. As a sub- theme there was the multiculturalism and globalisation that play a vital role in welcoming diversity also in architecture. 6 FROM STUDENT’S BLOG Visit in Oodi Library April 8, 2019 Lukas Hlozanka On Monday 8th April we visited this nice piece of Architecture. The library was opened in 2018 (in December). From December 2018 to April 2019 is the 5 months in servis. Durong these 5 months was in Oodi more than 1 milion peoples. That great number! The library laing in Töölönlahti district in Helsinki. The Oodi is consists of 3 grounds: In the first of them is reception and small chill zone. The second one is an IT ground. You can try there 3D printings, some new game consols, PC programs, games and systems, and more… The third ground is the main. There is the mail library, with more than 1 milion books and big chill and coffee zone for everyone people. For me the visit in library was amazing, because in Ostrava we have only few „small“ libraries around to our city. In these we havent any chill zone, coffee only lending books. I thing that this system of library and spending free time is good for every country or city, so the people of Helsinki can be happy for this building. For me it was amazing afternoon in Oodi… Senses in Oodi April 8, 2019 Lukas Hlozanka If i must choose two, for me, main senses which i had in Oodi, i choose seeing and touching. Seeing i choose because every time which im here. I see setisfied, friendly and happy peoples. This environment have some trait, tat everyone Peoples which are sad, here are happy, without problems. About touching. All there is made for peoples of Helsinki. All is making from smooth, nice touching material in nice colours, which must make people better. I thing that is the reason to build this building, from people for people, to better feelings in their life... 7 Amos Rex Museum April 13, 2019 Kristofova_Anna On April 12th, we were at the Amos Rex Museum, where we had the privilege of getting to know the art of several excellent artists. Amos Rex is different from other museums because it is underground. Outdoor and indoor space connect the glass sheets in the ceiling. Most interesting was for me the afloat cuboid in the middle of the hall because I haven’t seen anything like that yet. Kiasma and Music house April 9, 2019 Eliška Čípová Today at 9th of April we have workshop. We made design on bag. After we visited 2 building. They are side by side. The first was Kiasma Contemporary Art Museum. It’s at