Making Meaning

Our final webinar explored the role of policy and research in driving transformative learning and sustainable change. Expert speakers from the green movement and adult education organisations discussed how policy and research initiatives can support and amplify the impact of transformative learning practices. Moderator: Davide Muraro, European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA) Speakers: Ana Margarida Esteves, CEI-Iscte Centre for International Studies, Portugal Simone Schirru, RREUSE – international network for social enterprises active in the circular economy, Belgium Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

We explored the inspiring work of grassroots initiatives actively contributing to the green transition. We heard from representatives of these initiatives, learning how they involve citizens in their activities and what are their successes and challenges. We discussed the informal learning experiences the grassroots initiatives are facilitating, and what adult education organisations could learn from them. Moderator: Laura Kaestele, ECOLISE, European Network for Community-Led Initiatives on Climate Change and Sustainability Speakers: Jonne Nurmela, Dodo, Finland, Mara Angelidou, InCommOn, Greece Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

In this session, we delved into innovative educational practices for promoting green transition. Our invited three speakers shared their expertise, while the moderator guided the discussion on how these practices can be implemented in adult education. Moderator: Aleksandra Kozyra, European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA) Speakers: Agnieszka Borek, NGO Trainers’ Association (sTOP), Poland Chris Evans, Himalayan Permaculture Centre, UK Grigoris Protsonis , A.S.T.O, Greece Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

[REUPLOAD] “The future belongs to all of us,” says Maarten Okkersen at the Museon Omniversum in the Hague. As we take a break from the current season, we revisit an older episode in which we talk about how museums can help make sense of the changing world and encourage agency and empathy. We also discuss what interactivity really means, and why sometimes it’s useful to lose the technology. In the meantime, we visit the museum’s One Planet exhibition, where we find out what our phones are made of and try to save the coral reef.

[REUPLOAD] What if you could design and build your community space - no matter your background or skills? We take a break from our current season and revisit our older episode in which we meet with Maria Glionna, an architect, educator and learner, who tells us about participatory architecture as a practice of empowerment. We also discuss learning as a way of connecting to your own body, emotions and nature, and Maria’s personal and professional journey: from Italy through the UK to Belgium, and from traditional to community-based architecture. While talking, we visit a community centre in Brussels, where we take a look into Maria’s workshop and learn how to make a house out of clay (and glitter).

Could tango take over your life? Boris Maidanik, a tango teacher, tells us about his experience of learning to dance tango in his hometown - Buenos Aires, and what it's like when the whole room stops to a rhythm of a dance. He also shares what migration across different European countries has brought him, and why tango isn't about learning the steps. We also speak to Ana, a tango learner who reflects on why learning to dance can help you bury an image of yourself - or to reconfirm who you are. In the meantime, we visit a tango practice in Belgrade.

How many mothers does it take to raise a child? And what does polymaternalism actually mean? In this episode, we take a look at a winter school course on Feminism and Motherhood at the University of Antwerp. We talk to learners of the course, both of whom are researchers in the fields of motherhood as well as the organiser of the course. We delve into defining the term of polymaternalism and how becoming a mother is a process of learning and discovery. Check out the episode to hear more from Professor Ariadna Ayala Rubio, Dr Gemma McKenzie and Joke Struyf.

Who was there before us in our movements? How can we own the narrative of our histories? In the heart of a bustling library and archive in Athens, born through the claims of the Greek feminist movement in the 80s, we meet Irene: an archivist, librarian and feminist. Amidst the books, journals and clippings of the archive, we discuss libraries as sites of collective learning and exploration, where diverse voices converge and histories intertwine. We talk about how libraries and archives are more than just repositories but catalysts for change, documenting movements and revealing untold stories of community learning. In these spaces of gathering and discovery, we see how sharing languages, stories, and demands, bit by bit transcend great narratives and showcase that transformative action is forged day by day, get together by get together, book by book.

Is radio a thing of nostalgia? Together with our host in Belgrade, Maja Maksimovic, we revisit the past as we open closets, cupboards and drawers. While talking about personal memory, we also learn how to make Turkish coffee (and read the future). We then take a walk in a park with filmmaker Marija Stojnic to discuss “Speak so I can see you”, her documentary about Radio Belgrade. Marija shares with us why radio is an accessible means of learning, and how you can get goosebumps from listening to archives. We also reflect on how to connect with the past without romanticising it.

Who has the power to create public spaces? We first ask the question to Katarina Popovic and Maja Maksimovic from the University of Belgrade. We sit down in a kafana in Belgrade to talk about cultural identity, practice dark Eastern European humour, and reflect on the value of a stolen Yugoslavian passport. We also do some experiential learning around the concept of Dionisian socialism. We then meet with Iva Cukic and Jovana Timotijevic from the Ministry of Space, a collective that reflects on the future of cities. Iva and Jovana tell us how collective practices can recreate a sense of community, and what it means to fall in love with an abandoned building (relationship status: it’s complicated). This episode also features discussions about the Serbian model of gentrification, the Turkish approach to slow food, and the German take on nostalgia.