SUMMER SCHOOL 2 – The Sage Gateshead, Durham (GB)

MORE Folkworks Summer School

August 9th to 14th, 2010

Developing a deeper understanding of cultures through shared experiences:

MORE Folkworks Summer School was actually 3 separate summer schools: a summer school for Young people aged between 14-25, an Adult summer school and a Junior Folkworks school. The aim is to provide a supportive environment where like-minded individuals can come together to share their enthusiasm and skills in traditional music, leading to a shared experience which builds a sense of community and feeds into their own musical identities.

Up to now, the musical focus has been on music of the British Isles and Northern Europe. In 2010, the MORE project offered the opportunity to work with musicians from the partner countries and explore and share models of learning and dissemination: Neva Özgen, the Kemenche player from Turkey; oud player Kyriakos Kalaitzidis and singer and dance teacher Sakis Paliogiannis from Greece; fiddle teacher Esko Järvelä from Finland; Julien Batten from France on accordion; and last, Sam Pirt from Great Britain, also on accordion.

A model for learning

Through a savy combination of formal activities (instrument study and mixed ensemble) and informal musical gatherings, the youth and adult Summer Schools offer the opportunity to learn from leading folk musicians and gain a true understanding of this living tradition. The focus was less on technique but more on experimenting with ideas - students worked on arranging music and performed at the end of the week.

Infusing a European spirit, the MORE band was an opportunity for students to work with music from both the British Isles and the Eastern Mediterranean and toget used to a new tonality and different modes. In the Junior Summer School the emphasis was on learning and playing together. Dance was a strong element here and the input from the Greek singer and dancer Sakis Paliogiannis was very well received.

Celebrations and outcomes

The showcase concert in the Gala theatre was a welcome opportunity to perform the devised work. The 3 schools came together at the end to play the ‘big tunes’ and the ‘big song’ which had been taught in each school giving the joint repertoire. The Grand European Dance took place in Millennium Square outside the theatre on Saturday morning.

Conclusion

The Summer Schools offer participants the opportunity to discover and experience new music from across Europe. Thanks to the MORE partnership, this year marked a new level in understanding and appreciating others and their otherness, with a merry celebration of differences, in a safe environment to share and explore. From this experience, it can be said that the combination of formal and non-formal learning activities is a good basis for intercultural education. Some of the challenges are those of culture, and different modes of teaching and the perception as to how a relationship with a master musician should be managed. Mutual respect is the key and the learning process is shared by student and teacher alike.