Dragons are everywhere in Venice - Stories, Myths, Legends and Fairy Tales as Tools for Reflection in Teaching

Abstract

Stories and storytelling are part of our cultural heritage and we have experimented if these experiences and memories in a learning and teaching activity can contribute to new understandings and a new sense of community. Stories connect people, while also contributing to the freedom of thinking. Referring to Walter Benjamin, the German literary critic and philosopher, this paper reflects upon the stories, myths, legends and fairytales of Venice in relation to teaching and the use of storytelling as a tool in teaching. More specifically, it concerns an exploratory study with new and unique methods and interdisciplinary collaboration that focus on understanding cultural heritage through storytelling, including the freedom of thinking as an original teaching method to initiate creativity and imagination for the students in their works. The reflection is based on practical experiences during the CRAFT summer school during the Art Biennale 2019 in Venice.