Shadow Theater in Preschool Education
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As part of our foundation's know-how, shadow theater has evolved into a powerful tool for engaging with diverse groups, including people with fewer opportunities, individuals with disabilities, and young people. That is why in our current project, the Values, Virtues, Integrity Foundation has collaborated with kindergartens in Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey to further spread this practice. "Shadow Theater in Preschool Education" is funded by the Erasmus+ programme and aims at preschoolers aged 3-7, teachers and parents.
The objectives of the project are:
- promoting the "shadow theater" as a means of creating a favorable and inclusive environment inside and outside the kindergarten;
-strengthening the Europeanization and internationalization, the capacity of local management and international cooperation of organizations and educational institutions in three European countries (Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey);
- promoting the products and results of the implementation of the new working method at local, regional, national and international/European level, to support future similar innovative practices in kindergartens and schools outside the partnership framework.
The aim of the project is to contribute to a more inspiring, creative and inclusive preschool education by unlocking the potential for creativity and learning through shadow theater in kindergartens.
The first mobility of kindergarten staff took place in Bulgaria, at “Mir” Mezdra Kindergarten, between April 15-19, 2024. The activity consisted in the initiation and training of 16 participants from the four partner organisations (from Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey), in shadow theater. During the five days of training we had unique experiences with very interesting demonstration activities.
The training course was based on non-formal education, where the participants learn to make shadow theater from A to Z. At the end of it, an international group of facilitators was formed who are skilled in using the shadow theater method to unlock the creative potential of kindergarten children. The training course proved to be a success, on all levels: professional, personal, emotional.
As final results are:
-step by step manual in shadow theater;
- a network of staff from kindergartens trained in three European countries (Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey);
- a brochure with snapshots of the realization of the activities, in English, Romanian, Bulgarian and Turkish;
-creating a show using the shadow theater method in the 3 partner kindergartens;
-a common video-film with the achievements of children and teachers from kindergartens
VVI Foundation team created a step-by-step manual for making shadow theater, being one of the final products of this wonderful project. Between 1.05 - 30.06 2024, all three kindergartens involved in the project performed a shadow theater show with preschoolers. They had the freedom to choose and implement a theme (popular, national or international story, an event from real life, etc.). The performance was filmed in each school and a small video was made that included all three performances from the partner schools.
On September 23-24, 2024, our partners from Romania, Turkey, and Mezdra visited Sofia, Bulgaria, for an experience exchange. On September 24, an event was held in our hall dedicated to disseminating the results of the project "Shadow Theater in Preschool Education," specifically the brochure and the video film. The event was attended not only by our foreign guests but also by teachers from kindergartens and schools from Sofia and across the country.
Information forums and events to disseminate the remarkable results of the project were also held in Iznik, Turkey and Baia de Fier, Romania, and the final aplomb was a live performance by the children from the "Mir" kindergarten in Mezdra in front of their parents and guests from the country and abroad.
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