Viksjöforsbaletten (Viksjöfors - Sweden)
Viksjöforsbaletten is located in distant isolated Swedish countryside. The cultural voluntary organization was founded 1989. There has over the years been focus on cultural expressions (choreographies), physical creativity (dance), alternative learning (non-formal and in-formal), freetime choices (activities evenings, weekends and holidays), offering alternative learning methods in schools (learing curricular subjects with cultural expressions) and integration (dance and disability). For newly arrived refugees we offer alternative languages in learning (bodylanguage/expression via dance/achrobatics/parcour, music, film, art, drama/theater etc.).
In the area of countryside forestry there is by tradition low ambition for education due to early age in work within farming, forestry and factories (forest machinery and furniture). Girls tend to leave already at upper secondary level while boys tend to stay and stick to fishing/hunting, motor sports and computer activities. This is a reason for new mixed families (Asia-Swedish, Afro-Swedish).
Viksjöforsbaletten is situated in the garden of the local school, 10m from house corner to house corner. It is not only the location but the spirit for artistic values in the village that gives artistic expressions a special value. Since foundation in 1998 the school and the dance school act in cooperation. When dance teachers work in Viksjöforsbaletten they naturally are connected to the school kids as well in school hours as in after school activities. In this spirit there was developed a concept of approaching curricular subjects with cultural expressions in considerable support from various programmes in the European Union.
One of these programs was MUSILIB that extended and enriched the results of the MultiLib projects offering a repository of children stories accompanies by music and other media materials to promote inclusion and inter-cultural awareness accross Europe. The repoasitory of the stories in the form of e-books is accessible at: https://musilib.coursevo.com/ebooks
Helena Ehrstrand - Primary school teacher, educated at Åbo Akademi, Pedagogiska Fakulteten. Helena was always working with alternative methods for learning curricular subjects. All through her teaching years she was connected to Universities, i.e. Dalarna University, University of Gävle within subjects such as pedagogics, history, mathematics, Swedish for immigrants (Sv2). Ms Ehrstrand is the project manager for the coordinating organisation.
Lotten Andersson - Teacher's degree in Uppsala 1973. Complementary studies in pedagogy for a master's degree in Falun 25 years later. Now retired from teaching, but still responsible for Viksjöfors school's website. Runs STF Hostel Edsbyn since 1975 together with her husband.
Emilia Forslin - Former bus traffic coordinator within the Stockholm Public Transport System and now a student at Stockholm University, the Mathematics Department. Has studied statistics, math and computer science and is now finishing a masters degree in mathematical statistics.
Is passionate about mathematical problem solving, forest maintenance and working with contributing to the small community one lives in.
Wictoria Kastemyr - Primary Teacher Education at University of Gävle. Teacher in Viksjöfors skola, currently grade 1-2. 25 years of teaching, grades 1-6.
Elisabeth Guthu - Primary school teacher, educated at Mid Sweden University where she wrote her final essay with focus on the learning of curricular school subjects with artistic expressions.
Anki Waltersson - teacher with focus on musical expressions.
Elias Bäckebjörk - Swedish, born 23.01.1993
Academic Education
- Wendelsbergs Folkhögskola Musical course 2012-2013
- Steps on Broadway-ISVP 2013-2014
- Balettakademien Stockholm 2014-2017
- Vocal Training: 2011-2017
- Instruments: Harmonica, Guitar, Percussion, Voice
Recent Professional Experience
- Pharsalia with company Antonio Ruz, Madrid
- Stuttgart International Solo Tanz Festival with solo Prepost
- Avatar
- Gandr Frikar X, Aurdal
- Riva - Faraoese Dance Company
- DITW- Dance Performance choreography Jon Ole Olstad
- Metamorphosis Dance
- Los Siete Pecados
- Teatro Arriaga Bilbao
- Die Gemütliche Wahrheit With Multipluralvesen by Johannes Blattner, Stuttgart, Germany
- Dancer with Nagelhus Schia Productions, Norway
- Realness by Daniel Proietto
Torill Kolsrud - Norwegian born 10/09 - 1995.
Academic Education
- Internship at Nationaltheater Mannheim, Germany.
- The Ballet Academy in Stockholm 2015-2018.
Teaching
- Guest teacher for Nedre Follo Kulturskole
- Workshops to promote «Skapa Dans» in Sweden 2022
- Guest teacher for Viksjöforsballetten, Bergen Kultuskole Elite Program and Bergen Dansesenter
Dancing
- Dancer with ilYong, junior Company, 2017.
Technical University of Crete (TUC/MUSIC - Greece)
TUC/MUSIC was established in 1990 in the Dep. of Electronics and Computer Engineering of the Technical University of Crete, Chania, Crete, Greece. It is a centre of research, development and teaching in the areas of distributed information systems, application engineering, computer graphics, and simulation engineering. TUC/MUSIC performs research in the areas of high performance distributed multimedia architectures, information systems offering advanced functionalities, data base systems, information retrieval systems, digital libraries, service oriented architectures, and graphics systems. In the area of application engineering, TUC/MUSIC performs research in the topics of large distributed multimedia delivery networks for intelligent TV applications, semantic interoperability infrastructures, web and mobile based application development methodologies, natural language processing, as well as standard-based software infrastructures for multimedia applications in areas such as e-learning, culture and tourism, business applications, TV Applications and medicine. It also has extensive experience in usability aspects of modern applications, the design of intuitive and efficient graphical user interfaces both for the desktop and the web, and their evaluation following standard methodologies.
The last 6 years, TUC participates in a number of projects (ALICE, e-ARTinED, MultiLib) focusing on the integration of arts into formal and non-formal learning settings. Based on the experience from these project TUC will lead the work regarding the set up of an infrastructure to promote the use of arts for social inclusion in schools and will also involve local schools in the pilot activities of the project.
Prof. Emer. Stavros Christodoulakis - Former director of TUC/MUSIC, Professor Emeritus of the ECE Department of TUC, and Member of the Scientific Board of the Institute of Telecommunications of Crete; member of the Scientific Board of the DELOS II Network of Excellence on Digital Libraries; co-coordinator of the DELOS II Cluster “Audio-visual and non-traditional objects”. Member of the Working Group 3/Technical Committee 48 of the Greek Organization for Standardization (ELOT) working in the area of learning processes and technologies standardization.
Dr. Polyxeni Arapi, Researcher - Learning Technologies Expert. She holds an Engineering Diploma and a M.Sc. in Electronic and Computer Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Informatics. She has been working in TUC/MUSIC since 2001 and has been involved in various European research projects related to eLearning and digital libraries. She has extensive experience in eLearning systems and applications (semantic modelling, architectures & services, interoperability, accessibility, personalization, pedagogical approaches/strategies etc.), digital libraries systems and applications, databases and multimedia information systems. Involved in the work of the Greek Organization for Standardization (ELOT) working in the area of learning processes and technologies.
Nektarios Moumoutzis - Researcher. Holds a MEng in Computer Engineering. He has been involved in various research projects and his expertise includes project management, design and mplementation of modern information systems, object oriented databases, and eLearning systems. He was the project manager of the pSkills LLP Comenius project. His current research focuses on creativity methodologies and systems to support deep holistic learning in school education and in informal and non-formal learning settings incorporating Arts. He is also involved in the eShadow project.
Nikos Pappas - Research Engineer – Learning Technologies Expert. He holds an Engineering Diploma and a M.Sc. in Electronic and Computer Engineering. He has been working in TUC/MUSIC since 1992 and has been involved in various European research projects related to multimedia information systems, eLearning and digital libraries. He is the chief architect and responsible for the development and evolution of the Coursevo platform (http://coursevo.com/) supporting communities of practice and training programmes.
Yiannis Maragkoudakis - Researcher - Financial expert. He is an electronic and computer engineer (Dipl.-Eng.). He has been working in TUC/MUSIC since 1992 and has been involved in various EU research projects. His expertise includes project management and coordination of research projects, parallel systems, multimedia servers, eLearning systems and applications.
Amalgamate Music Education (AMusEd - Cyprus)
Amalgamate Music Education - AMusEd is a Small Enterprise located in Strovolos in Nicosia. AMusEd was established in 2018 and it offers a variety of music lessons in Cyprus. It offers early childhood music lessons for children 0 – 6 years to family, nursery and kindergarten settings in Nicosia. Further, there is a wide range of private instruments lessons offered in its premises. The lessons offered are piano, guitar, ukulele, recorder, clarinet, saxophone, vocals, violin, cello, and flute. AmusEd provides also educational courses in the field of music education and the integration of music into curriculum subjects to in-service teachers in Cyprus, through the Pedagogical Institute of Cyprus and other organizations. AMusEd is a course provider of educational courses in the field of arts in general (music, theatre and visual arts) funded through Erasmus+ KA1.
As an offer to the community, AMusEd has organized a multicultural band and a Gospel choir which members are mainly people from Africa who live in Cyprus in status of Asylum Seekers. As an organization who listens to the needs of the community and also recognizes the added value that music brings to people’s lives, AMusEd has set up Drums Circle groups where ‘mainly adults’ from different backgrounds join and make music together. Also, since 2020 they have been organizing group sessions and events that enhance the general quality of people’s lives. Such courses are “Creative Writing Workshops”, “Informal Cyprus Dialect lessons to migrants”, “Ukulele nights for adults”, “Creative workshops for children”, “Music Courses” and “Specialized music seminars”.
Finally AMusEd is now getting into the corporate world offering non formal music course to business with the aim to improve teambuilding, Collaborative work, and connect music factors with the business world.
Maria Dimosthenous - She is a graduate of the Music Department of Aristotle University and has a diploma in piano. She has master degree in ‘School Management and Leadership’ and is a certified Early Childhood Music Educator from Brittish Kodály Assosciation. She has attended many workshops and seminars on music education and piano teaching. She has many years experience as a music educator in early years, Primary and also Secondary schools.
Christodoulos Dimosthenous - He has a Bachelor in Graphic Design and a Master degree in Interactive Media from the University of the West of England. He has a vast experience in Graphic design as also in the design of Websites. He is also experienced in disseminating and promoting information through social media and other online resources.
Polyxeni Constantinou - She holds a BA Music (European University Cyprus), a MA in Music Psychology in Education, Performance and Well being (Shefield University) and a piano and Theory Diploma. She is working as an early childhood Educator and a piano tutor. She has attended many seminars in music education.
Mavromataki - Mitera Private School (Mavromataki - Greece)
Mavromataki Private School is a small private primary school located in Chania, Crete, Greece. It has got about 45 students (aged 6-12) and 14 teachers. Its aim is to create a school environment that helps the students grow educationally, socially and culturally by participating in activities and innovative projects, combining learning with having fun. The profile of the school has diversified the last few years to offer pupils more opportunities in their future endeavours: IT lessons from an expert IT professor; Robotics and Coding; STE(A)M education. It is placed emphasis on the inquiry based method of learning and real life problem solving. Especially the subject of Mathematics is connected with all the rest of school subjects through hands - on activities, crafts (tinkering) and the arts (art lesson, music, and dance). The school is bilingual (Greek and English) and multicultural, with students from different regions and different cultures. Besides the Greek students, many of the rest students arenative English speakers from the USA. There are also a substantial number of students with parents from various EU countries. Every year the school takes part in many local, national and international projects, especially the Erasmus+ program, seeking new opportunities and expand its horizons in new educational frames focusing on younger ages, looking for an innovative way and the appropriate methodology to reinforce a bottom-up progression of the identity of an active European citizen.
Konstantinos Manolakis - Graduate of the Pedagogical Department of Primary Education of the University of Patras and MSc in the Administration of Cultural Units. Serves in Mavromataki Private School since 1994 as a teacher and with the duties of Director since 2014. He is particularly interested in the connection of Education with Culture (arts, theater, museum, environment, ICT) and the teaching of History. He has organized several relevant educational programs for the school in collaboration with other institutions. He is a writer of pedagogical articles and creator of educationa, culturall and museological material. He has trained groups of adults on issues related to the STE(A)M and CLIL methodology as well as issues related to the EU and citizenship. He has been a Teachers4Europe and Scientix Ambassador promoting specific programs in his area and has been awarded for his work.
Artemis Choreftaki - Graduate of the Pedagogical Department of Primary Education of the University of Crete (2020). She is attending the Postgraduate Program: "Education Sciences: Critical Pedagogy and Teacher Training" of the same University. He has attended training programs on intercultural education, special education, dance therapy and the art of rhythm in education. He also holds a C2 level degree in English and certifications in computer skills and First Aid training. Her personal interests include classical and modern dance, Argentine tango and yoga. She has been working at Mavromataki Private School as a teacher since September 2021.
Maria Eugenia Pontikaki - Graduate of the Pedagogical Department of Primary Education of the Democritus University of Thrace (2019). He has completed seminars at the National Kapodistrian University of Athens on the specialization of Special Education and Intercultural Education. He has received Braille certification and I have completed the first course of Sign Language. In 2021 she began her postgraduate studies in Special Education, studying at the University of Nicosia. She loves the sea, traveling and applying innovative ideas in her teaching (STEAM, the Arts). She has been working at Mavromataki Private School as a teacher since October 2019.
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