From 2014, I joined the CubicMeter Association – resources for culture as member and expert. Since then I contribute to the project “Support Culture in Education” as an expert, by setting up an archive of non-formal artistic education projects in Romania in the last 10 years, as co-editor of the publication “The Living Library of the Culture in Education”, and as a mentor for joint artistic and education projects. Visit www.culturaineducatie.ro and www.m3culture.ro for more.
To quote from project initiators Raluca Iacob Pop & Mihai Iacob: < The project Culture in education aims to support the development of cultural programmes with an educational dimension in Romanian schools through the development of a professional network of people and organisations, and the creation of resources about practices and public policies in the field.
We think that there are some strong benefits in taking part in cultural activities from a young age, and that for each individual and each community it is important to accumulate a relevant cultural capital in a critical manner.
We wish to bring culture in the lives of as many Romanian children and young people as possible, through direct encounters with artists and other culture professionals, through contact with the arts and heritage. These encounters need to take place where children are learning and living and we challenge both the cultural operators and the schools to imagine and develop programmes and activities which are adapted to the context of culture in education.
We are inspired by international programmes such as the Cultural Rucksack from Norway and we plan to learn from their portfolio covering over 10 years of activities.
We set to support artists and cultural organizations to develop their audiences, and we encourage teachers to explore how they can best reach educational objectives through creative partnerships.
From November 2014 to April 2016 we:
- train cultural and educational professionals from across the country;
- debate and share information about legislation, procedures, methods and techniques, daring projects and policy priorities;
- elaborate and publish studies and analysis about the potential of culture in education;
- talk to public authorities about how we can work together to bring quality programmes of cultural activities in schools.
Culture in education is coordinated by the Association CubicMetre – resources for culture and developed in partnership with “Sintagma” Centre for Education and Training, Gabriela Tudor Foundation, the Foundation for an Open Society, and the National University of Theatre and Film “I.L. Caragiale”.
Project financed by the EEA grants 2009 – 2014, through the NGO Fund in Romania.
For official information on the EEA and Norway grants visit: www.eeagrants.org. www.fondong.fdsc.ro.>