Fado’s inclusion in the Representative List of Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity implies the substantiation of a heritage safeguarding programme of Fado, and both the development and implementation of an educational programme. This programme should foster the transversal integration of contents related to Fado’s universe and culture within all schooling levels – from Junior school to University – and combine academic and scientific perspectives with the Fado’s community know-how and effective participation: singers, musicians, authors, composers, and instrument’s manufacturers.
Therefore Museu do Fado decided to promote a pilot-project, and invited Lisbon’s schools to present their own educational project.
Four projects/schools were chosen: Escola Secundária Dona Luísa de Gusmão, Colégio Militar, Colégio de Santa Doroteia, and Instituto de Música Vitor Matono. These projects started in the beginning of 2011:
Escola Secundária Dona Luísa de Gusmão
Escola Secundária Dona Luísa de Gusmão (ESDLG) carried out a survey among junior school students aiming at knowing how interested these students were in learning how to play Portuguese guitar and Fado guitar, and how to sing Fado. In order to raise their awareness on this subject, the school organised an activity day and guided tour of Museu do Fado.
ESDLG is currently promoting workshops on the world of Fado, namely its story and origin, its different types, its lyrics, the features of its lyrics, its districts, and Fado’s role as a national symbol.
On April 12th and May 2nd, Daniel Gouveia, teacher at the Museum’s School Lyricists’ Seminar, gave his students a presentation on Poetry for Fado. On May 17th, the Application’s Embassador Mariza also gave a lesson on Fado.
In addition some students have been attending Portuguese guitar lessons with Mestre António Parreira and singing lessons with the “fadista” Julieta de Castro.
For three months – between March and May 2012 – some students learned to sing Fado and took Portuguese guitar and singing classes.
On June 15th, at the end of the school year party, the pupils of master António Parreira and of the Fado singer Julieta Estrela, presented a show featuring the Fados they learned in class. With their Portuguese Guitar teacher they sung some Fados, as Lisboa Não Sejas Francesa e Cheira a Lisboa.
Other open to the community activities will also be carried out, namely a Fado photography exhibition, the recreation of Fado environments, a Fado evening at school, and the “Fado’s Narrative Development”. A blog to disclosing and sharing the different activities within the scope of this project will also be created.
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Colégio Militar
In order to raise Junior School students’ awareness on Fado, Colégio Militar began its Educational Project with a series of guided tours to Museu do Fado.
On May 9th, António Pinto Basto and Teresa Tapadas gave a concert-lesson to the students.
A research project on Colégio Militar’s former students connected to Fado, and a Fado Contest – open to students from Year 5 to Year 12 – will also be organised.
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Colégio de Santa Doroteia
Colégio de Santa Doroteia is currently developing an integrated project to produce an interactive CD and a book with works by various students from Junior school and Senior School.
Students from Years 6 – 12 will record the CD, from a selection made by the project’s responsible teachers. These students will also create a book on “Fado with Stories”. This book will put into context the selected music, and will include some games as well. The goal of this CD/book is to be a helping tool for Music teachers.
Senior School students will be responsible for the CD/book design, namely composing, paginating, editing, and illustrating.
In both Arts and IT classes students were invited to work upon Fado’s visual universe.
This year’s work was on display at a temporary exhibition at Museu do Fado in July. The exhibition Tudo Isto é Fado features a whole range of works in different media – paper, video, and linoleum – and includes graphic records of Casas de Fado, studies on the future manufacturing of rosettes, a thaumatrope, shadow theatres and pictograms.
They also went to Museu do Fado and had some guided tours to know the story and universe of Fado.
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Instituto de Música Vitorino Matono
Instituto de Música Vitorino Matono is currently preparing a commented concert, featuring traditional Fado themes specially adapted for accordion, as well as two original themes by Prof. Vitorino Matono, according to the “Acordeão Fadista” method.
For History of Music classes students were invited to create projects on the relationship between Fado and Portuguese Guitar, and the Instituto Vitorino Matono’s Orchestra – composed by high-level students– will star a concert at Museu do Fado with both Fados and original themes in the beginning of the next school year.
