Erasmus+ Educational Program in Heraklion in collaboration with the Region of Crete

In collaboration with the Region of Crete, the educational organization Interact is implementing in Heraklion from April 22 to 26 the Erasmus+ educational program: “Cultural heritage in action. Relating the past to the present through experiential learning, study visits and simulations’, with the participation of seventeen French teachers and one from Italy.

It is an innovative program that aims to familiarize teachers with new tools and techniques that will allow them not just to observe the history of Crete, but to experience it, as an attempt to reconnect with the common European past and present and to discover the historical continuity of an island and a culture that was the first cornerstone of the European.

On the occasion of Minoan Crete, Knossos and the museum, creative writing texts, podcasts, photos, videos, role-playing games will be created. The participating teachers will admire the Cretan dances that have a life of thousands of years, learn them and dance them, experiencing the primordial magic of traditional rhythmic movements. They will taste the world famous Cretan cuisine and co-create Cretan flavors with local products in special Cretan cooking classes. They also admire paintings by Domenikos Theotokopoulos, they will walk in Fodele and paint themselves using elements of the technique of El Greco, the painter from Crete whose works decorate museums in Paris, New York and Madrid and are a point of reference for contemporary art painting. Using elements of philosophy, geography and history they will write texts in the style of Kazantzakis and perform short theatrical acts with excerpts from “Erotokritos” in French.

The delegation of teachers was welcomed by the Deputy Regional Governor of Crete for Culture and Equality Gogo Milaki.

The coordinator and trainer of the program is Iraklis Tsiamalos with many years of experience in education both in Greece and abroad, assisted by the professor of Military History Giorgos Christodoulakis.

The educational program is implemented with the support of the Municipality of Heraklion, the Art Gallery of Heraklion, the Ephorate of Antiquities, the Historical Museum and the Fodele Community.