1. Summary of the project

Our partnership will try to explore the evolution of Ceramics and Mosaics in Europe involving organizations from Greece,France, Italy, Hungary and Turkey which are mainly orientated to the life long learning of adults.
In the first year of partnership, we’ll start up by presenting the history and culture of our places and move to how the arts of mosaics and ceramics were influenced by this historical and cultural background. Then, we’ll demonstrate in workshops and share the traditional techniques, materials and themes used by the above Arts; we’ll produce art pieces depicting our own local tradition but also the partners’ tradition.
In the second year, we’ll begin exchanging information about the arts of ceramics and mosaics today. Using the experience proceeded in the first year, trainers and mostly our adult students will have the chance to combine old and new trends, experiment, innovate and evolve the artwork of clay and mosaics either in common international workshops during the mobility meetings and/or separately. The partnership will end up its activities with a large international convention on the arts of ceramics and mosaics.
All throughout the two years, mobilities in and out of the country (visiting exhibitions, museums e.t.c) will enrich the whole procedure and ICT (e-mails, forums, video-conferences) will facilitate the communication between partner trainers and students.

2. Rationale

Most of our learners are adults who despite their background (middle-aged housewives, unemployed young people, immigrants, retired people) try to remain/feel productive and useful to the social context they live in. Many of them even open their own enterprises equipped with the knowledge they acquired through our courses. So they are highly motivated to improve their skills and much stimulus comes from communication with students from other countries. Besides, all participants will be involved in the production of materials of communication, a skill that is requested as part for successful working life. The possibility of broadening the expressive vocabulary by learning traditional making methods will be a common background to start from highly effective and with much probability for new ways of making. The need for confrontation with citizens of other areas in Europe is met with mobility.
It's our will to reinforce their mood for creativity and educate them as well as possible. As a whole, this project will broaden their experience and deepen their knowledge throughout its activities, in and out of mobilities, making them feel a part of an international community, a community that shares the same interests and worries.

3. Objectives and Strategy

Objectives:
- To show that Art in general promotes creativity in adult education, overcoming the barrier of languages and stereotypes.
- To promote and spread the arts of ceramic-mosaics as a medium of artistic expression.
- The exchange, the development, and the innovation concerning the arts of ceramics and mosaics in order to reinforce a person’s creativity.
- To create educational material for adults related to the Arts of ceramics-mosaics.
- To facilitate communication and interaction of all participants in and between the partner institutions.

Subjects/problems:
- Evolution of traditional techniques, innovative ways of teaching the arts of mosaics and ceramics.
- Influence of the immigrants’ culture in local and in European framework, their embodiment in local community and the acceptance of being different.
- Ceramics and mosaics as a means of art therapy.
Approaches:
- Research and exchange of information about the culture and the tradition of each partner.
- Workshops
- Group work
- Dissemination activities towards schools, second chance schools, LLP centres (announcements, articles, formal invitations e.t.c)

4. European Added Value

On Individual level:
- Exchanging knowledge, ideas and experiences that involve different nations and their cultures.
- Development of research in a broaden.
- Evolution of collaboration among foreigners and influence of one another
- Improvement of service towards the trainees
- Promotion of multiculturalism: understanding and accepting the different cultures
- Promotion of effective LLP.

On foundation level:
- Strengthening the art workshops of adults in the Municipalities.
- Such a partnership may become the start for economic development of the cities where the partner institutions come from.
- The work of the participating institutions becomes more effective and recognisable in local community.

5. Impact

On Individual level:
- Exchanging knowledge, ideas and experiences.
- Development of research.
- Evolution of collective action and influence of one another
- Improvement of service towards the trainees
- Promotion of multiculturalism: understanding and accepting the different cultures
- Promotion of effective LLP.

On foundation level:
- Strengthening the art workshops of adults in the Municipalities.
- Cultural and other exchanges among the cities where the partner institutions come from.
- The work of the participating institutions becomes more effective and recognizable in local community.

6. Relevance

This project meets the targets and the ways of LLP because it actively involves adult learners in mobilities, communication and interaction in each phase, from planning to production. Every partner's involvement, develops practices and their transfer to each adult learner, no matter which social background they come from, who will benefit from the international exchange and the confrontation with European citizens of different countries.
It provides the stimulus to reach further competence and venture into innovative fields, using technology and new techniques. The involvement of ICT ,as it seems from its of the above expected results ,really develops new practices and their transfer to each country. The innovative approach to knowledge through cooperation will be a seed designated to grow within the every ones community.

7. Distribution of Tasks

Greece will coordinate all institutions, create and maintain a common blog in English for all students and host an international convention on Mosaics and Ceramics at the end of the project.
Turkey and Greece will connect the two arts since both organizations deal with both arts. It will transfer the tradition and evolution of ceramics and mosaics in the East and will be responsible for making and editing the book of first year activities.
Hungary will design a common web page, make the book of the second year activities and help coordinator during the project.
France will share its rich tradition and the modern trends in ceramics and will write reviews about our work in well known branch magazines.
Italy will organise an exposition of contemporary ceramics hosted in the context of the little town of Certaldo with its strong history of ceramics. It will produce a Catalogue of the show, available to all partners. It will host the international common workshop.
All partners:
-Will be committed to provide information about the project and the participants in the institutions themselves as well as in local societies.
-Students and trainers of all partner institutions will be provided with the chance to communicate with synchronous and asynchronous means of communication.
-Exchanges of information and material will be defined in specific dates.
-Participation in mobilities will be open to all.
- At least two common meetings with the participation of all partners will be arranged each year.

8. Cooperation

Effective cooperation:
-Acceptance of common goals and activities from the very beginning.
-Products of project will be exchanged on specific dates.
-Every partner is committed to contribute equally to the common goals
-Common meetings twice a year with the participation of all.
-Working together during the workshops
Communication:
Use of e-mailing groups, blogs, CMS platforms, the common web page and video conferencing.

9.1. Integration

Our partnership focuses mainly on learner involvement, so we'll try to actively involve them by:
1) Defining the aims of the project from the very beginning and connecting it with the existent curriculum.
2) Selecting the educational methods that promote the participation and working in groups.
3) Supporting, accepting and reinforcing initiatives.
4) Asking the trainees to express their opinion.
5) Keeping a calendar
6) Analyzing the things that might be wrong and how much of the needs have been covered.

9.2. Evaluation

- With a questionnaire answered by the students, the trainers and the administration of the institutions.
- By discussion during the trainers’ meetings in each partner institution
- By discussion in common meetings of trainers and trainees.
- By the effect that the project will have in local society.

9.3. Dissemination

At the institutions:
1) Keeping the webpage of the institution updated.
2) Creating a common webpage or a CMS platform of the partnership and informing it.
3) Common meetings between trainers and administration to inform about the process, the products and the results of the partnership.
At local communities:
1) Publishing articles in local newspapers.
2) Giving interviews on local TV channels.
3) Creating relative leaflets, CDs, books.
4) Organizing exhibitions with the art pieces of the trainees.
5) Creating art pieces for the public buildings of the city.
At the community of LLP:
Informing the Prefecture, the schools, the branch magazines, the LLP centres and Web Pages relative to Grundtvig programmes, about the project.
Inviting the former to every public event organized for the dissemination of the project.

9. Participants Involvement

Learners' involvement:
- They are well informed about the project and the partners
- They are equal participants concerning decision making and they suggest working themes.
- They communicate with learners of the partner institutions
- They participate in the in-country activities (visits to museums, workshops, seminars e. t. c,)
- They exhibit their own art pieces in public
- Express their opinion about the process of project and the educational approach followed by the trainers.