More informationProject website:http://erasmusbridge2016.wixsite.com/erasmusbridge

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

Erasmus+

Erasmus+Key facts and figures

Project titleBRIDGE: Promotion of European Traditional Sports and Games, a BRIDGE for Intercultural Dialogue

Field: SportAction: Collaborative Partnership

Lead organisationName: Institut Nacional d'Educació Física de CatalunyaLocation: Barcelona, Spain Website: N/A

PartnersAssociation Européenne des Jeux et Sports Traditionnels, France; Collège Jules Verne, France; Université Paris Descartes, France;Alma Mater Studiorum – Università Di Bologna, Italy; Associazione Giochi Antichi Verona, Italy; Istituto Statale Di Istruzione Superiore L. Calabrese – P. Levi, Italy;Agrupamento de Escolas Da Lousã, Portugal; Universidade De Coimbra, Portugal; Universidad De Murcia, Spain; Universidad Del Pais Vasco/ Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Spain

The BRIDGE EU co-funded project explores how traditional sports and games can encourage people to share their feelingsThe main objective of the BRIDGE project is to promote traditional sports and games (TSG) as bridges that can improve intercultural dialogues in an interactive way.

The programme showed that games such as tip-cat (which has many local iterations around the world, like lippa, billarda) can find a place in the lives of modern communities.

Project coordinator Pere Lavega said:

‘ When it comes to traditional sports and games, the practical approach is as important as the theoretical. That’s why we not only need players to play these traditional sports and games, but also academics to study them.’

Participants from Italy, Spain, France and Portugal had the opportunity to discover almost forgotten sports and games. They put into practice eight traditional games and demonstrated that students from different countries can engage in an intercultural dialogue.

‘Through traditional sports and games, social contact and social dialogue are encouraged. We also realised that players don't identify opponents as enemies but as partners,’ said Pere Lavega, professor of traditional sports and games.

While the project is ongoing, some results are already available. A sustainable transnational network was created and aims to exchange knowledge between Physical Education teachers and students.

Contributors to the BRIDGE project mentioned that when people play they also learn about each other’s values. ‘We are not talking about ancient values, but about very current ones,’ said Lavega. Another goal of the project is to create a model for the organisation of TSG festivals where youngsters, adults and older people can participate in an intercultural dialogue.

Traditional games, shared experiences

Photo: © Biel Pubill

Participants:300

Countries:4

EU grant:€ 59,983

Project duration:2017-2018