On 14 February 2017 NOVA Law School hosted the European Awareness Day (EAD) at Teatro Tivoli in Lisbon. The idea of making an inclusive event, adapted to an audience with special needs, with audio description available for blind and visually impaired viewers, space for assistant dogs and wheelchairs, led to the invitation of Ana Sofia Antunes, the Secretary of State for the Inclusion of People with Disabilities, for the introductory speech. Then followed the showing of the music recital “Europa: Que Paixão!” and a roundtable and Q&A between 3 invited experts and the audience afterward. Isabel Baltazar (researcher at the Institute of Contemporary History (IHC) of NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of the 20th Century (CEIS 20) of the University of Coimbra), Ana Rita Gil (member of the Research Center on Law and Society of Nova Law School (Cedis) and legal adviser at the Portuguese Constitutional Court), and Joana Vitorino Mendes (lawyer at Cardigos) represented 3 generations that experienced a different Europe. They shared with the audience their personal views, as well as answered some of the questions posed by the students on European current affairs.
The event was promoted on the website of our partner Centro de Informação Europeia Jacques Delors (http://www.eurocid.pt/pls/wsd/wsdwcot0.detalhe?p_cot_id=9539&p_est_id=18164) and also by Direcção-Geral da Educação through the European Clubs initiative.
Invited guests:
- • Direcção-Geral da Educação
- • Instituto Nacional para a Reabilitação (INR)
- • Câmara Municipal de Lisboa
- • Brand Meaning
- • Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa
- • Universidade Aberta
- • Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
- • Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros
- • Representação da Comissão Europeia em Portugal
- • Programa Operacional Capital Humano (POCH)
- • Fullbright Portugal
- • Inspecção Geral das Actividades Culturais (IGAC)
- • Gabinete Nacional de Coordenação EURES
- • Agência Nacional Erasmus+ Educação e Formação
- • Universidade de Lisboa
- • Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa
- • Casa Pia
- • Instituto Italiano de Cultura de Lisboa
- • Fundação Raquel e Martin Sain (RMS)
- • Associação Promotora de Emprego de Deficientes Visuais (APEDV)
- • Associação dos Cegos e Amblíopes de Portugal (ACAPO)
- • Centro de Reabilitação de Nossa Senhora dos Anjos
- • Associação de Pais e Amigos dos Deficientes Mentais Adultos (CEDEMA)
- • Escola Padre António Vieira
- • Agrupamento de Escolas de Caneças
- • Colégio de São João de Brito
- • Escola Secundária Eça de Queirós
- • Escola Secundária Rainha Dona Leonor
- • Centro de Formação Profissional para o Comércio e Afins (CECOA)
- • Agrupamento de Escolas Vergílio Ferreira
The theater received about 500 people that day, among them high school students from schools in the Lisbon area, 30 people with visual impairment, 14 with cognitive impairment, representatives from Direcção-Geral da Educação, Instituto Nacional para a Reabilitação, Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros, and Câmara Municipal de Lisboa.
Here are some of the testimonials from the audience:
Spectacular demonstration of the actors, singer, who dominates and sings perfectly in Portuguese. Congratulations to all involved in this project. For the inclusion of those born with limitations.
Thank you.
Maria Manuela da Costa Nogueira, Fundação RMS
For me, watching a show with audio description is always something to remember, since, unfortunately, the use of this service is not as common in cultural events as it would be desirable. In addition, the work of audio description is a work that requires planning and a lot of work prior to the exhibitions, which, if it is not possible to exist, can condition the quality of what is transmitted. Even so, it was very rewarding to be able to "see" what was happening through someone's voice, so that we could imagine the movements on stage and the whole atmosphere of the show.
Patrícia Santos, INR, I.P.
I think it has a good title for the day this musical was shown. It is a musical piece that describes in a light way the various stages through which the European Union passed. It was very well described by the images, the songs and the audio description. I also really enjoyed the debate that took place at the end of the musical. The audience was also quite varied: from people with visual impairment, to whom a hearing aid was provided so that they could accompany the play as a whole; mentally handicapped and many young people - it was a well composed audience! I would liked that Europe was a united Europe for good and for bad. Than Men were more united. But I confess that I am very afraid of the future not only of Europe but of the whole world. I really enjoyed going. Keep doing more of these events.
Congratulations!
Graciete Cabecinha, Fundação RMS
One day before the EAD, on February 13, an AwarEU staff meeting open to interested academic colleagues was held by NOVA Law School – it was attended by:
- • Filomena António – CIEJD
- • Isabel Baltazar – IHC, FCSH
- • Bruno Correia – Associação Portuguesa de Estudos Europeus (APEE)
- • David Gil – Associação Portuguesa de Estudos Europeus (APEE)
- • Sara Campos – Associação Portuguesa de Estudos Europeus (APEE)
- • Afonso Ferreira – CEDIS
- • Francisco Pereira Coutinho – CEDIS
- • Martinho Lucas Pires – CEDIS
- • Maria João Carapêto – CEDIS
- • Tiago Melo Cartaxo - CEDIS
On March 17 a meeting with institutional stakeholders was held at Centro de Informação Europeia Jacques Delors and the following were invited:
- • Agência Nacional Erasmus+ Educação e Formação
- • DGE – Direção-Geral de Educação/Ministério de Educação (coordenação dos Clubes Europeus)
- • Universidade Aberta (e-learning)
- • FDUNL
- • IPL – Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa
- • FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia
- • IGAC – Inspeção geral das Atividades Culturais – Ministério da Cultura
On both meetings the project was presented, and the participants shared their views on the e-learning initiative and discussed the best ways to put it into practice.