Uncover Your Story: A manual for discovering local culture

A manual for discovering local culture

The manual “Uncover Your Story” was published by and on the occasion of Manifesta 14 Prishtina and supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kosovo. Manifesta 14 Prishtina is an initiative of International Foundation Manifesta, the Municipality of Prishtina and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport of the Republic of Kosovo, and is implemented by Foundation Manifesta 14 Prishtina.

Uncover Your Story

A manual for discovering local culture

Project of the Department of Education and Mediation of Manifesta 14 Prishtina in cooperation with the Kosovar Youth Council (KYC), the Municipal Directorate of Education, Prishtina and the Municipal Directorate of Education, Fushë Kosovë.

Uncover Your Story: A manual for discovering local culture

Department of Education and Mediation

8

Glossary 10 Manifesta 14 Prishtina 12 Schools Project “Uncover Your Story” 19 The Development of “Uncover Your Story: a manual for discovering local culture” 22 Preparation for Teachers 29 Empirical/Artistic Workshop Introduction

Purpose and methodology Activities Results Monitoring and Evaluation 43 Oral History Workshop Introduction

Purpose and methodology Activities Results Monitoring and Evaluation 61 Speculative Writing Workshop Introduction Purpose and methodology Activities Results Monitoring and Evaluation 76 Bibliography

Uncover your Story: A manual for discovering local culture

Ethnography

the study of peoples’ way of life, including their social, artistic and material culture.

Oral History information on a historical event or period derived from interviews with people who directly experienced it.

Collective memory the common memories, knowledge and information shared by a social group concerning the past, often associated with an element of group identification.

Minecraft a computer game that involves construction and exploration. It can be found on many online gaming platforms and as a smartphone app.

Narrative a spoken or written account of connected events, be they true or fictitious.

Psychogeography the intersection of psychology and geography which focuses on the influence of geographical environments on the mind and human behaviour.

Speculation/fiction

lit. The creation of an event or character that does not exist in everyday life but which presents itself as something real and which could be encountered or could happen; an imaginary creation, fantasy.

Established in the early 1990s, Manifesta is a nomadic biennial that contemplates the connection between culture and civic society by researching and encouraging positive social changes through contemporary culture, in close dialogue with the Host City’s cultural sphere and its communities. In 2022, Manifesta held its 14th edition in Prishtina, Kosovo, with the aims of supporting Kosovo’s citizens in their ambitions to reclaim public spaces and to develop a new interdisciplinary institution for Prishtina and the surrounding region.

Manifesta’s Education and Mediation Department is a core creative force behind the biennial, as it helps build and develop meaningful relations with the Host City and its communities. Its programme derives from various research projects and meetings with a wide range of individuals from each Host City including residents, teachers, directors, psychologists, students, artists, historians, activists, as well as diverse organisations and collectives from civil society. The department’s projects are a result of long research processes which are based on the (re)discovery of existing histories and practices which contribute to the development of an artistic and educational programme that aim to truly serve the needs of the communities and can be of benefit to the them once the biennial ends.

One of the most significant undertakings by the Department of Education and Mediation of Manifesta 14 Prishtina is the Schools Project “Uncover your Story” which began as a long-term project with public schools of Prishtina with the aim of collaboratively developing an educational tool for researching and co-creating (new) identifying narratives for the city’s neighbourhoods, buildings and public spaces with collective importance. The project was implemented in cooperation with the Municipal Directorates for Education in Prishtina and Fushë Kosova, as well as with the Kosovar Youth Council.

Manifesta 14 Prishtina

Schools Project “Uncover Your Story”

Department of Education and Mediation

Schools Project

“Uncover Your Story”

The Schools Project “Uncover Your Story” was developed in response to the findings from the Citizen Consultations and research in schools. The Citizen Consultations and the research in schools are part of the Manifesta 14 pre-biennial programme that aims to widen the perspective on contemporary culture, urban development, education and socio-cultural policies. The Citizen Consultations included a series of focus groups with residents of Prishtina followed by a public survey conducted in urban and rural areas of the municipality, while the research in schools included numerous discussions with students, teachers, school directors and psychologists from across various neighbourhoods in Prishtina. The research in schools revealed that there is a pressing need for practical, extracurricular and out-of-class activities, while the findings from the Citizen Consultations highlighted that the local neighbourhoods’ history and cultural heritage is overlooked as cultural life is consolidated in Prishtina’s city centre. In response to these findings, the project has aimed to create an educational tool that encourages the exploration of the city’s

neighbourhoods through an integrated approach towards heritage that incorporates tangible and intangible culture, as well as natural heritage. This integrated approach also highlights the value of a society’s cultural heritage, taking into account cultural diversity, as well as economic, social, historical, educational and environmental components.

In the initial stages of the project, the workshops outlined in this manual were piloted with lower and upper secondary education level students from the Dardania, Meto Bajraktari, Pjetër Bogdani primary schools, and the 28 Nëntori high school. The workshops were developed and administered by local facilitators and were supervised by a teacher from each school.

All of the workshops were focused on the exploration of the local neighbourhoods and surrounding areas using three main methods: first using an Empirical/Artistic approach, then by adopting Oral History techniques and finally through Speculative Writing. The aim of each workshop was the cocreation of new narratives and histories for local monuments, public spaces, and other locations of cultural or historical significance in the neighbourhood.

Maps

of the schools’ neighborhoods, created by students during the workshops.

→ Dardania Primary school

→ Meto Bajraktari

Primary school

→ 28 Nëntori High school

→ Pjetër Bogdani Primary school

The Development of “Uncover Your Story: A manual for discovering local culture”

The Development of “Uncover Your Story: A manual for discovering local culture”

After the piloting stage of exploratory workshops at four public schools in Prishtina, the students, teachers, facilitators and practitioners involved in the project evaluated all of the activities, methodologies, as well as the project in its entirety, during group discussions and in writing. This manual for teachers was then developed, utilising all of the information gathered from the feedback. It is designed as a guide to help implement these workshops as extracurricular activities for students in Lower Secondary Education (classes VI-IX) and Upper Secondary Education (classes X-XIII).

Through this manual, students are offered the opportunity to (re)discover buildings, public spaces, and other locations of cultural significance to the neighbourhood’s history, culture, community and identity. The manual has also been modified so that the activities in the workshops can be more appropriate for teachers who have no prior knowledge on the subjects on which the workshops were held.

These extracurricular activities are an added value to the schools’ existing lesson plans and curricula. As a result, the manual attempts to find a balance between explaining the workshops held within the framework of the Schools Project and the Curriculum for Lower and Upper Secondary Education.

The workshops are intended to contribute to the development of skills in line with those in the Kosovo Curriculum, such as:

→ Communication and expression skills

→ Critical and creative thinking skills

→ Life, work and environment skills

→ Personal skills

→ Civic skills

Preparation for Teachers

Department of Education and Mediation

These workshops serve as an informal activity that develops and increases students’ capacities from a social, cultural and artistic point of view. Before implementing these activities, it is essential to take into account the students’ backgrounds, including their levels of knowledge, perspectives on social issues and equality, feelings, and interest in cultural issues. Try to create an open, supportive and empowering environment, where students are safe to explore the surrounding space, express their thoughts, cooperate with one-another and be active and equal participants in the workshops’ activities.

→ 1

Make sure that the students are and feel part of all activities and processes that involve them. Remember that students have their own knowledge and experiences too, and use those as a starting point for creating art and knowledge about the world and themselves. Try to also involve students during the preparatory stages and listen to their needs and requests in order to make it clear that the workshop is not being administered for them but created with them.

questions and discussion, including by elaborating on ideas and constructing arguments. Try to foster challenging dialogues that develop the students’ capacity to think by awakening curiosity, creativity and imagination. Contrast students’ opinions in order to encourage diversity of thought and solutions.

→ 2

It is important to encourage liberation from the fear of doing something wrong or making mistakes. Students should be continuously reminded that these activities do not have a specific predetermined outcome and are not graded. It is important to have fun and learn by having fun!

→ 3

Challenge and construct students’ thoughts in a way that is understood by all through the medium of

Be patient and try to offer sufficient attention to all students. Facilitate communication and discussion. Communicate instructions using everyday vocabulary without complicated words. Make sure that all students have understood the instructions and have enough time to process them. Above all, be careful and pay special attention to assumptions and stereotypes that you yourself may have, albeit unintentionally.

→ 4

If there are disagreements or conflicts between students, or even cases of discrimination or bullying, apply the method of mediation. During conflict mediation, students learn the

necessary skills to achieve peaceful solutions. These skills include communication, compromise, the ability to see how different aspects of a disagreement are connected and the ability to take into account their own perspective as well as that of another person.

Your duty as a teacher is to support students in achieving a negotiated solution by acting as an instructor. As students learn words and procedures for the solution of problems, they become ever more capable of solving problems themselves. Just like other social skills, students look for many opportunities to practise conflict resolution under the guidance of their teacher.

It is important that time is managed as well as possible so that all students have the opportunity to express their opinion, understand instructions, and carry out activities. It is up to you to adapt the time of the workshops as you see fit, and not based on the logistical instructions of this manual. You know your students best.

Working in (smaller) groups has a series of benefits for the creation of the environment we seek for these workshops. Therefore, in order for the students to receive the optimal benefits of these workshops, and for each to contribute as much as possible, separate the students into smaller groups, depending on the activity.

Use different methods of separating into groups, so that you ensure diversity and cooperation between different students. In addition, ensure that the group space belongs to every participant.

Support staff, such as other teachers, psychologists, pedagogues, teaching assistants or interns, can be of great support in implementing the workshops – particularly in ensuring the safety of the students (this is especially important during activities outside the school premises) as well as their full participation.

The workshops are presented here chronologically, and it is vital that they are conducted in the correct order in order to ensure the desired results. Start with the Empirical/Artistic workshop, continue with the Oral History workshop, and conclude with the Speculative Writing workshop.

Empirical/ Artistic Workshop

Department of Education and Mediation

This workshop is a creative way to explore urban environments and public spaces from various points of view all whilst utilising the senses. It consists of accompanying students on short walks/ strolls around the local neighbourhood followed by the choosing of a site (either a building or public space) for further exploration. The walks are conducted utilising the psychogeographic approach which involves exploring the urban environment through the five senses: sound, sight, smell, taste and touch, thereby helping to create a connection between the students and the local streets, spaces and buildings. Through this method of exploration, students will be able to distance themselves from their everyday life and activities, as well as most other typical reasons for movement through the urban environment. In this way, the students are led through an exploration that enables them to appreciate details in their surroundings which may previously have gone unnoticed.

Teachers should assist students in their exploration and artistic creations, while students should pay attention to and take in their surroundings, as well as the effects the environment has on them. Following this exploration, the students jointly chose one site (building/space) for further exploration.

Objective

The active involvement of students in exploring the neighbourhood from differing perspectives and through a wide range of senses.

Expected outputs

The creation of a Sensory Map based on the physical exploration, as well as artistic products, projects or sketches developed by the participants or groups of participants.

Expected Results

Interaction with and awareness of the local environment, an increased curiosity about and knowledge of the neighbourhood and the chosen site, a mental reconstruction of the surrounding areas, and developed creative expression skills.

Methodology

The workshop encompasses four activities: an Icebreaker Activity, Exploring the Neighbourhood and Choosing a Site, Creating a Sensory Map, and Monitoring and Evaluating of Workshop.

Group size

5-35 students (if there are more than 15 students then they are divided in two or more groups).

Necessary equipment

Coloured A4 paper; one or two pairs of scissors; one or two rolls of aluminium foil; sellotape and liquid glue; acrylic paint or watercolours; paintbrushes; coloured markers; pencils; 60x90cm paper; paperclips; maps of the area surrounding the school (can be downloaded printed through Google Maps).

The realisation of this workshop is not entirely dependent on this equipment. The listed equipment can help contribute to the creation of the sensory map but can be replaced or added to depending on requirements.

Keywords: Exploration, environment, senses, psychogeography, awareness, creative expression, culture.

Icebreaker Activity: “Group Map”

Duration: 10—20 minutes

Place: Class/ space at the school

Create a space in the classroom where students can stand up. Ask them to close their eyes and picture a map of the city, before mentally placing themselves in the neighbourhood they grew up in. Encourage them to then describe their surroundings, including colours, smells, the shapes of the buildings and the width of the streets, amongst other things.

Return to class and create a sensory map, using the notes taken during the exploration of the neighbourhood as a basis. To create the sensory map, use a 60x90cm sheet of paper and the equipment at your disposal. Instruct students to jointly illustrate the roads they have walked down, as well as the specific site (building/space) that they have chosen to explore further. Allow the students to express their creativity during the creation of these sensory maps. See page 40 for an example of how a sensory map can look like.

Adapting the activities

Activity: “Exploring the Neighbourhood and Choosing a Site”

Duration: 30—40 minutes

Place: Street/Neighbourhood

Introduce the objectives and guidelines of the workshop to the students. Remind them to feel free and have fun. Before you leave the classroom, allow the students to acquaint themselves with a printed map of the public spaces that surround the school, and to agree jointly on which places they will visit. These places will then be explored through engaging the senses: smell, sight, taste, sound and touch. Following instructions, the students should head towards the locations they have chosen under the supervision of the teachers. Start the walk in the neighbourhood and encourage students to explore the space together by activating different senses, for example by touching leaves and objects, or by smelling the scents of the neighbourhood. Instruct the students to write down all of the sensations they experience during the journey.

In the event that your class includes students with special needs, utilise different senses and opportunities during the exploration process. If students have difficulties attending the walk, provide other options for exploring the neighbourhood such as video or audio recordings, or even virtual recreations on computer games such as Minecraft.

Activity: “Creating the Sensory Map”

Duration: 2—3 hours (can be separated into different sessions)

Place: Class/space at the school

Empirical/ Artistic Workshop

Monitoring and Evaluation of the workshop ↓

Useful questions for a personal evaluation of the workshop:

How is the workshop going?

Which expected results have been achieved and which have not?

What worked out and what did not?

What difficulties have you encountered during the exploration, or during the workshop’s implementation in general?

In which stages of the workshop’s organisation, planning and process were the students involved?

What would you have done differently?

Evaluate the workshop with the students as well. For convenience, consider using the activity below.

“Circle. Square. Triangle”

→ 1 Ask the students to draw a circle, a square, and a triangle on a sheet of paper.

→ 2 Explain what each shape symbolises and instruct the participants to fill them in according to the guidelines below.

→ 3

Circle: What are you still thinking about from this workshop?

→ 4

Square: Write three words that describe how this workshop made you feel.

→ 5

Triangle: List the activity that you enjoyed the most at the top of the triangle, then the activity you enjoyed the least at the bottom, with the remaining activity listed in the middle.

→ 6

Gather all of the drawings and analyse them so as to understand the effect of the workshop on the students.

Oral History Workshop

Department of Education and Mediation

During the Oral History workshop, the collective memory of the chosen site (building/public space) during the Empirical/Artistic workshop is further explored by interviewing the residents from the neighbourhood. Collective memory can encompass any representation or manifestation of the past, including experiences, recorded or unrecorded knowledge, memorials and artefacts – as well as any other process by which either individuals or social groups remember their history. In the case of collective memory, the individual’s memory often fuses and re-fuses with that of the group with which they identify.

Some collective memories are formalised, for example through memorials and statues that honour certain individuals or events, national holidays, or in textbooks or songs. However, people often also hold collective memories that are not recorded in books, or have heroes and heroines that are not immortalised in statues. These memories often derive from familial or communal experiences, and pass from generation to generation.

Oral history is a scientific method that weaves together historical research with ethnographic skills (scientific descriptions of traditions of individuals and cultures), thereby complementing history with direct input from various individuals or communities that is derived from interviews. Understanding

the information acquired through interviewing, as well as the interpretation of this information requires close attention.

For example, it is vital to observe interviewees before and after their stories are told, particularly how they express themselves and react to their interview. Using these techniques, students can explore the collective memory of the surrounding neighbourhood and chosen site both by interviewing local residents and documenting memorials and artefacts collected and preserved by the residents over the years. This can then be complemented by more typical research processes, such as analysing statistics and examining existing archival information.

Objective:

Understanding the cultural heritage of the neighbourhood and chosen sites (building/space) through the exploration of histories, facts, and information derived from local collective memory and other sources.

Expected outputs: Materials including written information or facts derived from oral history techniques and the collective memory of the residents surrounding the chosen site, as well as documentation of the residents’ commemorative objects, for example photos or video recordings of artefacts or memorials.

Expected results: increased knowledge of local cultural heritage and different narratives; the development of data collection and management skills; improved proactive listening.

Methodology:

The workshop includes five activities: an Icebreaker Activity, Introduction to the Concept of Oral History, Conducting Interviews, Editing the Materials, and Monitoring and Evaluating the workshop.

Group Size

5—35 students (if there are more than 15 students, then they can be divided into two or more groups).

Necessary equipment:

A school computer or laptop, a school projector (if available), notebooks and pencils, mobile phones.

Digital equipment is required to record and display video interviews. If such equipment is not available, improvise by using equipment that your school has at its disposal. Students’ personal mobile phones/tablets can be used for recording interviews. If the students do not have such devices, then they can be borrowed from teachers, parents or legal guardians.

Key terms: cultural heritage, oral history, interviewing, memorials, artefacts, ethnography.

Icebreaker Activity “Improvising the Interview”

Duration: 20 30 minutes

Place: Class/ Space at the school

Instruct students to group into pairs and interview each other for one minute. The interviewer may ask whatever hree short questions they wish before switching roles with the interviewee. Encourage each group to present one another in front of the class in creative ways, for example by sharing interesting facts about each other’s favourite food or desired future profession.

Activity “Introduction to the Concept of Oral History”

Duration: 30 40 minutes

Place: Class/space at the school

Inform all students about the aims and guidelines of the workshop in a creative manner, and explain clearly and simply what oral history is and what its purpose is. Show one to two interviews using a laptop or projector. For convenience, refer to the Oral History Kosovo website for interviews that can be used as examples. Then, open the discussion to the group for questions and address students’ thoughts and concerns. During this discussion inform students about the various elements of oral history (preparation, interviewing, material preservation and access), as well as interviewing techniques and the use of equipment during the interview. To conclude, establish a clear connection between oral history and the chosen site for exploration from the first workshop.

Activity “Conducting Interviews”

Duration: 1 hour

Place: Class/ space at the school, Street/Neighbourhood

Together with the students select and plan an oral history methodology and research the history of the chosen site. Ensure that no limits are placed on how far students wish to go in the research process.

Activity “Editing the Materials”

Duration: 30-40 minutes

Place: Class/ Space at the school

Watch the conducted interviews together with the students and intervene with simple edits if the interview is longer than 30 minutes. If you encounter difficulties with editing, no problem, show the interviews as they are. Analyse and discuss all of the interviews, covering any difficulties that arose and any interesting facts and findings that derived from the interviewing experience. Motivate the students to be creative and to enjoy the process. Do not evaluate the quality of the interview, instead focus on the experiences of the students during the process. To conclude the session, add all of the new information and data gathered from the interviews to the sensory map produced in the first workshop. For example, if the interview references aspects of the built environment that is no longer there, illustrate it on the map. Quotes from interviews can also be added to the map, or the interviewees can be illustrated alongside it. See the following page for an example of what such an illustration might look like.

Adjusting activities

If the workshop includes students with special needs that have difficulties completing the activity, assist them by grouping them together with a partner. Encourage students to act as if they were in the other’s shoes so that they can assist the other depending on their needs. If a student has writing difficulties, then they can record the interview while the other student takes notes. A similar process can be employed for students with hearing difficulties, while for students with visual impairments, the Braille alphabet can be utilised.

Monitoring and Evaluation of the workshop

Useful questions for a personal evaluation of the workshop:

How would you rate the workshop in general?

What worked out and what did not?

Which expected results were achieved and which were not?

How do you believe the students felt during this workshop?

How cooperative were the interviewees?

Was the implementation of the workshop difficult from a logistical and technical point of view?

What would you have done differently?

Oral History Workshop

Monitoring and Evaluation of the workshop ↓

Evaluate the workshop with the students as well. For convenience, consider using the activity below.

“Learning Tree”

→ 1

On the board, draw the trunk and branches of a tree, missing out the leaves → 2

Distribute post-it notes or small square sheets of paper in the classroom and instruct students to write down what they have learned from the workshop.

→ 3

Then place the notes on the drawing of the tree on the board where the leaves should be. Beforehand, encourage the students to remember what the tree looked like without leaves – a symbol for the lack of knowledge present before the workshop was implemented.

→ 4

Then, discuss together how important it is to always ‘feed the tree to make the leaves bloom.’ Instruct the students to ‘keep the experience of this workshop in their pocket’, by constantly asking questions and talking to other people from whom they can acquire new knowledge.

Informed Consent for participation in the Oral History Project

Date of interview:

Place of interview:

Data of the interviewee

Thank you for your readiness to share your memories and knowledge on the neighborhood and site that we are researching as part of the Oral History Project:

under the supervision of the teacher:

from the school:

By signing this form, you give your permission to be interviewed via video and/or audio recording, and to use your interview as part of the results of this project. The results may include a transcription of the interview and a written or illustrated summary of the interview, all of which will be open to the public.

If you agree to be part of this project, please indicate below your consent for participation and your preferences for recording the interview:

I agree to be interviewed as part of this project

I agree to have my interview audio—recorded

I agree to have my interview video—recorded

I agree to the use of my interview as described above.

Mark with

Name and Surname:

Email address: Phone no.:

Signature:

Data of the interviewer

Name and Surname:

Email address: Phone no.:

Signature:

We thank you for your participation in our Oral History Project!

Speculative Writing Workshop

Department of Education and Mediation

The speculative writing workshop consists of imagining and fictionalising the future of the chosen site. It is a continuation of the work from previous workshops, however, its focus is not on the present or the past of the site, but on its future and the way in which the students imagine it can be used. During this workshop, students are encouraged to think outside the box and further develop their writing skills.

Speculative writing is a broad category of fiction that incorporates a number of different genres including science fiction, superhero fiction, supernatural and paranormal stories, and utopian and dystopian fiction. Speculative writing appears in various mediums, including folk tales, fables or films, and tackles various subjects in the context of the supernatural, the future and imagination.

Some examples of speculative writing could include:

For classes VI-IX: “The Wheel of Time” by H.G. Wells; “Journey to the Centre of the Earth” by Jules Verne; “The President of the Red Planet” by Bedri Dedja; “Alien in the Family” by Bianca Pitzorno; “The Little Prince” by Antoine De Saint Exupery; “Chronicles Of Narnia” by C. S. Lewis; and “The Odyssey” by Homer.

For classes X-XIII: (novels and films, mainly in the English language): “The Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien, “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley, “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley, “Foundation” by Isaac Asimov, “Earthsea” by Ursula K. Le Guin, “Beloved” by Toni Morrison; “Dune” by Frank Herbert, “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, and “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood.

TV shows could include: “Maya and the Three” and “Stranger Things”.

Objective:

Encouraging creative and inventive thinking through speculative writing on the future of the chosen site (building/space).

Expected outputs: Written speculative stories by the students (individually or in groups).

Expected results: Development of the imagination, creative and critical thinking; empowerment for constructing the future.

Methodology:

The workshop includes four activities: an Icebreaker Activity, Introduction to the Concept of Speculative Writing, Writing the Speculative Stories, and Monitoring and Evaluation of the workshop.

Group size: 5−35 students (if there are more than 15 students then they are divided in two or more groups).

Necessary equipment:

60x90cm paper sheets; white or coloured A4 paper sheets; pencils; coloured markers; notebooks.

Key terms: fiction, writing, fantasy, future, imagination, creative expression

Icebreaker Activity “Poetry in Motion”

Duration: 10 20 minutes

Place: Class/ Space at the school

Depending on the number of students in the class, print or write down a number of poems by different authors. After allocating the students into groups, give each group a poem and ask them to demonstrate the poem through a physical performance that captures its rhythms. Each group can then perform the movements they have collectively practised to the class.

Some suggestions for appropriate poems are as follows:

“Pemët në verë” by Vehbi Kikaj; “Gjinkalla” by Mimoza Ahmeti; “Gençlik Böyledir İşte” by Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı; “Yaşamaya dair” by Nazim Hikmet; “Čupavko, Jesen U Šumi” by Desanka Maksimović; “Deda I Unuk, Mala Pesma” by Jovan Jovanović Zmaj; “Amaro rromano kalendari” by NeƷip Menekśe; “Si bëhet kënga rome” by Kujtim Paçaku; “Vrijeme nikog ne čeka” by Meljiman Mustafi; and “Prvi roman o durumlijama” by Azir Kuljići.

Activity “Introduction to the Concept of Speculative Writing”

Duration: 30 —40 minutes

Place: Class/space at the school Inform all of the students about the aims of the workshop. Start with general questions about the students’ preferences in literature and cinema, such as favourite books, films and television series. Then use specific events and characters from the books, films and TV shows named by the students, to introduce them to the concept of speculative writing and its main elements, including fiction and creating and developing fictional characters. Create a space for group discussion and use the students’ examples to address questions they might have about writing speculative stories.

Activity “Writing Speculative Stories”

Duration: 1 hour

Place: Class/space at the school, Street/Neighbourhood Together with the students go to the chosen site, and instruct them to imagine, and speculate about, its future but without sharing their ideas with each other.

Remind the students not to limit their imaginations but instead approach the site with an open mind, and to imagine even the impossible.

Next, conduct a joint exercise with the students by instructing them to create a circle. Go round the circle asking the students to share their imaginings with each other, before finding a way to merge their ideas into a single group story. Following this exercise, encourage the students to individually develop their own speculative ideas on the chosen site further through both writing and illustrations.

To conclude, instruct the students to read out their stories to the group, who should be encouraged to provide constructive feedback. If you cannot go to the chosen site, these activities can also be completed in class. Take a look at pages 60-61, 65, 69 for examples of speculative stories written by students.

Adjusting the Activities

If the workshop includes students with special needs that have difficulties completing the activity, assist them by grouping them with a partner. Encourage students to act as if they were in the other’s shoes so that one student can assist the other depending on their needs. If a student has writing difficulties, then they can record the interview while the other student takes notes. A similar process can be employed for students with hearing difficulties, while for students with visual impairments, the Braille alphabet can be utilised.

Speculative Writing Workshop

Monitoring and Evaluation of the Workshop

Useful questions for a personal evaluation of the workshop

How would you rate the workshop in general?

Which expected results have been achieved and which have not? What difficulties did you encounter during the drafting of the group stories?

In what instances during the workshop’s organisation, planningand process were the students involved?

How much has this workshop had an impact on the development of the students’ creative, critical thinking and writing skills?

What would you have done differently?

Evaluate the workshop with the students as well. For convenience, consider using the activity below.

→ 3

Next, instruct students to use a simple gesture (for example: raising their hand) to symbolise what they have thought of, whether it is a skill, feeling, or a piece of knowledge.

“Mind and Body”

→ 1

Push the chairs and tables towards the edges of the classroom and instruct the students to stand in a circle in the centre of the class.

→ 2

Encourage the students to think about something they have brought to the workshop, and about something they want to take with them.

Go round the circle instructing students to share their thoughts, along with their chosen gestures.

→ 4

As one student is sharing their thoughts and gesture, instruct the other students to perform the same gesture simultaneously.

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Krygier, J. (2021). Making maps: DIY Cartography. Making Maps: DIY Cartography. makingmaps.net/

Ministria e Arsimit, Shkencës dhe Teknologjisë (2016).

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Rgslearning. (2017). Classroom lessons 1: The tree of knowledge –structuring a sequence of lessons. RGS Learning. rgslearning.wordpress.com/2017/02/15/ classroom-lessons-1-the-tree-ofknowledge-structuring-a-sequence-oflessons/

Triangle-square-circle. the. (n.d.). theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/ triangle-square-circle

Wark, M. K. (2016). Psychogeography and speculative design v2.1. Public Seminar. publicseminar.org/2016/11/uu2/

Wikimedia Foundation (n.d.). Alfabeti Braj. Wikipedia. https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Alfabeti_Braj

Manifesta 14 Prishtina Education

The manual “Uncover Your Story” was published by and on the occasion of Manifesta 14 Prishtina and supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kosovo. Manifesta 14 Prishtina is an initiative of International Foundation Manifesta, the Municipality of Prishtina and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport of the Republic of Kosovo, and is implemented by Foundation Manifesta 14 Prishtina. Project of the Department of Education and Mediation of Manifesta 14 Prishtina in cooperation with the Kosovar Youth Council (KYC), the Municipal Directorate of Education, Prishtina and the Municipal Directorate of Education, Fushë Kosovë.