that the LLW and Learning Parade – Days of learning communities 2021 will not be held in the spring. Already at the beginning of the year, it became clear that last year’s scenario of postponing events to the second half of the year is repeating due to covid-19. Therefore, we conducted a survey with members of the LLW network in the first week of February, which completely shifted the scales to the side of autumn. As many as 79% of members voted that way. We later defined a five-week duration of the LLW, which will be held from Monday, September 6, to Sunday, October 10, 2021.
Last year’s experience brought many insights that will be beneficial in designing this year’s approaches. The halved number of organisers (981 in 2020 compared to 1,911 in 2019) could not stop the determination and goodwill of the co-creators of LLW to carry out the jubilee, 25th Learning Festival in the splendour that the situation allowed. More than 6,000 events (close to 7,500 in 2019 and close to 12,000 in the record year of 2014) were selected in 10 joint actions/themes. We dare to say that at a time when the first signs of the re-closure of public life were already showing, the organisers were bringing positive energy into society through encouraging stories and activities. In doing so, they cooperated with the media more intensively than in previous years. They defied the restrictive circumstances dictated by the new coronavirus and the fact that the network of LLW and Learning Parade coordinators was allocated as much as 33 percentage points less money than the year before.
Preparations are in full swing
Our first joint step was a preparatory meeting of the network of potential LLW and Learning Parade coordinators, held online on March 16. A brief overview of the key content and performance indicators of the LLW 2020 from a national perspective was followed by a demonstration of the approaches of seven LLW/Learning Parade 2020 coordinators. They shared with more than 60 participants their experiences of working in extraordinary situations in which the pace and restrictive circumstances were dictated by covid-19.
This year we have created a general umbrella theme: Learning is life – let it bear power and joy!
The main joint actions/topics of the LLW 2021 defined by the survey are either transferred from last year or designed for this year:
- Joint reading – for knowledge and fun!
- Self-sufficiency and gastronomy
- Ageing society and intergenerational integration
- Digital transformation of society
- Cultural heritage – let us get to know it, protect it and preserve it!
- Sustainable development – locally and globally!
- Inclusion, challenges of multiculturalism and active citizenship
- Water for all – the global importance of water
Some of them allow the connection with other campaigns that will run in parallel, e.g. National Month of Joint Reading or European Cultural Heritage Days and Cultural Heritage Week.
The SIAE also included the joint actions of three guest networks/projects:
- Quality Day
- Counselling for Knowledge Days
- Get to know your skills – see new opportunities – SVOS (Education & Skills Online Assessment – E&S Online)
The Learning Parade, which has been featured regularly at the LLW since 2013, will join twelve of the above topics. This time it will take place on September 15 in around 12 venues across Slovenia.
Financial support to LLW/LP coordinators is provided
In parallel with designing the contents of this year’s learning festival, efforts were also made at the MESS to ensure the co-financing of the LLW coordination and the implementation of the Learning Parade. The tender results are known; 26 organisations will receive funding for the LLW and 12 for the Learning Parade. Indeed, some organisations will choose to host the LLW in their environment, even though they will not be co-funded.
At the SIAE, we plan activities at the state level: national opening, Adult Education Colloquium, renovation of the institute of Awards and others.
News on current events is regularly posted on the LLW online social networks: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik, MSc (zvonka.pangerc@acs.si), SIAE
