Achill 2007 Workshop descriptions

1. Global Responsibility - social and environmental developments in Ireland
Workshop leader: Marlen Izquierdo
Achill

Description:
This workshop will dig into the concept of “global responsibility”: what it means and how it can be achieved; what our responsibility as European citizens is wherever we go. The relevance of this workshop for the Borrowed Identities Intensive Programme is twofold:
- it explores the idea of European identity
- it focuses on how the process of “borrowing” [idea of including, instead of excluding] contributes to building this EU-identity.

The scenarios for this workshop are Europe and Achill, each ‘representative’ of two basic concepts related to Global Responsibility: globalization /localization.
The group will be as nationally mixed as possible and the development of the workshop is entirely on the making.

Aim:
The aim of this workshop is to raise awareness of our condition as borrowers of the twofold context in which we live:
- environmental context: we borrow Nature as our living support
- social context: we borrow others’ values to identify our own values distinct from BUT comparable and compatible with theirs.

Activities:
The activities proposed for this workshop include the following:
- group discussions on what global responsibility means;
- identifying types of actions that exemplify global responsibility and documenting them;
- talking to the locals to gather information on the environmental and social developments on Achill (Ireland);
- building a “globally responsible model of European identity”;
- visual documentation, editting of the work done.

Materials:
- Laptop
- Digital camera
- Pen/paper/ flip-charts
- What Nature offers

Come and join us!

Description:
In this workshop you will develop an interactive video dialog.

The scenarios will be about dealing with difficulties on a workplace as an intern abroad. For example:
1) "I have put my foot in it!"
2) "I´m feeling so lonely!"
3) "I´m being misused as a cheap worker!"

We will get in touch with local inhabitants on Achill Island to integrate them into our workshop.

As we need the input of several cultures, it would be great to have a very cultural mixed group.

Aim:
The interactive video dialogs will demonstrate exemplary the complexity of our decisions in personal and intercultural situations and reflect our own actions. Switching to another cultural identity will help to raise awareness and will lead to a deeper understanding of cultural diversity.

Activities:
- Think about critical situations on a workplace as an intern e.g. on Achill
- Collect ideas & brainstorm scenarios
- Get in touch with the local inhabitants on their workplace
- Realise your concept
- Act, shoot & arrange the video dialogs
- Produce and perform a presentation

Materials:
- Pen & paper
- Digital Camera
- Laptop

Description:
In this workshop we will look at how the internet has changed and is changing the daily life of people in a rural community like Achill Island. We will talk to shop owners, teachers, business people, school kids, pub owners, elderly people etc. to find out in what ways the internet already has, or could have, an influence on their lifes and the way they are doing things.
We will also create a scenario for "Achill 2010 - the online island", in which we try to show how Achill could make use of all the new technologies and innovations, like social media, RFID, mobile computing and communication etc...

Aim:
To get in touch with as many people as possible and learn about their everyday life, how they are doing business, comparing it with what we know from our countries and establishing a cultural awareness for those differences and similarities.

Activities:
- doing interviews with local people
- If possible we will assist interested people with their plans (e.g. developing a concept for an online shop, settign up a weblog etc.).
- Creating the scenario "Achill 2010 - the online island"

Materials:
- an open mind
- a good eye for opportunities
- computer with presentation software

4. Representation for foreign cultures in Irish Schools - Education and the creation of identity
Workshop leader: Dot Aström
Achill

Description:
This workshop will focus on intercultural exchange between the pupils in a primary school class on Achill Island and a group of BI participants. In particular we will try to raise awareness of similarity and diversity between cultures and look at education and its part in the creation of identity. The BI group should be as nationally mixed as possible.

Aim:
To exchange information and acquire knowledge of each others schooldays, everyday life, cultures, languages, traditions, etc. and thereby explore some of the factors influencing cultural identity while, at the same time, developing a deeper awareness of cultural diversity.

Activities:
- School visit/s
- A day in the life of my school/an Irish teacher/an Irish school class
- Culture box talks with school children
- Interviews – within the BI group and at school
- The Gaelic language tradition
- Cultural identity through music and song

Materials:
- Culture box items (realia, photos, things which identify your culture, etc.)
- Map of Europe/world, pins, blue-tack, string.
- National flags
- Digital camera/s
- Digital video camera
- Mini cassette recorder + tapes
- Sweets (from different countries?) for the children

Join us! It will be an enriching experience!

5. How to become an intercultural expert? a game based approach
Workshop leader: Vera Colwell
Achill

Description:
Intercultural Expert is the name of the game.
The WORKSHOP is ALL in the MAKING!
Games are fun! Designing one, or more, in just one week related to intercultural questions that not only looks good, but is good, is going to be NOT ONLY FUN but challenging!
Are you interested in creating activities that get others to put on their thinking caps?
If so, then this is the workshop for you!

Aims:
To create an attractive game (or games) related to intercultural questions for the general public, a game everyone wants to share.

Activities:
- indoor and outdoor
- brainstorming
- sharing of ideas, skills and competences
- interviewing and conversing with people to gather information
- designing materials
- testing the game.

Materials:
- Laptop/Notebook;
- Digital camera;
- MP3/4

There is something here for everyone. Come and join in making the game(s) more than a name.

Description:
This workshop will focus on different kinds of journalistic documentation. In particular we will try to raise awareness for “choosing the right medium and representation style”. We will share our knowledge of the old and new media and how these are being used and instrumentalised in different genres and cultures. The media workshop should be as nationally mixed as possible. The participants need no technical knowledge in order to take part but it helps if they are familiar with computers.

Aim:
Production of a faithful report of all important aspects of the intensive Seminar on Achill Island. Viewers, listeners, and readers should get a glimpse of the emotions, the special atmosphere on the island and even personal feelings of the participants.
Discussion of the advantages of the different kinds of media for different kinds of representation of reality. Awareness of the different national media which influence our cultural identity. Production of a semi-professional documentation of our European project. This documentation will turn into a real product and will be used as part of the final report of the European project.

Activities:
- discussions about different kinds of documentation (audio, video, web- based)
- comparison of old media and new media, tabloid and serious style
- designing story boards for concrete documentation features
- coordinating and planning documentation with the other work shops (getting stories, editing articles and pictures)
- doing interviews with participants and the Achill community
- differerent genres and cultures (e.g. wildlife documentary vs. BigBrother)
- editing the existing materials and putting them together in a presentable format

Materials:
- digital camera
- audio-recorder
- laptop computers
- software for producing and editing audio / video / web-based documentation
- flip-chart for story-boards

Be a journalist for a week! We will go to any length to find the right solutions!

7. Architecture - Dichotomy between Irish Cultural Heritage and international style
Workshop leader: Reka Jablonkai
Dublin

Description

Aim:

Activities:
- identifying examples of traditional and modern in the cities of the participating countries
- group discussion of what these monuments, traditional and modern buildings represent and how they are perceived by local people and tourists
- visiting relevant places in Dublin (e.g. the New Millenium Spire in O'Connel Street, Georgian hoses along Fitzwilliam Square, the Custom House, International Financial Services Centre)
- interviewing local Dubliners about their emotional and rational reactions to recent changes in the city
- visual and audio documentation

Materials:
- examples of old and new in your home cities, countries
- digital camera
- audio-recorder