JOURNEY INTO THE FUTURE: Local 5th-grade classes kick off the effort to qualify Helsingør as a candidate for a prestigious EU title
“Close your eyes and imagine stepping into a time capsule that takes you into the future. There, a friend welcomes you, and you look around. What do you experience?” That’s a very condensed version of the journey into the future that actress Charlotte Bøving is taking all the 5th-grade students at Grydemoseskolen on this week. When the students open their eyes again, they’re ready to participate in a creative workshop to express what a good future with strong communities means to them.
“We’re exploring what students believe is needed for communities to thrive now and in the future, because we believe that culture is a tool for strengthening communities. The European Capital of Culture is ten years away, so the children will be adults, young people, by then. That’s why we need to listen to them,” explains Aslak Gottlieb, who is chairman of the Helsingør European Capital of Culture 2032 Association, where Charlotte Bøving also volunteers as a member of the board.
In the "Journey into the Future," students reflect on how they envision an ideal version of the city, the countryside, and the sea. Working in small groups, they express their ideas through words and drawings on a timeline, which serves as the starting point for creating collages, models, and photographs. Together, the students’ work forms a mini-exhibition, which they present to one another after the workshop at an impromptu opening reception.
“We probably wouldn’t get much out of asking the children what they think about Europe and culture. These are very broad and abstract concepts to grapple with. That’s why we let them work together using their imagination in creative ways they’re already familiar with. And then we listen to their reflections along the way. It’s an attempt to involve the children as citizens,” says Charlotte Bøving.
The results of the first "journey into the future" are already in. Once both 5th-grade classes have completed the program, the association will pass the report on to the adults.
“Throughout the spring, we’re inviting the whole town to join us on this journey. Through walk-and-talk events, communal meals, and a town hall meeting, we’ll present the children’s statements and work on how they can be woven into the association’s core narrative. The board is excited to open up this work to the rest of the city and hopes that all of Helsingør will get involved—from Hornbæk to Espergærde.”
Photos from Class 5B’s trip to the future. Photo: Aslak Gottlieb
