Sunday 17 March – Wednesday 20 March 2013
by Norway
Sunday March 17:
The Germans and the Norwegians were picked up at different airports and transferred to Jurys Inn Hotel, Nottingham. The two groups arrived at different times, but at 730pm both groups were picked up at the hotel for a walk to Ye Old Trip to Jerusalem for evening meal (courtesy of the UK partners).
From Germany there were two teachers, Achim Hellmann and Nina Brau. Together with them there were six students, – all boys. From Norway there were three teachers, Tor Inge Rake, Lars Magnus Hannisdal and Ellen Tharaldsen. Together with them there were three students, – all girls. From England there were mainly three teachers, Bill Hindmarsh, Chris Green and Bob Tuckwood. Some of their students joined us for the first gathering and meal, – both girls and boys.
Monday March 18:
930am we were picked up from the hotel to be transported to the Charnwood Centre, Central College. This was the first meeting with all the students and staff. The meeting started with an ice-breaking activity where all the students and teachers were given a nameplate which they had to find the right person to.
Then, led by Bob and Chris, the students were put into editorial teams to have their first blog workshop. The task was to write down their initial impressions of Nottingham and England. The blog was already made, and the English students group leaders. They had to tell their foreign group members about the web site, get the visitors to comment the work of the Nottingham students. They were also asked to learn useful words and key phrases from each other. The words should be related to this project.
After lunch in the College refectory, the groups departed for city centre visit and activities together. Here we were told about the city and we saw some historic buildings and pieces of art.
530pm we departed the hotel and walked to City of Caves, Listergate, Broadmarsh. Here we were guided around in one of the caves and got a lot of historical information about the caves. The three groups rounded off the day together with a meal at Mogal-e-Azam, Goldsmith Street.
Tuesday March 19:
915am we departed the hotel and walked to Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery. This was part of the Art (in ARTEC), to take a look at art in this part of the project’s countries. Walking around in the city some of the British students told us about the places we stopped. We continued to be focused on art by having lunch in Pitcher & Piano, – a church which is converted into a bar.
The next on our programme was a visit to Nottingham Contemporary, Lace Market. Here we got an introductory talk by two of the staff members there, – one talking in English to the Norwegian and the English groups, and one talking in German to the Germans. Focus was on Ecologies of Value and on Collaborative Effects.
We were then transported to Charnwood Centre for more workshops. Before the workshop started, the German and Norwegian students told the rest of the participating members what they have been doing so far in the project. The German students showed us a metal installation. They told us how it functioned and why it was made. The Norwegian students are working with concrete, and showed us an example of candle holder, made in concrete.
Then the groups, which had students from all three countries (most of the groups), were now told to make an animation to be put on You tube. The students had to come up with ideas of what to film, and make an agreement on what to do. They also had to decide who was going to do the filming, and who was going to be the actors. Eventually the students became more open and acted more freely inside the groups, and the animation project became a door opener for closer relationship between the students involved in this project. This last night together the teachers and students socialised and had a meal at Ten Pin Bowling.
Wednesday March 20:
After checking out of the hotel the German and Norwegian groups were transported to the Charnwood Centre. The students worked in their groups with the blogging, writing about their experiences of Nottingham. After lunch the students had a meeting to discuss the next step on the project, – the visit to Dalane Upper Secondary School in Egersund, Norway.
The plans are that both Germany and England will come to Norway with three teachers and six students, from 20 May – 23 May 2013. These two groups will in advance have to send their ideas and drawings of what kind of article they want to have made in concrete. It is very important that they send their drawings as soon as possible, due to the time needed for the concrete to dry up, and for the cooperation between the Norwegian students and the company in Egersund which helps out with this project. When the German and English students come to Norway, each student will have to finish his own article.
The cooperation between the three countries worked out very well in Nottingham. All participants had a good time, the students’ self-esteem were strengthened, and they learned a lot, both practically and theoretically. We are looking forward to meeting again in Norway.
ARTEC 