In the context of our Elvis ( Euro Link Virtual International school) Partnership , in which we develop learners’ skills on an international level, 3 of our youngsters were invited to continue and complete our Street Art project, in collaboration with students from France, Germany, Norway, Italy, Holland, England and Belgium of course. The exchange was coordinated by The Institut du Sacre Coeur, our Belgian partner school.
This time, our work was part and parcel of the prestigious events of Mons 2015 ( Mons European Capital of Culture).
On Monday 9th March, we drove to Ebbsfleet where we boarded the Eurostar to Lille, France. From there we caught a train to Mons where our Belgian hosts were waiting for us. After travelling all day, we really enjoyed the warm Belgian hospitality and our learners settled well into their families!
The next few days were full and action-packed, kicking off with a fascinating conference on the origin and history of Street Art and Graffiti, followed by Graffiti and Hip Hop workshops.
The following saw more workshops and a visit to the unique Europa Cyber Café, which we were privileged to see before its official opening.
The last full day saw us discover the Mons Superstar exhibition, where we learnt about famous people from Mons and their contribution to our cultural and social history.
But the highlight of the week was yet to come: the students Hip Hop performance as well as the amazing graffitis produced by our learners and their European partners.
Finally, on the last morning, we all met at school to say goodbye to our new friends and colleagues before heading home.
It was a truly successful week for all involved and here is what Honywood learners had to say:
“I really enjoyed the trip to Mons, it was an absolutely brilliant
experience ! I love meeting people from different countries and
learning new things about other cultures. I learnt that in Mons, they
sometimes say “Si and La” instead of “Oui and Non.” I stayed with a
lovely Belgian family and that was also a really interesting
experience too. We got the opportunity to participate in Graffiti
Street Art and Hip Hop dance workshops, which were both a lot of fun.
Mons is a beautiful city and I would recommend anyone to visit it, if
you get the chance !”
Thomas Awad, 8Cho
“Before I went away to Mons, I was really nervous about going and
staying with a family I didn’t know, however, by the end I was so
pleased I took this amazing opportunity. Not only has this visit to
Mons given me lots of new and exciting memories but it has shaped me
as a person. I think this is because of the fact that you are meeting
so many new people, some that can only just speak English, and having
to communicate with people you haven’t met before. Even though I’m not
particularly confident about talking to new people, I feel that I made
lots of new friends in Mons and I will be keeping in touch with my
exchange student. I learnt loads about the culture of Mons and Belgium
and if anybody else gets this opportunity, I would highly recommend
you to take it!”
Hannah Goodey 9KBr
