This document summarizes a school bridge-building project between Israel/Palestine, Switzerland, and Norway. The project aims to: 1) Establish connections between schools and students/teachers; 2) Allow teenagers to experience how sharing their culture can strengthen it while learning others'; and 3) Enhance participants' creative skills through music and art. The project involves schools in Jerusalem, Luzern, Grimstad, and Kristiansand. To date, the participants have met in Norway, Israel, and Switzerland to work on a musical with themes of "Bridges" and cultural understanding. Upcoming plans include producing the musical and performing it in Israel, Norway, and Switzerland.

1. BRIDGES

2. The participants are:
•Israel/Palestine,Jerusalem: Hand in Hand
•Switzerland, Luzern: Pedagogishe Hochschule,
two secondary schools: Hochdorf and Hundeberg
•Norway,Grimstad: Fjære Ungdomsskole
•Norway, Kristiansand: University of Agder,
Grim elementary school and …

3. The intention of the project:
• To establish a connection between schools; pupils and
teachers
• Teenagers can experience that knowledge and love of their
own culture may grow stronger by sharing it
• Working with music and art, the participants’ skills and
creative competence is enhanced
• Respect and affection to other cultures may come easier
«Learning together. Living together.»

4. Jerusalem
• Population: ca 750 000
• Considered the most holy city in the
world,

5. Our Participants from Jerusalem are:
• Teachers and pupils from Hand in
Hand

6. LÜZERN
• Population: ca 76 000 people
• Situated by the Lake Lucerne (der Vierwaldstättersee)
• Has been voted as the 5th most popular tourism destination in the
world 2010

7. Our Swiss participants are:
•Henk Geuke
•Students: Patricia,
Manuel and Roger
•Hochdorf
secondary school:
Renato Belleri
•Hünenberg
secondary school:
Simon Saxer

8. GRIMSTAD
• Population: ca 20 000 people
• The home town of the late authors Ibsen and
Hamsun

9. The participants from Grimstad are:
• Teachers from Fjære Ungdomsskole: Arve
Konnestad, Marita Baugstø ,
Maria Kiland – Langeland and Borgny Hjelen
• Pupils from Fjære Ungdomsskole

10. Kristiansand
• Population: ca 75 000 people
• The hometown of the Norwegian Crown Princess
• Participants from here are: Randi Eidsaa, University of Agder
• Music students from the University of Agder

11. So far…
• 2009/2010 : Meetings at the University of Agder (Norway), Givat
Haviva (Israel), and in Switzerland.
• October 2010: A project week at Fjære Ungdomsskole, including
all the pupils in 8th grade, working with the theme «Bridges».
Similar week held at the schools in Switzerland and Israel.
• November 2010: the 4 pupils from Fjære worked together with
the students from Switzerland and the University of Agder in
Kristiansand for one week. Musical plot and some music
produced.
• November: Arve meeting our participants in Israel

12. Dinner at Arve’s
getting aquainted

15. The next steps:
• Between November 2010 and March 2011: Students produce a
complete musical manuscript, written music and a CD.
• Until October 2011: Students work with the pupils’ products,
and the core group and other pupils rehearse at their individual
schools.
• November 2011: One week in Israel. Rehearsals and
performances.
• February 2012: 4 days in Norway, 5 days in
Switzerland. Rehearsals and performances.

16. «Wonderful things these bridges»

17. Presentation made by Maria Kiland-Langeland