<< Background >>FILM-SKILLS is a project that brings together Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian partners – three film schools and two film industry organisations - with the aim of developing occupational qualifications’ standards for film occupations as a recognition interface between the labour market, higher education institutions, and other forms of training. The export of film production services is on the rise, and so is the need for specialists of technical and coordinating positions. However, communication from the film industry has indicated that it may be difficult to fill certain crew positions with competent people. Film producers have expressed that occupational standards would help to understand skills gaps, competencies, and job descriptions of film workers and overcome existing disparities. FILM-SKILLS aims to align the needs of the film industry with the applied and academic approaches of higher film education. The skills acquired in higher learning should match the expectations of the labor market, and conversely, film sector participants should have access to additional training and skills’ validation.<< Objectives >>The qualifications system would allow film students and -workers to enhance their labour market compliance as they acquire new competencies and can prove their skills. Also, certification of skills would facilitate film workers’ transnational exchange if the certification is mutually recognized. The occupational qualifications system will be inclusive and open, taking to account previous work experience and training when assessing a persons’ qualification. FILM-SKILLS creates preconditions to offering courses and training to film sector participants, enrolled and non-enrolled, that lead to occupational certification. This is especially important in the fast-transforming film sector, the participants of which have to continuously familiarize themselves with new technologies and production norms.The project will help to organize the national film industries and create conditions for lifelong learning in the field. The project has the potential to enhance the partner countries’ image as strong „film countries“.<< Implementation >>The occupational qualifications system will be based on the model used by the Estonian Qualifications Authority (EQA) and ESCO (European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations) classification.The project partners adapt the existing guidelines to create a qualification standards’ system for the film sector in the Baltic region with the potential of extending the network internationally.<< Results >>Occupational standards for 18 film positions will be developed in cooperation of educators and acting film industry professionals. As such, skills’ mismatches and gaps will be assessed, with the possibility to regulate the gaps by creating the occupational standards that will be used and mutually recognized by the educators, film producers, and film workers alike.During the project, the principles of offering preparatory courses to the qualification certification will be developed, as well as examination guidelines.Course descriptions will be prepared and introductory materials compiled for the selected occupations. A website will be launched that displays the project results in an attractive manner, targeting film professionals and the general public. Project results – guidelines to creating qualification standards and the 18 developed occupational standard – will be openly available to be used by any organisation or person.

"The INTERMUSIC project, as programmed and planned, concerned the following areas: teaching, creation and music production shared between four European Higher Music Education Institutions, through advanced and optimized systems for Remote Musical Interaction and Network Music Performance (NMP), starting from the Italian ultrawide network (GARR) connected to European and international broadband network infrastructures, promoting the processes of internationalization and mobility in the field of Higher Music Education. The online teaching and interaction for instrumental and vocal performance practices, composition and music theory, electronic music, was accompanied by a technological and experimental research focused on the ""Synchronous Online Ensemble Performance"" whose results were made public with four publications, one of which constitutes a chapter of a book dedicated to Online Music Teaching, with scientific and technological support for research by the fifth partner of the project, which was the Politecnico di Milano. According to the planned objectives, priority was given to the design and creation of the INTERMUSIC platform (INTERactive environment for MUSIC learning and practice) https://intermusic.lmta.lt/ through which the four European Institutions were able to share skills, methods and materials specifically developed for distance music practice and culture by experimenting cooperative forms of remote music teaching and practice (Distance Learning) between European music HEIs with a historical background rooted in their respective classical and contemporary musical cultures: the Intermusic Platform presents itself as a Learning Management System dedicated to music teaching, practice and performance in its various forms: singing, instrumental performance, both solo and ensemble, theoretical and compositional training, electronic music; full of courses and innovative materials such as those of the ""Mastering Vocal Literature in Foreign Languages"" blended pilot course.For each activity of the project, three referring teachers were involved for each of the teaching activities: Chamber Music, Chamber Singing, Musical Composition, Music Theory and Network Music Performance, for a total of 15 teachers. The respective virtual classrooms were populated by students from the three music HEIs with an average of about 30 students involved. The teaching, within the limits imposed by the COVID / 19 pandemic, ended with a chamber music concert in Vilnius with the students of the three institutions in presence at the end of an online educational activity and with various online sessions for the other pilot courses of the project. The results on the two fundamental sides of the project, the online musical and teaching practices based on the INTERMUSIC platform and the results of the scientific and technological research relating to Network Music Performance, confirmed useful, sustainable and effective application possibilities both for the interest and integration of the different European music teaching and practice traditions, as well as for the audio-video quality of online music practice, concerning virtual acoustic spaces and gestural - and therefore visual - communication in the interaction between musicians during live performances. The latency in the audio signals, in relation to the paths and nodes of the European network, gave a good and acceptable response, which can be absolutely improved both in terms of bandwidth and in the optimized management of the audio-video signal paths. The long-term benefits depend on the ability of European institutions to design, acquire, develop and accept an expanded teaching model, through the online development of specific teaching modules within the collaboration between teachers of different European institutions and made available to students on shared platforms."

Context/Backround and ObjectivesAlexandria Nova is a network of North European directing programs. It aims to create a international and diverse learning environment for the relatively small directing programs of each national institution and make a leap forward in the awareness about pedagogical methods used. We will share practical and pedagogical knowledge, describe and share working methods and gather together understanding about the art of directing. Number and profile of the participantsHochschule für Schauspielkunst Erns Busch in Berlin in the leading organisation with six partners including Listahaskoli Island in Reykjavik, Den Danske Scenekunstskole in Copenhagen, Theatre Academy of Uniarts Helsinki, Uniarts Stockholm, Lietuvos Muzikos ir Teatro Akademija in Vilnius and Kunsthogskolen i Oslo. Each of these institutions offer higher education in directing. In most cases (Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Island, Norway, Copenhagen) they are also the only national institution to do so. This is why the transnational dialogue is completely essential in order to develop further artistically and pedagogically. Description of activities The three-year-project includes - Alexandria Nova Workshops and Seminars where the students and teachers can learn and exchange methodologies of directing and teaching directing. - In the Alexandria Nova Symposiums we address the current theoretical issues in the field of directing. - Alexandria Nova Labs are meant for the teachers to bring together, reflect and develop their pedagogical understanding. There is also possibility to compare and develop our curricula together: not to make them all similar, but to recognise and describe the strengths of each directing program. Methodology to be used in carrying out the projectAlexandria Nova is gathering and documenting artistic and pedagogical knowledge from the field of directing. It is essential that both teachers and students are participating in this process. This will be done through teaching demonstrations in seminars, teachers writing and documenting their own work with the supportive questions and reflections on their work from their peers in the network. The students will also be reflecting and documenting on their learning processes by documenting their artistic processes in different ways: for example by writing, video and photographs. This work will lead to the building of the Alexandria Nova Digital Library which will include theoretical texts used in teaching, theses work in doctoral and MA -level, recorded lectures, exercises and documentation of students artistic learning processes. By gathering this knowledge in one place and examining it we will be able to recognise and name the most important pedagogical methods used in the Alexandria Nova network and develop them further. We will hopefully also recognise what is missing in our curriculums, what challenges and questions of our art we fail to address at the moment. This will lead to further curriculum development and to the process of creating new pedagogical methods. The idea is that digital library is a living thing: it will carry out after the three-year-project and serve as a database for pedagogical and artistic research concerning directing in the future.After naming and recognising the essential issues in the field of directing today to Alexandria Nova will publish a book about directing. It will consist of articles addressing for example:- the historical development of the role of a director,- ethics of representation,- the new contexts of making performance and the effects that these contexts have to the work of a director, - different methods of leading and directing artistic group work,- awareness of the socio-political context and artists own possibly privileged position as an important working method of a director A short description of the results and impact envisaged and finally the potential longer term benefitsThe project will have two intellectual outputs: 1) the Alexandria Nova Digital Library and 2) Alexandria Nova: Book in directing. These, together with our last symposium in the May 2022, will be a way to disseminate the results of our pedagogical and artistic research to the wider audience. Joint European modules will be designed to share and develop the knowledge of the participating institutions by encouraging teachers and students to engage in educational mobility and cross borders cooperation. Alexandria Nova is a project that has a potential to make big changes in the way we teach and learn directing. The gathering and reflection of our pedagogical and artistic knowledge about directing will lead to a heightened understanding of the methods of teaching and learning directing. The learning environment becomes transnational and more diverse. This kind of learning environment will be a growing place for the next generation of artists who see transnational artistic cooperation as a natural part of their career.

"Due to the early termination by the National Agency, a ""summary of the completed project"" is not possible. See in Section 3 (Description of the Project) for an overview of the progress and the partial achievements."

"<< Background >>The IN-Voice4Empowerment project arises from the partners' common vision to foster social inclusion through the development of an innovative multidisciplinary arts-based program. When referring to social inclusion in youth, the term refers to all children achieving and participating despite challenges stemming from poverty, class, race, religion, linguistic and cultural heritage or gender. In the context of a number of international policy initiatives to foster social inclusion, a wide range of related studies investigating the potential and social benefits of arts and music based interventions showed positive results. Most of recent research articles on engaging and re-engaging marginalized youth claim and emphasise the importance of multidisciplinary approaches and methodologies and the transformative potential of the arts in the context of social inclusion (Brader 2013; Ruthmann 2017 and 2020). What is more, new diversity perspectives and strategies for social inclusion are underpinned by recommendations for digital pathways to implement non-formal learning methodologies, thus strengthening the providers’ capacity to implement and maintain successful change and support youth at the same time.The field of teaching and learning in choral pedagogy and support for socially excluded youth is surrounded by challenges. There is little novel material and resources available that would help assist the choral pedagogue with best practices for including effectively socially disadvantaged youth in choral groups. Subsequently, teachers /choral leaders feel uninformed and not sufficiently equipped to recognize underlying issues concerning the nature of social inclusion while students remain in isolation. So, Teachers and Learners are the groups that this project aims to support, especially in a post covid 19 era, where social exclusion is accentuated in a series of lockdown periods resulting to minimum communication and interaction. Based on the premise that choirs are diverse groups that mirror our society, being themselves tools of transformation for the actors concerned in a constantly changing EU and world societies, this program builds on choral theatre, embodied music making and community building through choral singing, vocal soundscapes, choral sound painting, expressive movement, spoken word and visual elements. students the opportunity to create themselves part of the resources to be performed through training in digital composition and multimedia technologies, it will enhance their sense of ownership and self-efficacy, strengthen their agency, empower them and support them in finding their Voice literally and metaphorically. IN-Voice4Empowerment addresses the above mentioned issues, aiming to inspire and empower professionals working in school education, especially music teachers/ choral leaders, but also community workers and other professionals working in the field of social inclusion of disadvantaged youth.<< Objectives >>The strategic partnership has set the following main priorities for the program which are: 1. Inclusion and diversity in all fields of education, youth and sport; 2. Addressing digital transformation though development of digital readiness, resilience and capacity; 3. School Education: Supporting teachers, school leaders and other teaching professions. These priorities are intrinsically linked with the following concrete objectives: 1)Strengthening the capacity of music teachers/choral leaders in order to be able to recognize and identify underlying issues concerning disadvantaged youth and social exclusion2)Enriching music teachers’/choral leaders’ and subsequently students’ social, communicational, intercultural and musical skills and competences to foster social inclusion3)Strengthening teachers’/choral leaders’ and consequently students’ digital capacity to enhance arts-based creative practices4)Raising awareness of the effectiveness of innovative arts-based programs enhanced with novel multimedia and digital technologies for fostering social inclusion,5)Promoting cultural heritage equality and new cultural production at European level in inclusive choral practices.<< Implementation >>All activities have been planned in the light of achieving one or more of the objectives stated.Developing innovative multidisciplinary arts-based approaches, methodologies and resources in order to promote diversity, equality and social inclusion in school education is the essence of the project. All the aspects that can enrich communication, and authentic interaction (aspects from choral theatre, movement, vocal soundscapes, choral sound painting, spoken utterances, the creative use of multimedia) are the material that will develop into the novel choral practices program. Four transnational meetings and follow up on-line meetings will delineate the development of the project culminating with the development of an Inclusive Vocal Choral Multimedia Pedagogy Framework (IVCMPF) A training event will be organised aiming to offer trainees vocal/choral teachers a better understanding of the nature, the interaction between influences at different levels - individual, family, community, national and global, and the ways this develops in marginalization and deprivation. By interweaving vocal/choral performance and digital creative activities the training aims to enrich music teachers’/choral leaders’ and subsequently students’ social, communicational, intercultural and musical skills and competences to foster social inclusion"", as well as “strengthening teachers’/choral leaders’ and consequently students’ digital capacity to enhance arts-based creative practices”. Transnational meetings are points of exchange of cultural heritage among partners finding ways to embed a variety of different cultural products and practices in the projects resources collection. Multiplier events will be organised near the end of the project, including live presentations, transforming these into cultural events, where not only data and results, but cultural production itself will be disseminated. These presentations, along with the projects' results are expected to demonstrate that participating in collaborative cultural experiences with a focus in active communication has the potential to promote inclusive practices and raise awareness of the effectiveness of innovative arts-based programs enhanced with novel multimedia and digital technologies in fostering social inclusion.<< Results >>The project activities will lead to the following Project Results:PR1 Inclusive Vocal Choral Multimedia Pedagogy Framework (IVCMPF) The proposed Framework will be developed as policy recommendation and guidelines for European music curricula in primary and secondary schools. It will reflect relevant theory and informing practice and pointing towards methodologies and approaches that can be effectively implemented in practice in the school educational context as well as in community music programs, vocal, choir, multimedia projects.PR2 A Teacher Training Course for inclusive vocal/choral/multimedia teaching pedagogyThe training event will culminate in the development of that will be free to implement. PR3 A Teacher performance and effectiveness assessment and evaluation toolAn assessment tool developed for teachers following the teacher training course, in order to be able to assess its impact. PR4 E-Book Sound and visual material for inclusive vocal/choral/multimedia teaching and learning A resource book comprising all resources created for the specific course and during the implementation of its activities. PR5 the Collaborative Learning Digital Platform (CLDP) The In-Voice4Empowerment Project aspires to promote a sense of community and collective choral experience that has the potential to create safe spaces, enhancing social cohesion and a sense of belonging, helping marginalised youth overcome social exclusion. Introducing the creation of the resources to be performed by the students themselves through training in digital composition and multimedia technologies, will enhance a sense of ownership and self-efficacy, strengthening the agency and empowering disadvantaged youth. Music teachers/choral leaders will be trained according to their identified needs with regards to early recognition and identification of vulnerable youth and how they can approach and embrace them in choral environments employing appropriate sociological, intercultural and educational tools. Teachers taking part in this project, will be introduced to novel pedagogical approaches, while at the same time creating strong bonds with teachers from partner countries, as they will be sharing and exchanging their experiences, resulting in improved quality in their teaching.Participating organisations are expected to greater knowledge of partner countries’ inclusive practices and exchanged experiences, knowledge and learning on multi-disciplinary, inclusive pedagogies, methodologies and approaches from each other, and about each other’s cultures. PO will, according to their own impact in systemic networking, at small scale or larger scale systemic level, reconsider and re-assess their role in the system by reinforcing their profile in today’s challenging European world and beyond, that is, be active agents of the Sustainable Development vision by promoting and fostering social inclusion, intercultural competences and digital skills for coherent and successful growth."