AUSTRIA 
Workshop on „Music“ 

at the "Simultania Liechtenstein"

Within the range of our Erasmus+ project: “Crossing Borders: New Approaches to Inclusion” we visited our partner institution “Simultania Liechtenstein” on the 21^st December 2015 in order to work together with our friends there. Workshops in the field of “music” and “self-expression” were planned for the morning. The whole class 5b of the BG/BRG Judenburg, accompanied by Mag. Bernd Fiechtl und Mag. Ilse Prenn participated in the workshops and we were absolutely eager to cooperate with our friends. After the class was separated into 3 groups they started to work. 

Lydia, the trainer, introduced the students into the topic of the painting workshop. She explained that the work with handicapped people turns out to be often very diversified. She added that many people with impairments experience difficulties to express themselves and due to their impairment they often do not find appropriate language to communicate. Therefore, painting and expression via arts is continuously implemented in the daily working routine. Lydia also mentioned that painting activities are very useful, because like everybody, our friends are not every day in the same mood.

After this introduction, Lydia invited us to express our feelings, that we had that day, in a picture. We worked in a spacious workshop, with a huge rectangular table in the middle. Some friends of the Simultania worked together with us. Lydia distributed some papers and wax-crayons with which we illustrated our emotions. After approximately 20 minutes we started to discuss our interesting paintings. We were allowed to take our paintings home with us. The artistic results were quite stunning. Some students were easily able to express their feeling within these 20 minutes in a quite artistic way. In the discussion, each participant explained why they chose certain colours and motives. The workshop was a great experience for their soul and their mind and also for the cooperation with our friends. It widened their personal horizon.

Music workshop

This workshop consisted of two parts. First we made ourselves comfortable in a music room. The room was a spacious bright room equipped with a red carpet, some shelves and cupboards, a bed and several musical instruments. We put some coloured blankets on the floor and took place on them. Then the trainer, Monika, explained which training forms and musical instruments she used at the institution. After this introduction, Monika carried out a “dream journey” together with some of our friends. This was a relaxing and calming experience for all of us. The unexpected part about this activity was, that the students of the BG/BRG Judenburg are normally not used to these kinds of activities. Some of them relaxed in such a way, that they almost fell asleep. After approximately 15 minutes this first part of the workshop was over. Monica finished the dream journey and the students discussed their experiences with each other. 

The second part of the music workshop was dedicated to the use of different musical instruments, that are used for therapeutic activities. Therapists of the Simultania do not use common musical instruments like the guitarre or piano, for therapies. They predominantly use rhythmical instruments or instruments that have a relaxing impact, e.g. pentatonic string instruments. After this introduction, Monika showed us some instruments and we were allowed to play on them. Some time later we were asked to play together and find a certain melody or rhythm. This part of the whole day was definitely a highlight, because we produced music together with our friends of the Simultania. In the next step of the workshop we swopped instruments and we had the opportunity to show our skills on other instruments. The next activity was to express our emotions with these instruments. We had a lot of fun doing these activities. 

Communication workshop

Plo, the manager of the Simultania worked in small groups with us. He explained how communication works when people with impairments communicate with each other. He mentioned that it is essential that people with hearing impairment express their feeling.  That is why we painted in a painting workshop our current emotional state. Due to this method it is possible to find out how people feel. Furthermore, Plo talked about his personal relation to the institution.