JOURNEY TO THE FUTURE: Local 5th Graders Kickstart Efforts to Qualify Helsingør as a Candidate for Prestigious EU Title
'Close your eyes and imagine stepping into a time capsule that takes you forward in time. A friend greets you there, and you look around. What do you experience?' This is a super-short version of the 'future journey' that actress Charlotte Bøving is taking all 5th-grade students from Grydemoseskolen on this week. Once the students open their eyes again, they'll be ready to express, in a creative workshop, what a great future with strong communities means to them.
'We're looking into what students believe it takes for communities to thrive now and in the future, because we see culture as a key tool for strengthening those communities. The Capital of Culture is ten years away, so these kids will be young adults by then. That's why we really need to listen to them,' explains Aslak Gottlieb, chairman of the Helsingør European Capital of Culture 2032 Association, where Charlotte Bøving also volunteers as a board member.
During this journey to the future, the students think about how they imagine an ideal version of their city, countryside, and sea. In small groups, they use words and drawings on a timeline, which then inspires them to create collages, models, and photos. All their work comes together to form a mini-exhibition, which they proudly show to each other at an impromptu opening after the workshop.
'We probably wouldn't get much by asking the kids what they think about Europe and culture. Those are really broad and abstract ideas for them to deal with. So, we let them work together, using their imagination in creative ways they already know. And we listen to their thoughts as they go. It's our way of involving children in the process,' says Charlotte Bøving.
The results from the first 'future journey' are already in! Once both 5th-grade classes have finished the program, the association will pass the baton to the adults.
'This spring, we're inviting the whole town to join us on this journey. We'll be presenting the children's ideas through walk-and-talks, community dinners, and public meetings, and figuring out how they can fit into the association's main story. The board is really looking forward to opening up this work to the rest of the town, and we hope all of Helsingør will get involved – from Hornbæk to Espergærde.'
Pictures from 5.b's future journey. Photo: Aslak Gottlieb
