Our project “Plastic Islands“ is supposed to create a noticeable bond between life in the modern industrial nation Germany and life on the Caribbean island Guadeloupe - for all participants involved. The global connections are going to become apparent through our guiding theme “Plastic“. In the first place, the global idea of our project is supposed to be conveyed in a carefree manner by choosing an artistic approach. The communicative means of Arts bundle haptic, sensual and cognitive experiences which can be challenging but at the same time unique for the students throughout the learning process. By taking into account scientific, geopolitical, linguistic and aesthetic aspects, the project aims at focusing on a globally significant topic from different perspectives. The students will be encouraged to draft and create a visual artwork that can leave a lasting impression on all participants alike. Additionally, the innovative character of our project will be defined by combining several subjects with each other – namely French, Geography and Arts. This inter- and transdisciplinary approach is very important to us. In a first encounter with our project partners in Guadeloupe, a dialogue will be engaged in order to critically reconsider and expand the different approaches to our guiding theme “Plastic“. The different intercultural approaches will be discussed and put into practice by creating distinctive artworks. These artworks will be presented on an exhibition in Germany during a return visit of our project partners. The second phase of our project focusses on the lifecycle of a specific product – namely the one of plastic bags of jelly bears being produced in Bonn. These will be presented as recycled “Plastic Islands“ during our visit in Guadeloupe. These artworks are supposed to visualize that a respectful treatment of our global neighbours and their descendants, from both nearby and far away, is highly desirable. The students become aware of the fact that the consequences of our doings on this side of the world and the inaction on the other side are closely interwoven. In this consilidation phase, the explosive geopolitical nature of the topic “Ocean Plastic Pollution“ is going to become apparent. During our visit in Guadeloupe, the students are able to experience the rather functional approach of the islanders to the topic whereas the students` approach keeps on being a natural and theoretical one. In the last phase of our project, it is planned on focusing on the special situation of Guadeloupe being an integral part of Europe. Guadeloupe`s history of “Packaging“ is going to be scrutinized by examining its traditional jar, the so-called “Kalebasse“. The original function of this jar has been slightly forgotten in recent years due to the fact that is has been constantly replaced by modern plastic containers. This development becomes transparent as well as comprehensible when taking a closer look at Guadeloupe`s colonial history. The students will learn about the specific nature of Creole identity in literature and will develop an understanding for the special role of the islanders in the European context. In our last encounter with our French partners, a writing workshop is going to function as a tool for processing the various experiences being made during this project. All the results will be open for a final fruitful discussion with our partners from Guadeloupe. All different activities that define our project “Plastic Islands“ will have a lasting impact on the schools` understanding of how urgent environmental issues need to be tackled in the future: In Guadeloupe, a garbage bin called “SMART“ is being developed and the parking area is being stabilized by recycled material. At the CSG in Bonn, the raising awareness of living sustainably and a new sense of responsibility among all participants involved could be put into practice by e.g. initiating study groups that focus on “Plastic Free Schools“. In addition, the school`s career guidance could be enhanced in the field of environmental job opportunities. For our apparently exotic European project, the European idea is of major importance. The project is supposed to strengthen the islanders` self-image as well as the Europeans` responsibility for their actions. The project “Plastic Islands“ is keen on letting us Europeans experience our responsibility for the European neighbours in the Caribbean. In the end, it goes without saying that the challenges and obstacles of the future can only be succesfully faced by promoting sustainable lifestyles and mutual responsibility.
Our project "Plastic Islands" created a tangible connection for all participants between life in the modern industrialized country of Germany and that on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. The participants learned about the global context of the topic "plastic". The approach to the material was initially impartial, as the students dealt artistically with the material plastic. The approach to this globally anchored topic via the communicative structures of art, namely the linking of haptic, sensual and cognitive experiences, meant an unusual challenge for the students. Taking into account scientific, geopolitical, linguistic and aesthetic aspects, they dealt with a globally significant topic with the aim of arriving at a reflected pictorial solution with a lasting effect. At a first meeting in Guadeloupe, the different approaches to the theme were reflected upon and expanded in dialogue with the partners. Here, a first dialogue already took place about the interculturally different approaches to the topic. The German students had the opportunity to expand their first artistic experiences with the material on the island. However, but it quickly became apparent that the restriction to the material represented a very great challenge, since the reality of life on Guadeloupe did not correspond to the expectations of our students. Thus, we expanded the thematic complex to the area of perceived contrasts in the found living space in comparison to the everyday in Germany. The artworks that resulted from this in the project course were presented in a small show of works at the end of the school year 2020. However, the pandemic situation meant that the students had to work very independently in their home offices. The topic, which was originally planned as the last phase of the project and which was to focus on the special situation of Guadeloupe as part of Europe, was already addressed during the first encounter, since both students from the art project course and students from the French advanced course took part in this trip. The German students had the opportunity to gain insights into their understanding of Europe and their own identity in interviews with locals. These insights appeared in a new light when viewed against the background of the island's colonial history. The students learned about literature on Creole identity and understood the special role of the inhabitants of the overseas department in the European context. A visit to the modern Memorial Act museum in Point à Pitre also provided a wonderful opportunity to engage intensively with the colonial history of Guadeloupe. In a second project phase, the focus of the project work was on the life cycle of a product and the topic of packaging. Since it was not clear from the beginning whether a mutual visit could take place in times of the pandemic, the students had to meet virtually and work on their self-selected topics. After an initial theoretical phase on the topic of sustainability and the special geographic conditions of the island of Guadeloupe, the students were able to choose topics that they wanted to deal with in the production of a short film. For example, the students chose the topic of the "way of the banana" as a product that is grown on the island of Guadeloupe and can be bought in our supermarkets, or worked together on the topic of "reducing packaging/plastic waste" and portrayed an "unpackaged store" or compared the everyday life of students in dealing with plastic on this side and the other side of the Atlantic. Another topic was "climate change and it's consequences for us in Bonn and for the partners on Guadeloupe". Unfortunately, it was actually not possible to organize further real encounters due to the still ongoing pandemic. Several online conferences on teams took place in the 2020/21 teaching year, during which the students got to know each other and then went into an exchange in small groups. The films that ended up being made are products of this collaboration. Even if there were no real visits, it has already become clear in the intercultural collaboration how different the approaches of the students are.