End of the project Oratio Mix

The Oratio mix project addresses the issue of intercultural dialogue in Europe, which is both a priority and a sensitive subject depending on the country concerned. It aims to question relations between Europeans, as well as between Europeans and the rest of the world. The project recognises that European cohesion has been put to the test in recent years by events such as European enlargement, the financial crisis, the migration crisis, terrorism and the health crisis. These periods have often been marked by reactions of rejection, exclusion and nationalist withdrawal.

Writing a positive intercultural story...

Oratio mix seeks to build an approach that fosters renewed intercultural dialogue, offering Europeans an alternative space in the face of crises and tensions. It also aims to encourage the writing and expression of a positive common narrative that makes people want to continue building Europe by including all its components.

... at school

Schools have been identified as an ideal place to explore and express these issues, as today’s pupils represent the future of Europe and often experience the question of intercultural dialogue more acutely than their elders.

The project also recognises the growing ability of some young people to grasp issues that their elders have difficulty understanding, as shown by the recent debate on the ecological crisis. This ability shows that European students are becoming more agile in defending the values of a more inclusive society.

Germany, France, Italy and Portugal

Oratio mix focuses on the diversity of children’s situations in Germany, France, Italy and Portugal, particularly in schools located in less privileged areas or with a large mix of pupils. It recognises that children need reference points to define themselves and others, which is essential for their integration into a society that often values their oratory skills.

Children as authors and actors in these stories

The project thus proposes an approach that combines interculturality and expression among children and young people. It involves artistic workshops in which the Agenda 2030 and young people’s ecological stories are used as materials to create a shared narrative. The young people are both authors and actors in these narratives, which are then represented through storytelling.

New teaching tools

Oratio mix aims to give Europe’s schoolchildren and their teachers new teaching tools to promote active and creative intercultural dialogue. It has developed new methodologies, such as :

a manual describing the workshop sequences
tutorial videos to illustrate the exercises,
research on interculturality and eloquence in Europe,
a training module for education professionals,
a website bringing together all the project’s productions.

These tools enable teachers to run workshops using artistic techniques, plan cross-curricular class projects and encourage intercultural exchanges.

The Oratio mix project involved teachers, artists, social workers and students from the Sorbonne, as well as 465 young people aged between 4 and 18 in the four partner countries. The planned productions were carried out, and the project organised events to publicise its results and raise awareness of the issues among European educational players.