EEA AND NORWAY GRANTS FUND FOR BILATERAL RELATIONS

INITIATIVE PROPOSAL

Title of the initiative: “Small countries, small nations- how to support each other to preserve your national face” Implementing entity (beneficiary state entity):

NGO Estonian Artschools Society, Estonia

Partner(s) (minimum one donor state entity):

Samlagið art school, Akureri , Iceland

Bilateral priority area identified by the JCBF beyond the programmes: € promotion of core European values, such as respect for human dignity, freedom,

democracy, equality, the rule of law and the respect for human rights for all people, regardless of their racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation or gender identity;

€ E-governance (digitalization) € eastern partnership € equality and equal treatment € competitive business environment, sustainable and adaptive governance (based on

“Competitiveness Plan for 2020” approved by the Government of Estonia)

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Allocation (total sum): 50 760 € (A more detailed project budget description in the activity plan)

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Short description of the initiative: (background, aim, participants, activity plan, budget outline, communication and dissemination)

Estonia and Iceland both are small countries and in a global world they both have a challenge on how to keep their nationality, culture and identity.

In everyday life young people very often try to be „like the others“, they follow the mainstream media and endanger losing their identity in the process. It can cause depression and other mental health problems.

Creativity is the keyword, how to develop the creative thinking, specially visual thinking of children and young people. Support the understanding who they really are, that they are representatives of their small nations. Visual thinking is an effective method to develop the understanding of nationality and the role in the cosmopolitan world.

The art schools and art teachers in both countries have great experiences on how to support and develop national culture in working with children and young people. They want to share these experiences with each other and connect art students from both countries, to organise common art activities. There will be weblessons for both student groups. An Estonian teacher will introduce Estonian culture to Icelandic students and visual identity, and an art teacher from Iceland will do the same for Estonian students. Both sides will send each other material regarding their culture and the students will make artworks about each other's culture and what they like and find interesting in that. There will be a common web gallery with the students' artwork.

Also teachers and art education managers want to share their experiences. In April 2025 the representatives from Estonian Art Schools will visit Iceland; Samlagið Art School and high schools. There will be a seminar with local art teachers in order to share experiences and knowledge regarding teaching in both countries. The topics that will be handled in the seminar are; - working with special needs children, - how to support teachers in their work, - how to give feedback and support to students to support their self confidence, - how to include the local community. Both sides will introduce their working methods and share ideas to develop their professionality.

The Estonian team will organise weblessons. Teachers from both countries will prepare the weblessons and extra materials, that in future can be used by teachers in both countries. Both partners will guarantee, that art students from both countries will be informed by the possibility about weblessons and art webgallery. After weblessons, artworking process and web gallery opening there will be questionnaires for the students to give feedback regarding the whole process, how/if it influenced their thinking and understanding of each other's countries, cultures and about themselves.

The Icelandic team will organise the seminar in Akureyri, invite local art teachers, artmanagers, local politicians and community to attend the seminar and give feedback and share ideas.

In summary, the aim of the project is:

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● Development of cultural and educational cooperation relations of small nations ● Cultural exchange, getting to know each other's culture and valuing the culture of small

nations. It is especially important to introduce the importance of preserving the culture of small nations among young people, who are the carriers and keepers of culture.

● Exchange of pedagogical practical experiences, knowledge and ideas of teachers from two countries, Estonia and Iceland

● Developing children's and youth's creativity through visual thinking.

Communication and dissemination:

All information about the project will be reflected on both partners webpages, social media and other media in local communities. Both groups will be able to use each other's experiences in their future work with children and young people. A Web Gallery with children's artworks will be open for everybody.

Both partners will introduce the project in local media and on websites. The fund is mentioned in the communication activities.

Activity plan:

Activity Time Location Cost Participants 1. Preliminary

meeting, Introduce the project, detailed plan for the activities

Oct- dec 2024

Online 0 € Partners from Estonia and Iceland

2. Two weblessons to students. One to Estonian and one to Islandic students

Online 500 € Students and teachers from Estonia and Iceland

3. Preparing artworks Jan- Feb 2025

Estonia, Iceland

0 € Students and teachers from Estonia and Iceland

4. Work with webgallery

March 2025

Online 5000 € Students and teachers from

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Estonia and Iceland

5. Estonian teachers study visit to Iceland (16 persons)

April 2025

Iceland Akureyri

Flight Tln- Reykjavik-Tln 9600 € Flight Reykjavik- Akureyri-Reykjavik 3800 € Accomodation 10 000 € Dinners 13440 € Local transport 3420 € Seminar costs 5000€ Alltogether: 45 260 €

Estonian and Iceland art teachers, managers, politicians

Planned results1

1 Please refer to the Results Guideline

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OUTPUT INDICATOR TARGET

Two weblessons where students and teachers get information about the other country's culture, visual art. They have got the information on how to keep your own, national personality (face) in a cosmopolitan world.

Two weblessons Students and art teachers in Estonia, Iceland

Students’ artworks. They produce art pieces that will be put up in the webgallery

At least 200 artworks Students Estonia and Iceland

Webgallery At least 200 artworks Students Estonia and Iceland

Estonian art schools managers and teachers go to a study visit to Iceland, Akureyri and Reykjavik artschools and gymnasiums

16 artschool teachers and managers artschool teachers and managers

Seminar in Akureyri Estonian and Icelandic art teachers, managers, Akureyri community

Estonian and Icelandic art teachers, managers, Akureyri community

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will participate (30 person) in the seminar.