The Beit Project, innovative international project on living together, which will be in 2023 for the first time in Timisoara. The project combines historical heritage with reflection on cultural diversity, its meanings and contemporary challenges.
AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE PLACE, WITH HISTORY AND WITH THE OTHER
The Beit Project responds to the need to create a dialogue between young people from different social-cultural backgrounds and functional diversity through the study and through the study and interpretation of their urban environment and its history. For several days, youth from two different schools get to know each other and work together. and work together. Around an ephemeral and nomadic school installed in a place of heritage, they appropriate this historical place by working on traces of the past, social issues and video production. The idea of the project is to transform the perception of diversity into a richness and to build a to build a common dialogue, but also to develop a reading of the city through the interpretation through the interpretation of the traces of the past. When the project was launched in 2011, the places studied were related to the history of Jewish communities in Europe, hence the acronym Beit, which in Hebrew means ‘house’ but also the number ‘2’, the second letter of the alphabet. Then the project opened to all the places of urban heritage, in order to work the relationship with the other, happy or painful, and to reflect on the living together, today. On how to transform my city into a home for the other and me.
The project has already been realized in 16 European and Mediterranean cities: Paris, Marseille, Barcelona, Brussels, Rome, Berlin, London, Lodz, Tangier, Sofia, Skopje, Nice, Athens, Nantes, Bucharest, Iasi. This year is the first time in Timisoara.
The project is co-funded by European Union as part of the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme – European Remembrance. This programme supports projects aimed at commemorating defining events in modern European history, including the causes and consequences of authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, and at raising awareness among European citizens of their common history, culture, cultural heritage and values, thereby enhancing their understanding of the Union, its origins, purpose, diversity and achievements and of the importance of mutual understanding and tolerance.
In Timisoara your main local partner is the Institutul Intercultural Timisoara
The project is co-funded by the Timisoara Municipality through Centre of Projects in Timisoara and is part of the “Timisoara 2023 – European Capital of Culture” Program.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Urban sessions
The project gathers in the middle of urban heritage sites two groups from different schools with a maximum of 16 youth in each 2 days’ session. They begin building together a temporary site of study. This dynamic process which takes place during two full on-site days enables each group (half a class from each school) to develop skills linked to the fields of History, Geography, Civic education, Arts, Sciences and Technology. The building of their own “house of study” is the first shared activity of the two pupils who interact for the first time. It is a fundamental part of the pedagogical methodology as it engages a strong intimacy building process and encourages collaboration among pupils who had never met before. The dialogue initiated with the two pupils is followed up by the engagement of the entire group and the contribution of people in the street during the process of the educational activities of the project.
The dialogue inspires youth to listen to each other, understand and debate on different interpretations. It starts from the diversity of the students, enables them to accept each other and, eventually reach a common goal.
Video editing workshop
After the sessions the work then continues in the establishments, where the pupils will edit the video films in order to be able to present them during a closing evening of the project.
Final presentation
A Final Presentation event enables the pupils to present their audio-visual work to a wide public: local residents and to invited local leaders engaged in education, heritage and urban development, their family and peers.
The topics addressed
During the project, the participants use the history of the places to discuss social themes still present in the contemporary reality of their city. Participation in the Beit Project therefore makes it possible to address fundamental questions that we do not often have the opportunity to talk about openly and deeply, such as:
- The duty of memory
- Wars and Peace
- Violence
- Discrimination
- Social mutual aid and solidarity
- Exile and immigration
- Racism and antisemitism
- Hatred of the other, exclusion
- Resistance and heroism
- Gender equality
- Precariousness and living conditions
Agenda 2023 in Timisoara
- Urban sessions: from 16/01/2023 to 07/02/2023, in Union Square, Liberty Square and Center of Projects Timisoara
- Video editing workshop: 8-10/02/2023
- Public presentation: 26/02/2023, 12-14, at Cinema Victoria
- Round table on the topic of heritage education for developing civic and intercultural competences: 27/03/2023, 18-19:30, in the Attic of the Arts and Design Faculty
- Opening of the Project Beit photo exhibition: 27/03/2023, 19:30, in the Attic of the Arts and Design Faculty
- Project Beit photo exhibition: 27/03 – 27/04/2023, on the exterior fence of the Botanical Park, Calea Alexandru Ioan Cuza.
More information: https://thebeitproject.org/en/the-nomadic-school-of-remembrance/
The Beit Project described by participants in Paris (English subtitles available):
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Beit-Project-351285958259479/
Videos and making-of on the Youtube channel.
Local coordination in Timisoara:
Oana Bajka
oana.bajka@intercultural.ro
+40 751 011 141