“One Thousand Birds”: The desire for peace and listening to the environment through music education

Description

“One Thousand Birds” is a Companhia de Música Teatral (CMT) project designed to inspire awareness of environmental issues, the importance of caring for others, and the necessity of nurturing our planet — universal themes that call for attention from early childhood. In today’s world, where preserving the environment is even more critical, fostering poetic ways of seeing and listening emerges as a powerful and essential approach. The project draws inspiration from a Japanese tradition of the Orizuru, an origami bird, a symbol of peace and happiness: a legend tells it that the wish you think of while making one thousand birds come true. The project began in Vila Nova de Famalicão (Portugal) and has since taken flight, expanding in various forms to other cities such as Fundão, Coimbra, Lisbon, and Loulé. “One Thousand Birds” has also reached Brazil and, through the SenseSquared Erasmus+ Project, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway.
This workshop aims to: (i) raise environmental awareness, foster creativity, and enhance emotional expression while equipping teachers with adaptable strategies to integrate these themes into classrooms across different educational levels; (ii) encourage the participants to connect with nature, think creatively, and express themselves through music and movement.
The workshop creates a holistic environment inspired by birds and nature. Participants will craft an “Orizuru” and create graphic scores while listening to soundscapes. They will play with syllables from a phrase to use in a vocal warm-up and communicate with gibberish and bird-inspired vocal sounds, exploring how different emotional intentions are reflected in vocal production. The participants will also engage in movement activities through the "woodpecker dance" and a calming nightingale-inspired song that will conclude the session.
The implications of this work are to demonstrate how artistic practices can enhance environmental education and inspire interdisciplinary teaching.

Period	6 Jun 2025
Event title	32nd European Association for Music in Schools / 10th International Society for Music Education Regional Conference: Unlocking Voices – Shaping Music Education Futures
Event type	Conference
Conference number	32
Location	Évora, PortugalShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International