Schools Adopt Monuments is being promoted by the Dublin Civic Trust; a body set up with An Taisce as a forum to restore old buildings for new uses, to promote awareness of the architectural heritage of the city and to identify important projects for repair and conservation.
The Civic Trust idea began in Ireland in Limerick, and there are now six trusts in the country. They are all voluntary groups, open to all interested people. The Dublin Civic Trust is about to embark on a major conservation project on two mid-eighteenth century houses in South Frederick Street, in the centre of Dublin.
The Schools Adopt Monuments project was first launched on a big scale in Naples. The aim of the project is to raise the awareness of cultural heritage in young generations. The project resulted in an extraordinary enthusiasm of teachers and students and involved the whole city, including the business people and residents.
Students making the model of the Casino
The project was very successful and was an example of what other European cities could also initiate. On a European level the project will focus on all European trends of cultural heritage ( the influence of art and architecture between different countries; different developments of building traditions and materials; individual interpretations of style and artistic expression in different countries) and by doing so, foster social, racial and cultural integration within Europe. Later it is planned to exchange the projects from each European city, so that they can be exhibited in each member state.
Monuments are given to schools for adoption. Students then study the monuments history, its origin and style. They become responsible for the monument including its upkeep and they also act as guides especially when other students come to visit the monument. Special attention is also devoted to the choice of monument. There should be strong links between the school and the monument, which if possible should be in the same district as the school.
They should be encouraged to implement a multidisciplinary approach involving different school subjects in the adoption project (art, history, geography, literature etc.).New means of communication, based on fantasy and creativity should also be developed. The "Schools Adopt Monuments " project is being coordinated at European level by the Foundation Pégase. The foundation Pégase was created by members of the European Parliament to promote greater awareness of European cultural identity. Twelve countries will participate in the project.
Historic buildings are a great source of inspiration for children and students. They provide a rich variety of study in many different fields - history, art, architecture, reading, maths, engineering, planning, media studies, economics, politics, religion, conservation, pollution etc… All of these subjects can be introduced into the study of historic buildings. The students may become involved in a real issue (such as the fate of an abandoned church or house) and may influence the ultimate future of the building.
The word ‘monument’ can mean anything from a major public building like The City Hall or the Cathedral, to a fountain, a bridge, a small ruined church, a thatched cottage or a group of buildings in the street.
Project leader:
Italia - Napoli
Mirella Barracco, Presidente, Foundazione Napoli, Novantanove,
Rivera di Chica 202.1 -80121 Napoli
tel. 00 39 81 425284 - 412848. Fax 39 81 425284
The Project leader in Dublin is:
Peter Pearson, Dublin Civic Trust,11 South Frederick Street,Dublin 2.
Tel. (01) 677 5285