The Future of Education

TimeCase. Memory in Action is a European project financed by the Lifelong Learning Programme. The network of organisations, groups and individuals involved in TimeCase are interested in participatory arts and 20th century memory practices. The first stage of the project concentrated on collecting exemplary case studies of participatory practices and showcasing the studies on the TimeCase website www.timecase.org. The second stage of the project, now in progress, will identify the best practices in the case studies and create a toolkit  to help organisations that work with memory to reflect on their own participatory practices, to investigate and to explore ways in which they can begin to re-imagine our recent history. TimeCase offers experts from organisations working with cultural memory effective practice examples, knowledge and tools to enhance their participatory practices.

TimeCase sees participation as a tool to involve communities in a positive, inclusive process of memory construction: non-populist, moderate, pro-European and culturally inclusive. It makes positive use of the mechanisms of collective memory and identity formation. Euroscepticism, populist forces, nationalism and a fragile cohesion between majority and minority cultures are all fuelled by a negative use of the human need for connecting ones personal memory to a collective identity, writing history against the other. Research of the TimeCase partners and the academic debate in Europe points out that processes of inclusion and exclusion are based on personal and collective memories and their binding and separating forces. Participation wants to make positive use of those mechanisms and therefore needs a solid basis for their understanding. Tiller (Goldsmith’s University, London), in her practice-based adaptation of Brown’s five stages of participation: “Spectating, Enhanced Engagement, Crowd Sourcing, Co-Creation and Audience-as-Artist” [1] introduced the concept of the spectrum of participatory practice.

By conducting this practice-based, comparative review of innovative educational/creative approaches relating to 20th century history TimeCase aims to set new standards for open learning environments and participatory approaches in the cultural heritage sector and develop new participatory approaches through peer coaching.

In the long term, TimeCase aims to further maintain, develop and share knowledge and resources about participatory practices through its online resources featuring case studies from across Europe, a frame of reference including quality tools and a qualifications framework. Through the development of this strategy TimeCase will help establish participation as a discipline in its own right. The long-term exploitation model for the project is the establishment of a European Academy of Participation with an innovative Low Residency format with intensive study periods interspersed with online seminars.

[1] Getting in on the Act – How arts groups are creating opportunities for active participation, Alan S. Brown and Jennifer L Novak-Leonard in partnership with Shelly Gilbride, Ph.D., The James Irvine Foundation, 2011