More informationProject website:www.foodoncanvas.eu

The Erasmus+ Project Results Platform:http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/projects/eplus-project-details/

Erasmus+

Key facts and figuresErasmus+

Project titleFOOD on CANVAS

Field: School EducationAction: Strategic Partnerships

Lead organisationName: Razlog Vocational High SchoolLocation: Razlog, BulgariaWebsite: www.pgtht-razlog.org

PartnersSrednja škola Dalj, Croatia; Lycée Professionnel Guérande-O.Guichard, France; IPSSAR ‘Filippo Buscemi’, Italy; Placowka Ksztalcenia Ustawicznego EST, Poland; Agrupamento de Escolas Marquesa de Alorna, Lisboa, Portugal; Ozel Balikesir Firat Anadolu Lisesi, Turkey

The Food on Canvas project brought food and art together in creative, cross-cultural collaborations, resulting in a successful online educational course that is now available for anyone to downloadThe project involved students from seven countries in an inno-vative scheme that combined culinary arts, art history and health education.

‘I work for a vocational school that focuses on tourism, the culi-nary arts and hospitality. I wanted to find a way of connecting these ideas,’ explained project coordinator Dr. Elena Sayanova. ‘This is how the project was born. We looked at how food has been depicted in different periods of art history, through reproductions, photos and essays. We then developed ways of critically analysing a work of art related to food.’

Groups of students were assigned a particular period of art history and had to search for artists who devoted their art to food. They reproduced not only famous artworks, but also traditional dishes depicted in historical paintings. These were presented together in school-based exhibitions.

Student participant Estir Hristova, 18, said:

‘ I’d never had the opportunity before to collaborate with people from so many different countries; to develop a better understanding and make such great friendships.’

The project also widened Elena’s horizons. ‘I am extremely grateful to the EU for this project,’ she said. ‘It has changed my life. I live and work in a small town in Bulgaria, but being part of European projects like this enables me to achieve so much more.’

The project has enriched her teaching repertoire, which now includes lessons picked up from visits to partner schools. The online course has also been used by Elena’s colleagues as a basis for developing new food and art-related extracurricular activities.

Reviving traditional dishes through art

Photo: © FOOD on CANVAS

Participants:40+

Countries:7

EU grant:€ 190,510

Project duration:2014-2016