Learning from the Past
In 2018 Global Link was awarded Erasmus+ funding to coordinate a European peace heritage project that built on and extended our work on Documenting Dissent. Learning from the Past (2018-2021) was a KA2 Erasmus+ project that aimed to promote the European values of internationalism, equality and human rights. In this time of increasing racism and challenge to the European values of internationalism, human rights and peace, understanding the past is important so that something like the Holocaust never happens again.
During the project, adult research volunteers from seven European countries used archives, libraries and museums to research local history relating to peace and internationalism in the years following the First World War. This learning was documented through an online interactive map on the Learning from the Past website. The website also features a set of resources for people interested in researching 20th century peace initiatives or internationalist activity in Europe.
The volunteers shared these little-known histories with young people in their country and invited them to create films, theatre, literature and visual art in response to this learning, linking it with contemporary issues of conflict and peace in Europe today. These artistic responses were shared and discussed with the wider community in a series of ‘Living Museums’ across the partner countries in 2020, culminating in an online exhibition, launched on the Learning from the Past website in February 2021, which brings the map entries and artistic responses together. The exhibition transferred to Lancaster City Museum in summer 2021.
Watch the video about our project:
Global Link received co-funding from the National Heritage Lottery Fund to support additional work with young people in the UK. This project, Growing the Seeds of Global Citizenship, led to the addition of new entries to the Learning from the Past online map and the creation of further displays and arts work for the exhibition.
The Learning from the Past (LFTP) partners were also awarded further Erasmus+ funding for a follow-up project. Sharing Learning from the Past with Youth in Europe was a KA1 Mobility Project coordinated by Polish LFTP partner, STRIM. The project brought together 30 people from the LFTP partner countries for a week-long training event in Kraków in November 2022.
Through a series of workshops and heritage visits, the participants, who had backgrounds in heritage, arts, education and youth work, explored the potential of participatory approaches to heritage and global learning with young people. Together, we developed a manifesto for heritage work with youth, informed by the aims and values underpinning Learning from the Past. You can download our Manifesto for Heritage Learning in Youth Work HERE.
