IFWEA Global Knowledge Community News

Jan 13

A Library of Life, Love and Loss

A treasured prayer book. A much-loved photograph. A birthday bracelet. A gold ring. These are just a few of the online exhibits to be found in the Library of Life, Love and Loss, a unique initiative created and curated by IFWEA affiliate Adult Learning Wales (ALW) in the UK, and the Polytechnic University of Coimbra in Portugal. The project, which is titled Learner Literacy Narratives, showcases learner work from ALE, ACL, FE and HE organisations from across the globe – work which is focused on the significance of specific artefacts from a past relationship. Such as the prayer book, which belonged to the grandmother of an ALW learner, who tells a moving story of the personal importance of the book.

“The process is aimed to empower people,” says Professor Dina Soeiro of the Polytechnic University of Coimbra, and a co-founder of the project. “Through showcasing objects which relate specifically to a person, and which thus have a story, we aim to promote empowerment and self-esteem.”

“Those who participate can be as creative as they want,” says Beth John from ALW, who is also a cofounder of the project.

It all started when Beth and Dina were in Zagreb, Croatia in 2023, attending the annual EAEA (European Association for the Education of Adults) Conference, on behalf of their respective organisations. The pair visited the Museum of Broken Relationships, an extraordinary space which collects and showcases objects sourced from heartbroken lovers worldwide, alongside text telling each item’s story.

Inspiration

Inspired by the museum, Beth and Dina decided to build something similar to be used in adult education, and thus was born the online Learner Literacy Narratives: A Library of Life, Love and Loss. It was piloted in Wales, and has now blossomed into a global project, with participation by over 20 different contributors and growing. “We have been quite overwhelmed by the attention it has drawn from across the world,” says Beth.

How it works, simply put, is that participants, who may already be part of a learning group or a study circle associated with an organisation, choose an object that symbolises a special relationship with somebody from their past. They tell the story of the object, and the person it relates to – and a photo of the object, plus the story, is then uploaded to the dedicated museum website, which can be found here. Included on the website is a video which explains the process of the project, which can be viewed here.

The jewel of the project is the 3D Virtual Gallery, a library of resources that showcases the stories and work of learners from across the world. You can access it here. Each organisation involved with the project has its own gallery within the virtual platform. Visitors can browse the different galleries, see the objects and read all about them. It makes for a fascinating, moving experience with many different personal stories – such as the photograph of the father who looked after horses who pulled huge circus wagons at the turn of the last century, or the small, heavy iron that used to belong to the mother of a learner.

Positive experiences

“It’s important to stress that these stories are not about broken relationships, such as in Zagreb, but about more positive experiences,” says Dina. That said, they are also aware of the potential that memory has in triggering responses. “For some people they may experience an emotional, cathartic reaction. In ALW we work with a lot of refugees and asylum seekers, for example, and an adverse childhood experience could be affecting that person’s development. In some classes we have had trained specialists because it may have triggered something in people,” says Beth.

Organisations are encouraged to find out more about the project, and if they want to participate, training will be a part of the process. Each organisation that wishes to be involved with the project will need to complete a simple registration process via a Project Contributor Registration Form, found here. Once completed the team will help with the initial onboarding process by assisting people to upload information and learner stories to the website portal.

“The Learner Literacy Narratives: A Library of Life, Love and Loss has required dedication and commitment by a small team, and it’s been a wonderful project to be part of, and to see it develop,” says Beth.

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