Method

The project and training method helped strengthen participants’ skills in the following ways: 

• Improvisational theatre: Participants used improvisational theatre techniques to deepen their understanding of the living museum concept. This approach allows them to communicate the idea to audiences more effectively and accessiblely. By focusing on all the distinctive features of living museums, they conveyed their benefits and challenges, ensuring a complete and engaging presentation.

 

• Teamwork: Collaboration skills are essential when participants join forces to bring a living museum to life. A vital aspect of this process is improvisational theatre techniques, which are crucial in improving teamwork. These techniques encourage participants to quickly address new situations and build on each other’s ideas, which is essential to effective collaboration. By working together, participants foster a sense of unity and shared purpose and improve their ability to function cohesively in a team environment. Improvisational theatre requires active listening, quick decision making and mutual support, which are essential for successful teamwork. By navigating the complexity of group dynamics and balancing different perspectives, participants learn to communicate clearly, delegate tasks effectively and support each other throughout the creative process. This emphasis on teamwork, enhanced by the spontaneity and creativity of improvisational theatre, not only ensures the success of the living museum but also provides participants with valuable interpersonal and organisational skills that are transferable to a wide range of professional and social contexts. The collaborative nature of the project, enriched by improvisation exercises, fosters the exchange of ideas, effective problem-solving and building trust.

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• European Values: The training program profoundly enhances participants' understanding of European values, emphasising the importance of cultural diversity and bringing together communities from across the continent. Through various exercises, including improvisational theatre, participants learn these values ​​intellectually and experience them in action. These theatrical techniques enable them to explore and express different cultural perspectives dynamically and interactively, making the learning process more engaging and impactful. This approach helps to instil a strong appreciation for the core principles of the European project. Through role-play and other theatrical methods, they gain insights into the experiences and challenges faced by different communities, fostering empathy and a deeper understanding of the need for inclusivity.

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• Living Museum Concept: Participants gain a deep and comprehensive understanding of the living museum concept, significantly improving their ability to innovate and engage in inclusive cultural initiatives. At the heart of this learning process are the tools of improvisational theatre, which are integral to bringing the living museum to life. These techniques enable participants to explore the dynamic interaction between history, culture and the present, making the living museum concept more tangible.

  • Through improvisation exercises, participants gain theoretical insights into a living museum and experience first-hand how to creatively interpret and present cultural narratives.​

  • This hands-on approach fosters a deeper connection with the material, allowing them to think outside the box and develop unique interactive displays that resonate with diverse audiences. Improvisational theatre encourages spontaneity and adaptability, which are crucial to living museums' fluid and evolving nature.

  • By experimenting with different ways of presenting stories and artefacts, participants learn to create engaging and inclusive experiences, inviting visitors to participate rather than passively observe. 

  • This immersive understanding of the living museum concept allows participants to meaningfully contribute to cultural initiatives that are not only innovative but also accessible and reflective of the diverse communities they aim to serve

  • Ultimately, using improvisation as a learning tool deepens participants’ appreciation for the living museum as a space where history and culture are continually reinterpreted and reimagined, enhancing their ability to create cultural experiences that are both educational and inclusive.