Among all the sessions settled by the European Centre for Culture, this meeting between young Europeans is close to our heart. Its subject subject is a domain of the web site of the Institute and its partners.
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european institute of cultural routes |
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| Michel Thomas-Penette |
| 29 February 2008 |
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As we are in situ for two weeks, it seemed important to to be able to tell our readers directly, day after day, with the help of pupils and teachers, the concerns, the works, the results, the reactions?
Three groups are:
Associazione Anthropos, Pavie, Italy
Centre de Culture Européenne "Europolis", Calarasi, Romania
Club Europe of Parthenay, Parthenay, France.
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Pavia battle
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Youngsters from Pavia
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Sunday 11 May :
9 a.m. - Breakfast
10 a.m. - Presentation of the Royal Abbey by Nicole VITRE, teacher in visual arts.
11 a.m. - Jazz concert by Pascal DUCOURTIOUX, percussionnist and composer and Michel BOUDJEMA, pianist.
12.15 - Lunch
1.30 p.m. - Excursion to Talmont-sur-Gironde : discovering of the Talmont peninsula. Visit to the church, part of Santiago de Compostela pilgrim's way. Free time on the beach.
6 p.m. - Back to the Abbey.
7 p.m. - Preparation of the countries presentation.
7.30 p.m. Diner.
9 p.m. Presentation of the countries by the pupils (Italy - Pavia), Abbey's galleries.
The presentation of Pavia was through a show of music and dance telling the important historical steps of the city that have known some conflictual episodes with the French crown.
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Monday 12 May
8 a.m. - Breakfast
9. a.m. - Presentation of the European Centre for Culture and of the Internal Regulations by Alain OHNENWALD, Director
10.30 a.m. Break
11 a.m. - Presention - a following.
12.15 a.m. - Lunch
2. p.m. - European issues (I) with Alain OHNENWALD and Michel THOMAS-PENETTE, Director of the European Institute of Cultural routes, Council of Europe, Luxembourg.
4. - 4.15 - Break
4.15 p.m. - Free time
5.30 p.m. - Group A : Visit of the Abbey heritage with the tourist board of Saint-Jean d'Angély.
6.30 - Group B : Same visit.
7.30 p.m. - Dinner
9. p.m. - Presentation of the countries (Part II Romania and France) in the galleries of the Abbey.
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Romanian presentation : Trajan on the bank of the river Danube |
French catwalk for Poitou-Charentes |
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European issues
This part of the session is divided into two stages. On 12 May, a series of questions are raised by the pupils and a first discussion takes place. Eight days after the discussion is a deeper survey.
It certainly seems obvious that, whatever the geographical origin of the pupils, the controversy between the European countries that decided to follow the US rules for the Iraq war and those who have chosen to follow the United Nations resolutions is a central issue. This seems to be a fundamental subject which raises passion.
Which role for NATO? Which future for a common European foreign policy and a common army? Who is protecting who?
Anther question : the national or regional identities versus globalisation.
A real preoccupation towards the limits of European enlargement...What about Ukraine, Albania and even Israel?
And at last the will to compare the various educational systems. Which cursus for which jobs?
All these questions are close to the main theme of the session : Memory. So, it was so decided to go further... and beyond the immediate issues : economy, oil, balance between East and West, North and South and to analyse the historical background and fundamental keys : Empires and Nations-States, as well as the memory of Communist Europe...
At night Romanian pupils have chosen a course in their country through music and history, from traditional to rock dances and then from the Daces to the images of Calarasi.
The French, in a humorist presentation illustrated their "big" country and their small "home" of Parthenay in Poitou-Charentes, as well as the professions taught in their college.
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| Beginning of the lectures and workshops |
Tuesday 13 May :
8. a.m. - Breakfast
9 a.m. Group A : Meeting with Michel THOMAS-PENETTE, Director of the European Institute of cultural routes, Council of Europe, Luxembourg : "Make memory of Europe speak to us".
Group B : Meeting with Félix MOLITOR, Ministry of Culture of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, in charge of literature and theatre, writer, poet, Luxembourg "Languages, beyong memory".
9.40 a.m. - Pause
9.45 - Following of the meetings
10.30 - Preparation of questions with the teachers.
11. - 12. a.m. - Debate with the speakers.
12.15 - Lunch
2. p.m. - Presentation of the workshop's responsible : song, dance, journalism, multimedia, scenography / costumes, theatre.
2.15 p.m. - Start of the workshops.
3.30 p.m. - Meeting with the teachers : preparation of intercultural activities.
4. - 4.14 p.m. - Break
5.30 p.m. - End of the workshops. Round table between teachers and pupils, free time or sport.
5.30 p.m. - Meeting with the delegates of the groups.
7. p.m. - Dinner
9. p.m. Preparation of the night "Carte blanche".
10. p.m. - Free evening.
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Winston Churchill
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A. De Gasperi
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The Institute is part of almost all the sessions in Saint-Jean and in the other centres for more than three years.
Each time the lecture starts with an analysis of the history of the Council of Europe and of the other European Institutions, from the after Second World War period to recent events. A presentation of various cultural route's themes is a way to illustrate how some words - culture, identity, heritage - are key issues to understand the various courses of history in the countries involved.
This time the aim was to focus on sixty years of European history and to explain which values the Institutions are carrying and why : Human rights on one side, economy on the other, separation between West and East and of course conflicts and reconciliations.
This work on a common memory, which raises many questions on Europe's everyday life, as well as geostrategy, appears more and more useful, year after year. Oblivion is there, not only in Western countries, but also in Eastern Europe. The young Europeans of West are of course far from the dark hours, but what to say about recent Romanian past?
During the session, and perhaps for the first time, all the workshops are linked together and based on a collection of memories of the inabitants of Saint-Jean who were in their youth were under German occupation. These tales will be the subject of theatre reflection and scenography, as well as research on music, costumes, ambiances of the 40's.
The multimedia workshop is there to record and disseminate these testimonies, linking past and present...but you will find very soon in links (know more) and in this article the very analysis coming from the young who are working in intercultural groups, as well as the texts of the lectures and the list of the questions raised by the pupils...
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| Photos reportage in the workshops |
Wednesday 14 May :
Same programme as 13 May, with exchange of groups for the lectures and workshops in the afternoon.
7. / 11. p.m. - Invitation for dinner in the hosting families of Saint Jean d'Angély.
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Theatre workshop
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Workshop costumes and scenography
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For this second day of the multimedia workshop, the participants prepared the schedule and structure of their reportage and visited the other workshops for taking photos and catching the ambiance.
They learnt to use data bases on the internet, especially for documentation on the 40's.
A group aims at understanding the approach of the journalist in his research of the memory of the inhabitants of Saint Jean (Laurent, Ambra, Stefania et Bogdan).
The second group wants to understand and disseminate the way a director on stage goes from a text - and key words - to gesture and involvement of the body (Sébastien, Paolo, Ruxandra, Alexandru).
The third one is searching photographs and documents in order to find comparisons between the attitudes of the 40's : everyday life, war...and the gestures used in choreography (Nicolas, Alessio, Cristina et Bianca).
The fourth one is interested in the realisation of costumes and the preparation of songs and musics (Jérémy, Alessandro et Gaia).
All of them had a first approach of photoshop tools and infography.
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Multimedia workshop
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Multimedia workshop
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Thursday 15 May:
8 a.m. - Breakfast
9 a.m. - Pedagogical excursion in La Rochelle.
10 / 11 a.m. - Group A : visit of the "Bunker" of German officers, La Rochelle museum of the Second World War.
- Group B : visit of the city.
11 / 12 a.m. - reverse.
12;30 a.m. - Pick nic.
1.30 p.m. - Free time in La Rochelle (oceanographic musum...).
6 p.m. - Diner
9. p.m. - Dancing party. Exhibition room.
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Visit of the Bunker. Photo C.W.
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Visit of the town. Photo C.W.
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Visit of the town of La Rochelle under the sun !
The visit was divided in two parts :
Guided visit of the German bunker with historical documents on the town and its environment.
Historical visit of the town : Town Hall, Tour de la Lanterne, Tour de la chaîne, Tour des quatre sergents, etc.
Afternoon : freetime for everybody.
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Friday 16 May :
9 a.m. - Breakfast
9.30 - Keeping the rooms in order.
11 a.m. - Preparation of the evening "Carte blanche" with the animation team.
12.15 a.m. - Lunch
13.30 - Pedagogical excursion in Royan : reconstruction of a city. Visit of modern Royan.
6 p.m. - Back to the Abbey.
7.30 p.m. - Diner
9. p.m. - last preparation of the evening "Carte Blanche" with the animation team.
10. p.m. - Free time or discotheque.
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Speech of Raymond Weber |
Speech of Ana Blandiana |
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Saturday 17 May
8. a.m. - Breakfast
9. a.m. - Group A : Lecture of Raymond WEBER, honorary director of Education, Culture and Sport of the Council of Europe. Adviser of Luxembourg Government : "Towards a route of sites of memory in Europe".
- Group B : Lecture of Ana BLANDIANA, poet, President of the Foundation "Acaemia Civica", President of "Civic Alliance", President of PEN Club Romania, Chief of the Honour Commission of the Union of Romanian writers : "Sighet, a work of memory".
9.40 a.m. - Break
9.45 a.m. - End of the lectures.
10.30 a.m. - Meeting of the groups with the teachers, prepartion of questions.
11. / 12. a.m. - Debate with the speakers.
12. - Open meeting with the speakers.
12.30 a.m. - Lunch
2.p.m. - Workshops
3.30 - Meeting of the teachers and preparation of the intercultural activities.
4. / 4.15 p.m. - Break
5.30 p.m. - End of the workshops.
Roundtable between teachers and pupils, free time or sport.
7.30 p.m. Dinner
9. p.m. - Initiation to folk dances of Saintonge with "L'Amuse Folk" group.
Sunday 18 May :
Same programme / exchange of the groups.
8. p.m. - Dinner with national specialties, prepared and presented by the pupils.
10. p.m. - Free time of discotheque.
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Raymond Weber was for more than fifteen years Director of Education, Culture and Sport in the Council of Europe. He is now in charge of a mission for the future University of Luxembourg and at the same time part of various organisations working on the analysis of European cultural policies, even in Brussels for the E.U. He is for example President of Mediacult in Vienna a structure which is working on fundamental concepts in a changing Europe.
His main idea, in the context of this session, is to launch a network of sites of memory which could be at the same time forums for dialogue and exchanges and sites where conflicts of the past could be the basis of a balance analysis of what means otherness and dialogue.
He presented at first a series of definitions that were also part of the first lecture's surveys at the beginning of the week but that he enlighted with the perspective of the main European challenges of these last years: heritage, history, memory on one side, and cultural democracy, citizenship, governance and security on the other side.
For him, these challenges are visible in the confrontation of interculturality and uncertainty about identity, as well as in a thorough analysis of the past and a research of spaces for a better dialogue. Each of these concepts were confronted with the place of culrure in the European Convention, or in the Charter on Fundamental Rights.
The definition and the research of a network of sites of memory was then presented in the perspective of a more general survey that enhances "the values of conflicts".
Ana Blandiana has recalled the pupils that for the Greeks "mnemosis" was the mother of the muses. This is certainly an idea to be considered for a poet who devoted his life to resistance and memory, in order to be one of those who really work on the transmission of values, conscience and civic attitude.
She gave a very concrete example through the presentation of the steps which prepared the opening of the Sighet - North of Romania - memorial that is now installed in the "prison of ministers" due to the courageous and constant work that she did with her husband Romulus Rusan for more than ten years.
This place not only accommodates now 500 visitors a day , but is also the site for youngster's summer schools and seminars of historians and witnesses.
Choosing Sighet as a starting point and concrete example she went through the history of other dissident movements in other ex-communists countries. It is not surprising - considering her moving speech - that the questions or pupils came in a written form and not directly. They were impressed and astonished either by the true concern of Ana and by the dramatic events that she raised which opened to them new perspectives on the recent history of Europe which are far from their own concerns.
See the link with the web page of our site on the route of sites of memory and a lecture of Raymond Weber, as well as the link with the web page on Sighet and the text of Ana Blandiana.
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Monday 19 May :
8. a.m. - Breakfast
9. a.m. - Group A : meeting with Théo ROBICHET, documentarist, President of the Institute for European Memory, Gennevilliers, France : "Conflicts and reconciliations".
- Group B : Free time or excursion on Santiago pathways.
9.40 a.m. - Break
9.45 a.m. - meeting with Théo Robichet : a following.
10.30 a.m. - Preparation of questions.
11. / 12. a.m. - Debate with the speaker.
12.15 a.m. - Lunch
2. p.m. - European events (to replace the excursion to Maris Poitevin because of the rain.
7.30. p.m. - Dinner
9. p.m. - Evening "Carte blanche".
Tuesday 20 May : open doors day
Same programme than Monday and night workshops. 9. / 11. p.m.
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Lecture of Théo Robichet
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Evening
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Théo Robichet was keen to deliver a lecture about information and manipulation. He came from the importance of the body in various European religions as the first step of confrontation and conflicts. Then he presented three types of truths offered by medias : "I believe that we have to compare three items. There is the "Historical truth", the "Increased truth" and the "Virtual truth".
He then opened a large debate in emphasising some trends in TV information : "The habit for TV is that information has to be "Information-Infracction-Show". In order to transform a fact in an event used in a TV magazine, something has to happen, but something that appears strange to our memories. The normal order of the world has to be broken. If there is no disorder, there is no reason to inform and no spectacular details. A train that is on time in the station is not an event. Only the one that is arriving late is taken into consideration".
(See the text of the lecture in link).
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| Last day for the workshops and dancing of the 40's |
Wednesday 21 May :
8 a.m. - Breakfast
9. a.m. - Debate on Europe today with Théo ROBICHET, Sorina CAPP and Michel THOMAS-PENETTE. Film "Avoir vingt-ans dans les Aurès" (on Algerian war).
10 a.m. - Break
11. a.m. - Debate : following.
12.15 a.m. - Lunch
2. p.m. - Worshops
3.30 p.m. - Meeting of the teachers, preparation of the intercultural activities.
4. / 4.15 p.m. - Break
5.30 p.m. - End of the workshops. Roundtable teachers and pupils. Free time or sport.
7.30 p.m. - Dinner
9. p.m. - Presentation of the workshops and dancing of the 40's.
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Mémory of St Jean
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Waiting for freedom
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Charlotte Delbo wrote a text that was the redthread of the workshops and that closes the show.
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Arrival of the resistants |
Lily Marlène |
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For the workshop on multimedia, the first articles - reportages on the other workshops are on line.
The four intercultural groups have taken photographs, prepared interviews and texts and learnt the web design, as well as the way to create internal and external links. A remarkable and cerative work!
But the night was the occasion to measure the perfectly integrated work of the other workshops : total representation through songs, dance and theatre, following the reading by a witness born in St Jean of his own memory of war and the recovering of freedom...in the shelter of the abbey.
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Memory
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After the show
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The scenographer and costume designer
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And Patrick, in charge of animation
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Thursday 22 May:
8. a.m. - Breakfast
9. a.m. - Intercultural workshop : a European city; investigation in Saint Jean d'Angély; encouter with the inhabitants of the city.
10.30 / 10.45 - Break
12.15 - Lunch
2. p.m. - Excursion in the Marais Poitevin.
4. / 4.15 - Break
4.30 - Presentation of the assessement of the session.
6. p.m. - Free time or sports.
7. - Meeting of the delagates of the pupils.
7.30 - Dinner
9. p.m. - Free evening, disco of chess turnament.
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Ceremony of diplomas
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Ceremony of diplomas
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Friday 23 May:
8. a.m. - Breakfast
9. a.m. - Final redaction of the assessement by the pupils.
- Redaction of the assessement by the teachers.
10.30 a.m. - Break
10.45 a.m. - Redaction of the assessement (a following).
12.15 a.m. - Lunch
2. / 4. p.m. - Presentation and discussion of the final assessements by the pupils, with Alain OHNENWALD, salle des Hôtes.
4. / 4.30. p.m. - Break
5.30 p.m. - Diplomas
5.30 - Closure ceremony, salon d'Honneur.
7.30 p.m. - Dinner and farewell evening.
Saturday 24 May:
Departure of the pupils.
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5 lectures - debates
1 concert
10 half-days workshops
3 exhibitions
4 half-days excursions
"Panorama of the European Union", E.U. Bureau Paris.
"Youth in Europe", Source d'Europe, Paris.
"Contemporary tapestries". Prassinos, Saint Saëns, Schumacher, Tourlière, Yarmolinsky, Collection Denise Majorel, Paris.
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This programme was chosen by the Scientific Committee of the "Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle" of Saint Jean d'Angély European Culture Centre.
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Closure ceremony |
Pavia city / Drawing of the pupils |
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Workshops :
Songs: Nessim BISMUTH, singer. "Voice in any state"
Dance : Marion BATI, Dancer, "choreography of themes based on 1939-1945"
Journalism :Jean-Louis CREMONT, Journalist, photographer. "Perception of the memory of St-Jean d'Angély citizens"
Multimédia : Thierry LOISEAU, Cultural Centre of Terrasson,
Sorina CAPP, Dorothée ORJOL and Michel THOMAS-PENETTE, European Institute of Cultural routes, Luxembourg - Council of Europe: "Neighbours, neighbouring: using multimedia : Web pages, date bases, newsletters: "
Scénography : Véronique TISSIER and costumes : street theatre, scénography "Costume, testimony of reality"
Théatre : Sigrid GLOANEC, Director. "A respiration for telling"
Interpretors :
Romania : Marcela RADULESCU BORJAN
Italy : Rossana TRUPIANO
Pedagogy of heritage:
Nicole VITRE, Teacher in visual arts.
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Direction : Alain OHNENWALD
Co-ordination : Catherine MOUSSION
Secretariat : Corinne VINET and Lydie ROGER
Gestion : Brigitte MERCIER
Comptability : Chantal GAUFRETEAU
Animation : Nicolas LUCAS and Patrick MARTEAU
Technologies of Information and Communication : David CHAUVEAU
Sécurity : Maurice ROCHETEAU
Foyer : Christophe BAREAU
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