In recent years, UNESCO has been developing an innovative initiative aimed at integrating Intangible Cultural Heritage into education. The pilot project “”Teaching and learning with living heritage” does not merely treat heritage as a subject for teaching, but primarily as a learning tool, capable of connecting pupils with local traditions, enhancing their creativity and fostering respect for diversity.
The Ralleion Girls’ High School of Piraeus took part in the European project on behalf of Greece with its interdisciplinary educational programme “Rebetiko: Integrating Living Tradition into the daily teaching practice of subjects within the Curriculum”. Rebetiko was used creatively in various subjects, such as, in English Language, the English translation of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Element Sheet Rebetiko.pdf The subject was studied; in Physical Education, pupils learnt about the dances associated with it; in Literature, they undertook creative writing exercises based on rebetiko songs; whilst in Computer Applications, they developed a mobile application entitled “Rebetiko” for the documentation and dissemination of the programme.
The central focus of the initiative is also the Guide “Teaching and Learning with Living Heritage”, a practical handbook designed specifically for teachers. The Guide offers:
- methodological approaches to the use of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the classroom,
- examples of lessons that incorporate living cultural elements (e.g. music, dance, traditional techniques),
- ideas for interdisciplinary teaching that links different subjects,
- ways to encourage student participation through creative activities.
Through this Guide, UNESCO provides educators with a valuable tool that not only aids in the preservation and transmission of cultural heritage, but also in enhancing the quality of learning. At the same time, intangible cultural heritage ceases to be a distant and theoretical concept and becomes an everyday experience within the educational process, strengthening young people’s memory, identity and dialogue with both the past and the future.
Find out more about the initiative here.
See the Guide here.
Source: ayla.culture.gr