Porto Trip Report: European Erasmus + Project and Mantle of the Expert

Amongst Francesinhas and Vino Verdes there was an underlying theme to the conversations of the Erasmus +  trip exploring creative learning methods, undulating through like the great steep roads of Porto. Nestled in the outskirts of the city is the primary school Osmope, headed up by Silvia Bereny, which has been leading in truly project-based creative learning for many years. Student and teacher are alike, both thoroughly engaged with no hierarchy, and thus on an equal pane. Iris Bertz, the Director and initiator of the arts organisation, Bertz Associates, considered the school to be a microcosm of a larger movement towards shaping education, beckoning it to move forward as an idea. Iris uses non-hierarchical systems like Mantle of the Expert & Appreciate Inquiry to support ideas of eradicating the hierarchy within the professional environment in Bertz Associates, combining persons of all backgrounds to create such a mixed group of diversity that it is impossible to not learn from one another and encourage interculturality. Most importantly, Iris believes in putting young people at the forefront of the discussions surrounding the reformation of systems, always opening up space for their voices in the tightly-knit world of the arts and culture sector. 

I was one of these young people. Having just finished my academic year at University, there was not much to do. Applications for jobs had been static, and with little experience, it was looking like a summer working wherever I could. I received a message from Iris extending an invitation to the Porto trip, with the possibility of filming the drama work and events that would unfold. I jumped at the idea, and only weeks later Drama Facilitator Ava-Daniera McDonald, Drama Practitioner  Roberta Luchini, Iris Bertz and I were setting off from the gates of Birmingham’s airport. The trip was a blur, with early mornings starting at the school, coffee in hand, waiting, and planning workshops. However, there were certain moments highlighted in the saturated day. Being a cameraperson is always a great way to observe, and not only was I a third-party outsider, looking in on these nuanced and novel ideas, but I was also osmosing the ways of the Drama Practitioner. My own ignorance of the subject was perhaps a blessing; to be an observer was to also learn with an obliviousness, and watching how the Practitioners instilled confidence and deep curiosity into the students was enviable. The Bertz team and I would come to reflect on our own individual educations, echoing discussions of the ‘Transmission model versus Mantle/Project-based learning,’ that were prompted by our admiration of Osmope. 

What was also noticeable was how impassioned the teachers and Practitioners were, and upon attending a conference at ESEPF an institution for education studies, it was evident that the younger generation of Practitioners were the vital successors for Mantle of the Expert. Roberta Luchini conducted a diverting presentation, teaching to the audience in the Mantle way. Audience interaction and call-and-response warm-ups seemed to revitalise a stagnant room, sweltering in the Porto heat. The audience could step into the student’s point of view, and as Luchini seamlessly switched between Portuguese and English, it felt like we were pupils sitting with the teacher everyone wanted for their class; there was a vivification pumped back into learning. This lineage trickled down into my fellow Bertz colleague, Ava-Daniera McDonald, who is on her way to becoming a drama educator herself. It was interesting to discover, through many discussions about Mantle of the Expert and Dorothy Heathcote, how the different generations of drama education carried various aspects of these teachings within their own methods. There was always going to be a differentiation in methodology from one Practitioner to another, however, it was enthralling to hear how young people like Ava-Daniera were considering how to adapt the methods into the modern education system, applying the theory to real-world examples.