2024-04-19 13:24:34
The 4th Festival “Rhodes: Crossroads of Cultures and Partnerships of Music Schools” took place with great success, which took place on our island from 11 to 14 April 2024, in the Palace of the Grand Master of the Medieval City of Rhodes and in the Hall of Ceremonies University of the Aegean. With their participation, we were honored by dozens of musical ensembles from the Music Schools: Athens, Argolis, Corinth, Patras, Piraeus, Rhodes of course, as well as from Matera in Italy and Andalusia in Spain, thus highlighting the rich cultural and artistic work that takes place within them.
Many times there is intense reflection on the necessity of these collaborations. However, modern research supports that collaboration between schools working together on a common project intensifies efforts to improve education, while there are benefits for both students and teachers. However, a key condition for successful school partnerships is the development of relationships of trust and communication between those involved in achieving common goals, while “collaborative culture” is considered a key to educational change and improvement both for a school and for the entire educational system as an open unit that is in constant interaction with society.
In particular, the Music Schools are very positive about inter-school collaborations and partnerships, while the benefits of this extroversion are obvious, such as the removal of barriers and geographical distances, the exchange of experiences, opinions, visits and good practices, as well as the opening of the school in the society. It is also known that Music Schools in general are considered, by common consent, to be pioneers in the field of collaborations with various institutions. As a broad music education requires diverse educational environments and multiple musical experiences, Music Schools bring by their very nature the dynamic of an idiosyncratic extroversion and diffusion in order to collaborate with various agencies in offering experiences to students and teachers. The Music Schools cooperate with general education schools to reach all children, with music universities to promote musical skills of talented students and those interested in working professionally in music, with various music clubs, social institutions, cultural organizations, orchestras, etc. ., while engaging with other arts to promote innovative interdisciplinary knowledge. Let’s remember that in Greece, with the founding law of Music Schools, there has always been a tradition of extroversion in inter-school meetings and institutional events of the Ministry of Education and Religion.
Students from every corner of Greece demonstrated responsibility, discipline, interaction and cooperation by acting individually, but also collectively for a quality artistic result in a choral or orchestral ensemble. These wonderful “music children” offered aesthetic and spiritual enjoyment to the public, offered art and culture through various musical genres and ensembles, being the hope for the quality of music education. Because what took place was a small miracle: students of Music Schools, strangers to each other from different regions cooperated harmoniously, stood side by side GREEK REPUBLIC MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, RELIGION AND SPORTS REGIONAL DIRECTORATE A/ THMIAS & B/THMIAS EDUCATION NO. AEGEAN DIRECTORATE OF SECONDARY EDUCATION DODEKANIS MUSIC SCHOOL OF RHODES Tach. Address: Koskinou Information: Director Mr. Christos Theologos Phone: 2241067850 email: [email protected] www.MusicSchoolRhodes.gr
beside joining their voices and sang serving the art of music. Sandours, canons and violins gave the feeling that Greek traditional music continues to live through the young children themselves and the inspired music teachers who give their souls in the Music Schools. European Music Orchestras, Free Expression Groups and smaller contemporary music groups made their mark by opening up to the local community that is the recipient.
Despite the existence of some organizational problems in such large and difficult projects, despite some omissions that may be due to the human factor, or to other variables (e.g. weather conditions, lack of suitable spaces, etc.), what we must to keep as a positive element and motivation for the future is the “echo” and “imprint” that these meetings of the Music Schools leave on the children themselves – protagonists, in the acquisition of important artistic experiences, in the empowerment and networking of the teachers of the Music Schools and in the “coupling” of individual school units for future collaborations.
In conclusion, it is important to emphasize the need for the continuation of the institution, the awareness and mobilization of the institutional bodies involved to optimize the conditions, but also the initiation of reflection and fruitful dialogue in the educational community. Finally, it is important as music education officials to have open horizons and a receptive attitude towards the actions of others, as collaborations are part of the philosophy of Music Schools. “Collaborative professionalism”, this meaningful, quality and in-depth collaboration must be adopted as a culture whereby teachers truly support each other and stand in solidarity as professional colleagues as they aim to work together for students, society and the culture.
We sincerely thank the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Dodecanese, the South Aegean Region, the Municipal Unit of Kallithea of the Municipality of Rhodes, the School Committee of Secondary Education of the Municipality of Rhodes, the Regional Directorate of Primary and Secondary Education of the South Aegean, the Directorate of Secondary Education of the Dodecanese, the Association of Parents and Guardians, the Beekeeping of Dodecanese, the Music Schools that took part, the teachers, all the students and all the students and their parents!
The Music School of Rhodes continues to contribute to the cultural footprint of our country, alongside the general education courses and the everyday school life it serves. Contact: www.musicschoolrhodes.gr, [email protected], tel. 2241067850, 2241065651.