Our Memories and I - Youth, remembrance and creativity in face of society's identity crisis - the role of memorial sites in Europe

The central issue of this project is the social inclusion and promotion of diversity and mutual understanding as one of the most important goals and challenges for all educational institutions involved in this project.​ The added value of our project is the introduction of art and artistic expression as an innovative pedagogical method used for both - the acquisition of knowledge (history) and skills and the communication around more intimate memories in the context which goes beyond the school and the local setting. The partnership with European memorials is a powerful tool for reaching common solutions and introducing memories in the educational sphere. The memorials have for their mission not only to inform about their own historical contexts, but also to teach citizenship and peace. The added value of our project is the introduction of art and artistic expression as an innovative pedagogical method used for the acquisition of knowledge and skills and the communication around more intimate memories in the context which goes beyond the school and the local setting since it is actually being integrated in a European perspective emphasizing the place of young people in the dialogue with the institutions. This approach allowed a concrete insight into the multiplicity of diverse memories and it gave pupils the possibility to express and become aware of common elements of those memories despite their diversity. Art enabled a true communication between all students participating in the project, transcending possible linguistic and cultural barriers and promoting mutual understanding. Through tracing personal family histories, we enabled youth to gain ownership over memories and opened a large space for expression of emotions and creativity.