Partners & Research
THE RESEARCH, an introduction
ITAP-PD focuses specifically on the partnership between a teacher and an artist, aiming to facilitate a strong foundation of relationship and inspiration before working together in the classroom. On our journey to co-create this methodology we organized a research group to collect data about the impact of the program and the residencies, and to monitor the development and finetuning of the training program. The research team consists of representatives of each country.
The five day ITAP program was piloted in four countries: Ireland, Serbia, Greece and the Netherlands. This deepens the experience, because in the training program we reflected on our daily work context through the lens of contrast. Things that you consider to be a standard procedure are not necessarily the same in our partner countries. There are differences in our educational systems and the place of arts in society. In getting to know each other and exploring these differences we also find a lot of similarities in our challenges and ambitions. What brings our organizations and participants together is the belief that by joining forces as teachers and artists, within an educational framework, we can co-create a valuable learning experience for our students.
Here you can read a short introduction and download the research reports from Greece, Serbia, Ireland and the Netherlands. Read them all and explore how the program and residencies were experienced and analyzed within the different contexts
Tralee Education Centre (TEC) is one of a national network of 30 Education Centres charged by the Irish Government Department of Education and Skills with providing Continuing Professional Development for teachers in all the Republic of Ireland’s schools. Website www.edcentretralee.ie
Tralee Education Centre (TEC) is responsible for in-service training for all 144 Primary schools and 27 Post Primary Schools in County Kerry. In-service training includes day release programmes for teachers, evening classes and online resources. In addition to its in-service remit TEC is the National Administrative Centre for Teacher-Artist Partnership CPD Summer Programmes (TAP) and Creative Clusters under the Creative Ireland Initiative and it is the National Base for any Primary School Curriculum change. Personnel at Tralee Education Centre have over 25 years’ experience in running projects and making appropriate arrangements for conferences. Tralee Education Centre, under the auspices of the Department of Education and Skills is the national administrative and coordinating centre for all CPD in Arts and Creativity in Education in Ireland under the national policies of the Arts in Education Charter (2012) and the Creative Ireland – Creative Youth Pillar 1 Programme (2017-2022).
TEC specifically nationally administers the Irish Teacher-Artist Partnership CPD Programme (TAP) and Creative Clusters which is delivered in the network of 21 Educations Centres in Ireland (ESCI). Since 2015, TEC has led the Irish TAP National CPD Summer Courses Programme and associated Residencies which focus on enabling teachers and artists to jointly develop their understanding, expertise and creativity in ‘arts in education’ work with children and young people. It involves the development of cultural networks and a national exchange platform for organisations and practitioners engaging in and sharing best practices for TAP PD in education, community and arts settings. TAP-PD addresses this priority for a more inclusive and relevant education by researching and meeting the training and support needs of teaching staff and associated professionals in primary schools so they are better prepared to meet the challenges of educating children and young people for an uncertain future where skills like the ability to connect and collaborate with others, engage in creative and critical thinking and practice inclusivity at every level will be paramount to peace, stability, sustainable economic growth and equality. It has built up significant expertise around arts education, arts-in-education and creativity in education since 2013. Many of the staff/associate staff (TAP Trainer of Trainer Group) have qualifications in these areas and have developed highly innovative practices. This expertise will be utilised in the provision of online and face to face courses for educators in partner countries and beyond. Schools in Ireland will be included, where their expertise is seen to be representing best Irish practice. The
Team of the I-TAP-PD project:
Terry O Sullivan, TEC Director
Máire Vieux, National Arts in Education Administrator on behalf of Tralee Education Centre (TEC)
Jennifer Buggie – TAP Lead Teacher/ Trainer of Trainer Group
Susan O’Keeffe – TAP Lead Teacher/Trainer of Trainer Group
Brid Lawless, TAP Lead Teacher/ Trainer of Trainer Group
Kate Wilson, TAP Lead Artist/Trainer of Trainer Group
Caroline Conway, TAP Lead Artist/Trainer of Trainer Group
Denise Blake, TAP Lead Artist/Trainer of Trainer Group
Webpage: https://www.edcentretralee.ie/
RESEARCH in IRELAND
Ireland has a well-established nationally disseminated TAP practice which is continually undergoing development. However, our collaboration in I-TAP-PD has advanced practice considerably. The I-TAP-PD training programme was exceptionally well received by Irish participants and the residencies that followed very much benefitted from their participation in it.
Data from Irish residencies confirmed findings published internationally on TAP initiatives. In this case, sufficient allocation of time for residencies, whole school buy-in and political will and support were confirmed as the main enablers of TAP practices. Of our four I-TAP residencies, two were reportedly under-supported by school management. Other participants felt the 20-hour time allocation was insufficient.
However, Irish I-TAP-PD data also revealed evidence of heretofore undocumented outcomes. Much international TAP research focuses primarily on teacher professional development. Kind et al. (2007) and Kenny & Morrissey (2016) reference artists’ learning but neither document it nor comment on its quality, depth or utility. As I-TAP-PD training is founded in equality and focuses on relationship building alongside the personal and practical development of both professionals, our data yield was replete with evidence of both artists and teachers learning. This learning falls broadly into three categories: personal development, professional development and effective collaboration. Interestingly, the greatest areas of learning for teachers were in the collaborative sphere while artists reported significant personal development. Both reported high levels of professional development. The predominant finding was that artists learned at least as much as teachers from this I-TAP-PD experience though further research is needed to determine whether this is a specific or a general trend in TAP residencies that are prefaced by considered and rigorous pre-residency training.
In keeping with the findings from other jurisdictions, the roles of ‘artist’ and ‘teacher’ became more fluid as the residency progressed with each partner growing increasingly confident in undertaking aspects of the role of the other. Participants also reported difficulties categorising their learning in terms of ‘personal’ or ‘professional’ as learning in one area greatly impacted learning in the other. Finally, and importantly, the students involved in the residencies enjoyed them thoroughly. Those interviewed were enthusiastic in expressing both their appreciation of the experience and recounting the extent of their learning.
Centre for drama in education and art CEDEUM is an organization founded in 1999. and since then it has been continuously active in the fields of culture, education and social activism. The main aim of the organization is the promotion and affirmation of the drama/theatre art and creation in all fields and all levels of education and art.
CEDEUM members are theatre and other artists, pedagogues, psychologists, sociologists, learning difficulty and impairment educational specialists, teachers, professors, new media experts and others. Members of CEDUM are active bearers of innovative, creative and participative practices and policies of development, featuring creative drama and drama/theatre in education, new tendencies in performing arts for children and youth. CEDEUM contributes to these fields through interdisciplinary approaches, as well in different formats of local, regional and international meetings, professional conferences, presentations, seminars, workshops and training of drama/theatre in education and art, collaboration and partnerships, and has extensive and long-lasting experience in these fields and activities.
CEDEUM advocates for the implementation of drama in the educational system; it is involved through the working groups and bodies within the Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of Republic Serbia in reformation processes and works on strategies in culture and education, recommending practices improving creative and art education, culture of dialogue, education for peace, interactive and inclusive methods, intercultural learning, human and children rights.
CEDEUM supports other organizations and institutions dedicated to applying drama and theatre in education as its members and has a wide network of collaborators, in Belgrade and throughout Serbia.
CEDEUM is a member and a national seat of the International Drama/Theatre and Education Association IDEA and a regional centre for Europe IDEA Europe. The president of CEDEUM, Sanja Krsmanović Tasić, became the president of the Executive Board of the IDEA organization. She is also a member of the Coordination Committee for Europe regional network – IDEA Europe.
Most important project:
• “Creative projects games – New Skoligrica and Skozoriste”, within the project “Cultural participation and cultural heritage” carried out by The Institute for Cultural Development Studies, in partnership with Cultural Institution “Parobrod”, with the support of the Ministry of culture of the Republic of Serbia (2016)
• “Are You In? (R.UIn?)” Erasmus + EU project on developing innovative Drama in Education methodologies for prevention of peer bullying, including cyber bullying. (2016-2018)
• “Mater Terra”, theatre festival of school theatres with children and youth, focused on performances related to ecology and ecology of the soul (since 2014)
• “New Creative Choices – Developing an Open System of Educational Drama and Theatre as an Incentive of Roma Inclusion” with participation of 8 East European countries, supported by the Fund for an Open Society – Arts and Culture Programme, Budapest, Hungary (2010 – 2013)
• DICE Project – “Drama Improves Lisbon Key Competencies in Education”, longitudinal research project, testing impact of DiE/TiE practices on 5 of 8 Lisbon Key Competencies, in partnership of 12 European countries, supported by EU COMENIUS (2009 – 2011).
• Project “School Forum Theatre for School without Violence”, a teacher training within the project “School without Violence”, collaboration of UNICEF and Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development (ongoing since 2005)
• Projects “Let’s Show Ourselves… Together”, “Theatre for Ethnic Dialogue”, COOPI Internazionale, and projects “I Perform to Advocate”, “Young Activists” and “View from The Other Side” – CARE International, European Commission – Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights, (2003-2006)
• Bitef Polyphony, Side programme of BITEF, Belgrade International Festival of New Theatre Tendencies, the oldest and most significant and influential. 1st BITEF took place in 1967, and Polyphony is the side programme since 2000.
• Project “Art for Social Change – Play Against Violence”, funded by EFC Amsterdam in collaboration with the network of Funds for an Open Society. The project was developed in 7 South-East European Countries, exploring the role of artists in their work with young people under the crises, war or conflict circumstances. The project involved more local arts organisations in each partner country, with CEDEUM being the project leader in Serbia with Cenpi and Anet as main local partners (1999 – 2004)
Team of the I-TAP-PD project:
Sanja Krsmanović Tasić, CEDEUM project leader, theatre director, choreographer, actress, teacher trainer
Jovana Mihić, project coordinator, dancer, singer, actress
Anđelija Jočić, team member, drama teacher, language teacher, teacher trainer, translator
Bojana Škorc, consultant, psychologist, lecturer
Ana Popović, team member, theatre director, lecturer, educator
Nikola Koruga, team member, andragogue, educator, youth trainer
Jugoslav Hadžić, team member, musician, actor
Anastasia Tasić, team member, visual artist and designer
Webpage: http://www.cedeum.org/
RESEARCH in SERBIA
The partnership between teachers and artists is not yet a well-developed practice in Serbia. The participation of various teachers and two elementary schools in this project marks the first step towards its development. Currently, there is no visible progress in this field, and arts education is largely left to the personal interests and goodwill of the teachers. However, the three residencies we had in Serbia were a significant accomplishment on a larger scale. The schools that participated in the residency programs became more open to collaboration, and the principals and teachers spread the word about this process to other schools. CEDEUM’s participation in this project was a crucial step towards arts education in our local context, but achieving systematic change remains a distant goal that our organization will continue to work towards.
Participating in the project offers both teachers and artists the opportunity to develop their communication skills, as well as cooperation, creative thinking, effective communication, and interpersonal skills. One teacher noted that even exchanging energy with new people during the residency program would have an impact on her personal development because she is ready for something new. However, the artists talked more about personal development than the teachers did. This can be explained by the fact that teachers are involved in mandatory, continual professional training, while for artists, this is a totally new experience.
The research showed that both teachers and artists become more self-aware and critical of their practices. Furthermore, all teachers spoke about the benefits of residencies for children and their motivation to participate more in this kind of activity. Even though TAP was a new approach in Serbia, this project helped us to identify key challenges for future implementation of TAP programs in Serbian schools. Teachers and artists are enthusiastic about this cooperation. The training provided them with adequate skills and facilitated the process of building partnerships effectively. Finally, teachers and artists could be the best ambassadors for TAP in Serbia.
GREECE
Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network (TENet-GR)
Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network (TENet-GR) is an association of teachers and artists for the promotion of research on and practice of theatre, educational drama and other performing arts within formal and non formal education.
The Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network (TENet-Gr), www.theatroedu.gr, is a voluntary, non-profit association of teachers and artists for the promotion of practice and research on theatre/drama and other performing arts in formal and non-formal education contexts. Some of the members of ΤΕΝet-Gr are highly qualified and skilled practitioners and theoreticians (teachers, theatre/drama pedagogues, artists, youth facilitators) in the areas of drama/theatre in education, theatre for development, active citizenship etc. TENet-Gr currently has approx. 300 active members and more than 2000 members in total. TENet-Gr started in 1998, by teachers who felt the need for continuous training and research. As an initiative it developed rapidly, it gained partners in all regions of the country, and it was connected with educational, cultural and arts institutions throughout Greece and abroad. Over the years TENet-Gr has generated a wealth of cultural education action.
TENet-Gr organises/runs: Regular practical training seminars for teachers, facilitators and young people, the Athens International Theatre/ Drama in Education Conference, the annual Theatre Summer Camp, projects in schools for and with youth groups. It publishes books and the annual “Education and Theatre Journal”.
Projects/ recent areas of activity:
“Theatre and Education” Journal. A journal for the promotion of research on and practice of drama/ theatre and other performing arts in formal and non-formal education. Published in Greek and English annually since 2001.
“It could be me, it could be you”. An awareness raising project, targeting the educational community at large, on the issues of refugees and human rights, with the use of experiential learning, theatre and educational drama techniques. The project is organised and implemented in Greece since 2015 in association with and the support of UNHCR Greece (UN Agency for Refugees) The project and its educational material is approved by the Greek Institute of Educational Policy & the Greek Ministry of Education and is accredited by IDEA-International Drama/Theatre & Education Association and approved as an "IDEA Land and Home" project
The Athens International Theatre/ Drama in Education Conference. In 2018 TENet-Gr delivered the 8th Athens International Conference on Theatre and the Performing Arts in Education, entitled “Utopia or Necessity?”. A bilingual publication (Greek & English) based on Conference’s keynotes, presentations and workshops was published in 2019 (http://theatroedu.gr/en/What-we-do/Our-books/theatredrama-and-performing-arts-in-education-utopia-or-necessity)
Theatre Summer Camps. In August 2019 TENet-Gr delivered the 18th Theatre Summer Camp, “Stories in Motion”. For a week delegates (teachers, youths, facilitators) were invited to participate in a number of workshops on puppetry, tribal storytelling, theatre for freedom and personal empowerment, etc.
“Sto Epikentro”. A collaboration with ActionAid Hellas, during the period 2017-2020. “Epikentro”, a centre for action and change, offers free services for adults and innovative programmes for children and teenagers, aiming at helping them solve the problems that the financial crisis brought in their lives. TENet-Gr offered different Theatre-In-Education workshops for adults and children.
"The Quarantine Monologues" aims at voicing the emotions and views of teenage refugee residents of a series of accomodation facilities across Greece, during the temporary, general lockdown that was induced by the COVID19 pandemic in the period between March and May 2020. Τhe teenage refugees participated in 15 online creative writing workshops facilitated by three Greek writers. After the creative writing workshops end, the texts are included in a special publication in Greek and English (shorturl.at/iqrzN)
European Collaborations
- Europe in Perspective: Transnational Training on Diversity in Cultural Learning (2017-2019): The aim of the project was the creation of a training module and manual for artists and teachers, on diversity and multi-cultural learning through the arts.
- Global Curiosity (February 2020-): An exchange of good practices programme, in collaboration with Curious Minds (UK) and the Malopolska Institute of Culture (Poland)
Team of the I-TAP-PD project:
Betty Giannouli
Vassia Kossiva
Georgina Kakoudaki
Eirini Marna
Thanasis Zeritis
Yolika Poulopoulou
Paris Tsekouras
WEBPAGE: www.theatroedu.gr
RESEARCH in GREECE
The implementation of the ITAP-PD program in Greece and the TAP framework it proposes in teachers’ and artists’ practice, resulted in a complex of intertwining positive outcomes for participants. The main benefits emerged in this research were related to the parameters of coequal collaboration, personal and professional development. The totality of the artists and teachers noted that fundamental principles such as good collaboration, good mood, openness, humour, distinct agreed roles in advance were of great importance to the success of the experimentation. The programme allowed both teachers and artists to reflect on themselves and their own practice, which led to critical consciousness of their role as educators and group facilitators.
Self-value (self-worth) was also elaborated on as a parameter for teachers who learn, take on new roles, perceive their position in the classroom positively, but also for artists who learn within the group to collaborate effectively. Both teachers and artists stressed the importance of sharing and working complementary with their partners, in order to better achieve higher levels of resilience. The TAP-PD program also seemed to have influenced the student populations. The students expressed their enthusiasm in the proposed, less “formal” process, their positive response and their creative participation. Both teachers and artists emphasised that the students were encouraged and achieved the most essential expression of their feelings and ideas, they became familiar with the element of being exposed to an audience and communicated with one another more comfortably. During all phases of research, it was also made clear that the research participants were unable, or consciously avoided to separate personal and professional development elements.
Participating teachers and artists, though, expressed their concerns about the consequences of not continuing TAP programs, due to lack of resources. This concern is apparent and evident in Greece, where TAP-PD programs are far from institutionalised.
This research aspires to contribute to the dialogue and the urge for an anticipated educational framework, where the arts are integrated in the educational process and play a vital role as a route for cooperation, equality and equity, as well as a factor of students’ creativity and social consciousness.
AUSTRIA
NCoC = National Center of Competence for Arts Education
The National Center of Competence (NCoC) for Arts Education is an institution of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF) located at the University College of Teacher Education Lower Austria (PH NOE). The NCoC for Arts Education works from its office at Baden bei Wien / Hollabrunn. NCoC operates across Austria and across school types in the subjects Theatre, Dance, Music, Arts Education and Crafts & Design. Additionally, the NCoC is committed to promoting Arts Education in all school subjects.
NCoC for Arts Education = National Center of Competence for Arts Education is working on functional networks in the field of Arts Education.
The NCoC for Arts Education enables the exchange of committed teachers from all types of schools in federal and regional seminars/workshops for the subjects of music education/ music, theater in schools/performing arts, dance/performance, visual education/art, and technical and textile crafts/design and technology.
The NCoC for Arts Education gives focus on information about Arts Education in Austrian schools and in the field of pedagogy.
By demanding Arts Education in all subjects, the NCoC is following up on the UNESCO declaration, which was republished on the occasion of Arts Education Week 2021. https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/artseducationweek
National Center of Competence for Arts Education ...
... supports the implementation of cultural education and the promotion of creativity as part of general education for all types of schools.
... creates information for students / teachers / educators and makes this available in a monthly infoletter and on a website
... organizes nationwide teacher trainings (seminars / workshops / conferences) with focus on Arts Education and on the artistic-creative subjects
... initiates and accompanies the planning and implementation of projects on cultural education in schools (e.g. nationwide KuBi-Days - Cultural Education Days in Schools)
... promotes networking and cooperation with educational and scientific institutions as well as organizations whose activities focus on cultural work in schools.
https://www.ph-noe.ac.at/de/ph-noe/wir-ueber-uns/national-center-of-competence/ncoc-fuer-kulturelle-bildung.html
Team of the I-TAP-PD project:
Dagmar Hoefferer, project partner
Ursula Silaen
Karina Tösch
Andrea Plass
Katharina Weinhuber
Erika Jakob
Susanne Jahrl
Anita Maybäurl
Mattias Hoefferer, technical support
WEBPAGE: https://www.ncoc.at/
Stichting Kopa is an arts education NGO from Utrecht in the Netherlands.
Kopa initiates projects that aim at more creativity in schools, and in society as a whole. Kopa beliefs that more creativity brings colour, meaning and joy to each life. It facilitates new ideas and solutions for complex ‘wicked’ problems. Our website informs about the activities of the organization.
At this moment Kopa’s main focus is on enhancing education by bringing more creativity into each classroom. Through our project PIONIER! we support teachers and schools to facilitate a creative learning environment. Kopa supports by creating creative lessons and using art as a starting point for learning processes in all school subjects. Kopa trains teachers in the classroom and inspire them to work in a process-oriented didactic.
Another project we are currently working on is ‘Chilling with Heritage’. In this project we aim to spark the curiosity of children for their local heritage by using creative and associative assignments. The children then define their own research question, do the research and create an artwork based on their findings. They are supported by their teachers, by heritage experts and by artists in this process.
The name Kopa is derived from cooperation. By building programs through partnerships with all sorts of organisations and learning from each others expertise we magnify our reach and strengthen the quality of our work.
Stichting Kopa
... supports the implementation of cultural education and the promotion of creativity as part of general education for mainly primary schools.
... creates arts education for students / teachers / educators and makes this available in inspirational database on www.ikpionier.nl.
... organizes teacher trainings (workshops/co-teaching) with focus on Arts Education and on the artistic-creative subjects.
... promotes cultural and creative learning as a way of tackling topics such as identity, diversity and inclusion in the classroom.
... works in partnerships with primary schools, cultural organisations and teacher-training colleges.
Team of the I-TAP-PD project:
Linda Rosink
Manja Eland
Klaas Dijkstra
Lotte Vernooy
Sarie Victoria
Yalda Shahidi
WEBPAGE: www.kopakan.nl
RESEARCH in THE NETHERLANDS
When you read this research report you will find that many of the Dutch participants call themselves ‘hybrids’. They come from different backgrounds and most of them have been working both in education and the arts. So when collaborating in the residency most of them chose a role as their main perspective and focus, but it was a fluid experience. Being a hybrid, having experience both as an artist and teacher generates extra flexibility. This was an enrichment to the partnerships, but also a challenge, since relatively few participants had a classroom at hand to work with.
In spite of these challenges, many beautiful collaborative plans have been made. Some of them have been adapted to other settings, such as a museum. Some of the projects have taken place and some are waiting for an opportunity to find a school that has space and time. One artist even decided to switch careers and is now a full time teacher in secondary education.
Participants emphasized the importance of making time to connect and grow a relationship before diving into plans and projects. Being able to share the experience of the training program with participants from other countries was a good mirror in that aspect. The Dutch, it was said, have the habit of being content and goal driven. And though that is important, the value of taking a step back and focusing on the relationship before diving into the work at hand is something many take away from this project.
The experience of the ITAP-PD training program has been an inspiration on a personal and professional level for many of the participants, they shared. In their own work, they incorporated a playfulness inspired by the creative and interdisciplinary approach.