Connecting Circles: The Living Waters of our Rivers is an innovative project which will be carried out by three organizations in Croatia, Italy and Serbia. The main objective is to create and promote innovative model of learning and providing help, empowerment and therapy to disadvantaged groups of people through the use of mythology, storytelling, culture and art connected to the rivers. We are a species of story-makers and storytellers. Storytelling is the oldest form of human communication. As an ancient activity it finds its origins in some very old cultural traditions. Stories are central to our development of self concept and identity and how we distinguish ourselves from others – a process central to our wellbeing. Counselling through storytelling is both an ancient activity and an emerging conceptual model. However, oral narrative strategies have rarely been applied in the positive psychology domain. Traditional folk and fairy tales are concerned with concepts that are now scientifically investigated, such as resilience, self-realization, personal growth and meaning in life. This project aims is to apply a new narrative approach based on fairy tales, myth and folktales that are told, discussed, and written in a group context for the purpose of promoting psychological well-being and growth. In this project, we will focus on tales connected to water and to our rivers. Most cities and communities were built on the banks of the rivers. Rivers, as the source of life and fertility, are reflected in the myths and beliefs of the multitude of cultures. It is not surprising that in many parts of the world rivers are called “mothers”. Our target group are practitioners, experts, specialists and professionals working and/or volunteering in NGO groups and institutions providing help to disadvantaged groups of people. The final beneficiaries are: women survivors of violence, refugees and migrants, long-term unemployed, children and adults with disabilities, minority groups, poor and homeless people, disadvantaged youth and victims of mafia in the Southern Italy, rural women. The results are: - An insight into common themes in myths and tales connected to rivers and communities around rivers in three European countries - A model of working with disadvantaged groups of people based on narrative therapy and art, using old folktales and storytelling, as well as methods from art therapy. - Creation of an innovative practical tool of working with disadvantaged groups of people. - Promotion of the European Cultural Heritage - Increased knowledge and skills of the target group - Increased capacity of the target group to provide help to disadvantaged groups of people. - Increased cultural awareness of the target group The partners will have two transnational project meetings – kick-off and evaluation meeting. There will be three intellectual outputs: O1 – Connecting Circles – A Collection of Tales from the Rivers This collection will contain fairytales, myths, folk tales and other forms of stories and tales that are part of the local folklore in each country. All tales will be connected to the rivers and the water archetype. There will be a total of fifteen stories published online, five from each country. O2 - Massive Open Online Course Curriculum and Frame We are going to use the open-source online platform, as well as develop the course curriculum. Based on the curriculum we are going to develop the MOOC's structure and frame in the online system. O3 - Massive Open Online Course Content This output contains all elements to be published as a MOOC: video presentations, assessment tools, further readings and links. The MOOC will be available in English and translated to all three partner languages. There will be 30 participants of the MOOC from each country (90 total). There will be one LTTE meeting, a short joint staff training event with 15 participants. The goal of this activity is to bring together the staff and the target group in a joint activity of testing and creating a module for the online course on working with disadvantaged and vulnerable groups of people using myth, stories, storytelling and elements from art therapy. Finally, each organisation will have one multiplier event with 20 participants (each). The participants will receive a deep understanding of how our stories affect our lives, as well s how storytelling can help us as individuals live better lives, improve ourselves and empower the individuals we work with, together with the awareness that European cultural heritage is a vast source of inspiration for bringing communities together and for social inclusion of disadvantaged groups. The project will provide innovative tools and models which will allow the target group to access new skills and knowledge. These skills will then allow them to deepen their approach to creating lasting sustainable change in lives of the disadvantaged groups that they work with.
The main objective of the project was to create and promote innovative model of learning and providing assistance, empowerment and therapy to disadvantaged groups through the use of mythology, storytelling, culture and art connected to the rivers. Specific goals were: 1. To collect and preserve mythological and folk tales, fairy tales and local stories as they relate to rivers and disseminate them widely. 2. To create and disseminate knowledge and innovative tools of using stories and mythology in working with disadvantaged groups to adult learners from the helping professions. 3. To support, participate in and strengthen the European cultural heritage.
The project addressed social cohesion through preservation of cultural heritage by using it in an innovative way to provide learning, therapeutic assistance and empowerment to a wide array of audiences, including disadvantaged groups. Counselling through storytelling is both an ancient activity and an emerging conceptual model, but oral narrative strategies have rarely been applied in the positive psychology domain. Traditional folk and fairy tales are concerned with concepts that are now scientifically investigated, such as resilience, self-realization, personal growth and meaning in life. This project applied a new narrative approach based on traditional fairy tales, myths and folktales related to rivers for the purpose of promoting psychological well-being and growth. The stories of the rivers and waters can foster the process of transformation, especially for marginalized groups of people who feel disconnected from their communities. Empowerment and healing represents a starting point of their reintegration into society.