12 2011 experience The “Creative Orchestra” of Santa Maria da Feira, a social integration musical project editorial The City Council of Santa Maria da Feira has approximately 136,000 inhabitants and In 2011 municipal elections have been held and the Centre for Theatre and Street an economy based on the secondary sector, in Italy and Spain, and will be soon held in Art Creation (CCTAR) began in 2008 followed by the tertiary sector. Argentina. At present, these countries make an innovative social integration and up 53.3% of the cities in the IAEC. For this community empowerment musical project The objective of the initiative was to create an reason, we would like to welcome the new named the “Unstable Orchestra”, which, orchestra in the district made up of 100-150 Mayors and their teams, and very especially at present, gains a new impulse under the people between the ages of 9 and 80 from the Mayor of Barcelona and new President name of the “Creative Orchestra”. different groups at risk of social exclusion that of the Association, Mr. Xavier Trias Vidal de would be engaged in musical improvisation in Llobatera. The area of intervention chosen for the start order to strengthen creativity, self-esteem, up of this proposal was the district of Fiães, the feeling of belonging to the community At this time 439 cities form part of the which, with its close to 9,000 inhabitants and cross-generational relations among its Association. The local governments of these and an aging index of 78%, is one of the members. It is an unusual musical group not cities have manifested their firm backing districts with the most economic and social only because of its unique make-up but also of and commitment to making education problems in Santa Maria da Feira. This city, for combining traditional instruments with a fundamental, transversal axis of their located in the Northern Region of Portugal, others created from recycled materials. political project, by mobilizing and organizing resources, in conjunction with various agents Initially the initiative was presented to the in civil society that play very often an implicit schools, social welfare associations, music educating function in the city. bands, etc. in order to foster community participation and elicit their direct As stated in the Charter of Educating Cities: The “Creative Orchestra” involvement. “The right to live in an educating city must fosters social integration, constitute a relevant guarantee of the community development, The artistic director of the Orchestra is the principles of equality for all, social justice, Serbian musician Aleksandar Caric, who is in and territorial balance. This emphasises cross-generation relations and charge, during his monthly visits, of guiding the responsibility local governments in the the value of recycling by the the Orchestra through the process of artistic sense of developing all the educational creation and introducing its members to potentialities that the city has within itself, means of music. (continued on page 2) (continued on page 3) experience The “Creative Orchestra” of Santa Maria da Feira, a social integration musical project musical language. To do this he has a group of all types of materials: electrical conduits, After three years of existence, the City Council local teachers trained to provide continuity to traffic sign posts, bottles, tin cans, pails, etc. of Santa Maria da Feira and the CCTAR have the project between his visits. The families of the members of the Orchestra decided to take a step forward and widen the and the Municipal Brigade of Santa Maria da focus of the project to the district of Milheirós The creation of the repertoire takes place Feira are also involved in this process. de Poiares, as well as to work on a new show through improvisation workshops, in which that will combine musical creation and the the creativity of the members of the orchestra The first performance of the Orchestra construction of a gigantic sound sculpture, is stimulated, no matter what their prior took place at the Street Theatre Festival including electronic effects. Accordingly, this musical experience is. They are the ones who “Imaginarius” of Santa Maria da Feira in May initiative will continue to uphold the dialogue create the basic rhythms of the pieces, which 2008. This was followed by many others at between tradition and innovation that has are then finished by professional musicians. the International Music Festival of Paços characterized the project since its beginning. Brandão, the Music Cycle for Pinocchio, the Another of the features that characterizes Mask Biennale of Braganza, etc. During these You can find more detailed information about this this Orchestra is that a large number of the events the Orchestra has had the chance to experience at the website: www.edcities.org musical instruments are created by recycling collaborate with artists from other disciplines. presented by: The City Council of Santa Maria da Feira, contact: Ms. Lisette Costa Social Action Division e-mail: divisao.social@cm-feira.pt cities networks 10th Meeting of the Spanish Network 4th National Congress of the Portuguese Representatives of more than 50 member Network cities participated in the 10th Meeting of the Lisbon hosted the 4th National Congress Spanish IAEC Network which, under the title of of the Portuguese Network from 5 to 7 “Education and City, a Necessary Complicity”, May at the Lusófona University of Lisbon took place in Alcalá de Guadaíra from 30 under the theme of “Educating City and March to 2 April 2011. The videos of the the Environment: Global Problems – Local Meeting are available at: Responses”. More than 300 participants http://ciudadeseducadoras.ciudadalcala.org/ worked on the central issue of the 12th videos. International Congress of the IAEC to be held in Changwon in April 2012. 5th Meeting of the Brazilian Network Assembly of the French Network On the 13 and 14 April Sorocaba hosted the 5th The General Assembly of the French Network Meeting of the Brazilian Network: “Learning in was held in Pessac on 1 and 2 July. As part Cities and with Cities” within the framework of of the meeting there was a debate on issues the Educating City Week of Sorocaba in which such as the Bobigny Initiative, which sets more than 40 municipalities participated. forth a national debate on education; the During the Meeting, it was agreed to set up a present and future of local educative projects; coordinating committee for the network. cooperation in policies on new technologies, among other. More information at www.edcities.org 02 Educating Cities interview Ms. Ana Olivera Mayor of Montevideo, Uruguay editorial incorporating the principles of the educating city into its political project.” Bearing in mind that this process of collective construction of an Educating city requires a long-term commitment, one of the requirements for joining the Association is precisely that adhesion and commitment to the principles of the Charter of Educating Cities must be adopted by the Municipal Council. In those countries in which the local administrations have been professionalized, the process of change can be facilitated by their civil servants; but at the same time, civil society can play a key role. The cities in the IAEC will continue on their path with these changes, which, undoubtedly, will contribute Which are the major areas of action of your To what extent does the urban mobility new relationships, approaches, ideas and government? plan underway contribute to improving practices from which to learn and share. Our main objective is to build a suitable city public spaces and winning them back for for all. The governing idea of our activity is the citizenry? to foster the right to the city. To install the The best policy for the management of public The Secretariat of the IAEC third level of government by encouraging spaces is to promote their intensive use by c/ Avinyó 15, 4th floor the broadest, most intense and effective many people. The collective public transport 08002 Barcelona (Spain) participation possible, to foster permanent system makes it possible to access public Ph. + 34 93 342 77 20 improvement of environmental quality and to spaces [...] therefore strengthening it is one Fax. +34 93 342 77 29 ensure the development of the metropolitan of our essential objectives. E-mail: bidce@bcn.cat transport system, so as to multiply the capacity for mobility and access of all the Mobility is a right. Access to the enjoyment inhabitants of Montevideo to all points in the of public facilities in the city is a right. In city, are the objectives that we are committed order for everyone to be able to exercise style of coordinated action jointly with other to for this period of time, which form part of a these rights we must build a series of bodies. And we especially ensure that policies long-term effort that began 20 years ago. infrastructures, services and policies that on gender, childhood, youth, the elderly, the encourage their use. disabled and on fighting discrimination are To what extent can the idea of the present as a necessary dimension of all our “Educating City” contribute to meeting How can being aware of the educative actions, because building a city is not only these challenges? aspect of different policies and municipal a physical activity, it especially involves The Educating City is crucial. There can be actions contribute to city management? building a complex network of economic, no possibility of improving and permanently It enriches city management; it challenges it political, social and cultural actions of which transforming a city without a better informed to constantly improve, and it gives it value and the physical works are but the material and educated citizenry committed to the daily makes its protagonists feel they are of value. support. city management and to driving changes. H o w d o y o u p r o m o t e a g r e a t e r How do district councils promote citizen transversality in the municipal actions? participation in the management of public There is a permanent tension between the policies? integral nature of problems and the real Firstly, through the process of the election challenges involved in the daily management of mayor and councillors itself, and the of a city and their traditional sectorial debates around public policy connected to treatment, usual ly re inforced by the this process. Secondly, through the existence sectorial or departmental organisation of and functioning of the neighbourhood councils. our institutions. In order to overcome this Thirdly, by means of the open district councils. inertia we have organised operating cabinets Fourthly, thanks to the promotion of the through which various sectorial departments participatory Budget. And finally, through a work together and simultaneously in the permanent presence in our neighbourhoods resolution of a problem or the definition of an More information at www.edcities.org in order to inform, debate and listen. institutional policy. Likewise, we promote this 03 Educating Cities The city of Changwon fosters knowledge in very different areas thanks to a programme experience of lectures open to all the citizenry: the “Changwon The “Changwon Academy”: investing in Academy”. lifelong learning In order to meet the challenges posed by and workers, in order to guide or foster their globalization and to create a society based on lifelong learning. information and knowledge, the City Council of Changwon, through the Department The lectures are held twice a month and are of Lifelong Learning, has promoted the given by well-known experts, in response to “Changwon Academy” since 2006. issues of interest to citizenry in areas as varied as culture, education, the economy or health. The South Korean city of Changwon, capital In order to make the lectures more attractive, they of the province of Gyeongsang South, has are preceded by cultural performances by groups 1,081,499 inhabitants after merging with from the Changwon Lifelong Learning Centre. two neighbour cities: Jinhae and Masan. Its current status as an industrial and residential A survey is used to find out what the issues city, and provincial capital, dates back to of interest are for the participants as well as 1974. Since then it has chosen to stand out their training needs. In these cases, citizens participated in 87 sessions of the Academy. in areas such as the economy, education are guided to take a more specific six-month At present the City Council is proposing to and the environment. A sign of this choice course at the Lifelong Learning Centre in extend the programme to the former Masan is the fact that Changwon will host the 12th order to acquire the knowledge and skills and Jinhae municipalities, in order to clearly International Congress of the IAEC in 2012 required by the labour market. support lifelong learning. Thus, the idea is not under the theme: “Green Environment, only to increase learning and training of all Creative Education”. The Academy is also a channel for funnelling citizens, but also to foster their participation proposals and suggestions to the Mayor, in improving the quality of life and the The “Changwon Academy” is a new thanks to which new initiatives have construction of a more competent, educating opportunity for learning outside the been implemented, such as the female and sustainable city. formal education system that consists of entrepreneurs support system or the multi- a programme of free lectures open to the cultural family support centres. general public. The programme is aimed You can find more detailed information about this especially at young people who have not yet In the almost 6 years of existence of the experience at the website www.edcities.org decided what to study, and to housewives programme, around 42,500 people have presented by: The City Council of Changwon, contact: Ms. Sunny Kim Department of Lifelong Learning e-mail: sikimcan@korea.kr did you know that... the voices of the cities The Training Seminar “Educating City and (Spain), provide access to reading to people Local Governance” was held in Montevideo who for different reasons cannot or have and Sorocaba in April. reading difficulties. The City Council of Medellín and the IAEC organised a seminar on “School, Art and City: Polyphonic Construction of Citizenries” from 13 to 15 June. The website of the 12th International Congress of the IAEC: “Green Environment, 1. Thanks to the Foot in the Park initiative Creative Education” (Changwon, 2012), is already of the City Council and the Integrated Faculties up and running at: http://www.2012iaec.go.kr of Santo André (Brazil), open air sport lovers More than 100 cities have responded to now have the chance to receive free classes the evaluation questionnaire on the services in the municipal parks from physical education offered by the IAEC, which will help define the professors and students. 2012 Action Plan. 3. Mexico DF is working on the integration The 4th National Congress of the Mexican 2. The volunteers in the I’ll Lend You of youth at risk of social exclusion through the Network is expected to be held in Tenango del My Eyes programme, set up by the Padre Youth in a Corner programme, which offers Valle on 4 and 5 August, which will work on Salmerón Library and the Department of a different use for public space by organizing the theme of the 12th International Congress. Social Welfare of the City Council of Cieza sport, cultural and training activities. 04 Educating Cities D.L.: B-31.664-2007 / ISSN: 1887-9640