Activate Tourism Training Resources for Accessible Cities and Towns LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAMME Leonardo Learning Partnership “ATTRACT – Activate Tourism Training Resources for Accessible Cities and Towns” “BEST PRACTICES” This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

TECHNICAL SCHOOL CENTRE NOVA GORICA „Red shoes“ ( „Rdeči čeveljčki“) Dance performance Activate Tourism Training Resources for Accessible Cities and Towns AN INITIATIVE BY CENTRE FOR EDUCATION, REHABILITATION AND TRAINING VIPAVA – CIRIUS

Basic information Centre for education, rehabilitation and training Vipava - CIRIUS, ( Short description of the promoter: CIRIUS is public institution, which is for 40 years successfully working in the field of education and training for children with special needs. Our centre cooperates with the CIRIUS for many years. Our students of third and fourth year have also the opportunity to perform practical work experience there. This year our students will also participate as volunteers in the preparation and execution of the 16th State Games Special Olympics of Slovenia. The promoter 3

Basic information Name of initiative: “Red shoes” dance performance The author of the project: Katja Bucik Conceptual design: Katja Bucik, Andreja Č. Gantar Choreography: Katja Bucik, Nastja Bremec, Michal Rynia Music: Instrumental group CIRIUS Vipava, mentor - Loredana Sajovic Shooting and editing videos: Andreja Č. Gantar, Matjaž Nabergoj Dancing and performing: Dance group “VRTILJAK” (“CAROUSEL”) - Terpsihora plesni center Šempeter M&N Dance Company Instrumental Group Cirius Vipava Technical school centre Nova Gorica Organizations involved in the project 4

Description of the initiative The “Red shoes” project has occurred at 10 anniversary of the dance group VRTILJAK (English: CAROUSEL), operating in the Vipava centre. The dancers are children with disturbance in the sensory motor development. The idea of the project was to connect children and youth with special needs in a joint dance project with a group of young dancers in the group Terpsihora and dancers of the M & N Dance Company, and emphasized the integrative dimension of dance. What it is? 5

Description of the initiative Dance workshop is divided into two groups in which children and adolescents are divided by age. It is included ambulatory children (children who walk independently), and children and young people in wheelchairs, »Carousel« consists of 18 dancers and 5 fellow dancers. Each dancer in a wheelchair has his fellow dancer. Children have chosen the name for the group themselves. The carousel is a playful name, indicating that children and young people dancing, but derived from the operation of rotation. Rotation and the rotation of the wheels of children in wheelchairs, all part of the infinite movement and expression of dance. How it works? 6

Description of the initiative The theatre is a very powerful medium to create a culture of thinking and as such allows us to approach the idea of taking diversity more widely. Art is a powerful social communication’s tool, which offers us a safe expressive medium and free enough means of communicating our thoughts, experiences and emotions. Adolescents and children in wheelchairs open their stories already by entering the stage. It is worth to try and dare. 7 The mission of the project

Description of the initiative Red shoes in the dance performance are a metaphor for vitality which each of us has and which enables us to start creative work and search for new paths. They are given as a possibility which an individual can take advantage of by themselves or they need someone or something to help them dare a peek in a dance chest … and find their red shoes. They represent patience, curiosity and trust, which we need to realize new ideas. It is really a great experience to see the performance and this children working and preform together. Great experience 8

Relevance for the ATTRACT project In our center we try to include in the normal educational process also disabled people – we have to accept their uniqueness and they have to become part of us. We chose this performance as a good practice and we enable our students and teachers who work in this fields on daily basis to see the performance with a goal to sensitize pupils to accept people with disabilities – to involve the disabled in every days live as equals – either in education, culture, tourism. "Red shoes" performance gives birth to new initiatives and new insight to the topic – through the culture performance reinforcing the awareness …. Awareness 9