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11/12/2007

Autumn Workshop

2007/10/24 Workshops for children to learn about the history of the city and its architecture through handicrafts.

Fundación Catedral Santa María is running a series of new workshops for children to learn about the Cathedral, the history of the city and understand the importance of architecture and archaeology. The courses are free and last an hour and a half. They will be held on the 27th and 28th October, the 24th and 25th November and during the Christmas school holidays.

The workshops are designed for groups of between 15 and 20 children, and include a half-an-hour tour followed by a one-hour handicrafts session. Anyone interested in taking part can choose whether they wish to attend the workshop in Basque or Spanish, and places can be booked through the Cathedral of Santa María Visitors’ Welcome Centre (Plaza de las Brullerías), or by calling 945 255 135.

‘La ciudad de bolsillo – Poltsiko hiria’ (pocket sized city)
The aim of this workshop is for the children to learn about the past of Vitoria-Gasteiz and the Cathedral itself, taking them on a journey through the evolution of Gasteiz until it became Nova Victoria, the churches that existed before Santa María and the construction of the Cathedral itself. Each participant must make a model of one of the elements they have learned about during their visit, such as the 8th Century cabins, previous churches, the city wall, Santa María in its different stages of construction, etc, taking what they have seen as their point of reference.

‘Érase una vez Vitoria-Gasteiz – Ba zen behin Gasteiz’ (once upon a time in Vitoria-Gasteiz)
In this workshop, participants recreate a settlement similar to Gasteiz between the 8th and 10th century, using cardboard figures, in order to discover the importance of archaeology in historical knowledge.

‘¡Veo, veo la catedral! – Ikusi makusi katedrala!’ (I spy the Cathedral)
The aim of this workshop is to provide a simple and educational overview of gothic architecture, placing particular emphasis on stained glass windows, before creating one out of cardboard.

‘La piedra nos cuenta - Harriak dio...’, (The rock tells us)
Here children will learn about the importance of art as an educational tool in the past, at a time when most people could neither read nor write. Using plasticine, the children will get the chance to sculpt a gothic facade.

‘La catedral está enferma / Katedrala gaixorik dago’ (The cathedral is ill)
This workshop aims to provide a simplified explanation of the Cathedral’s structural problems and the restoration work taking place, comparing this process with the human body. The children must then create a tempera painting of the Cathedral on cardboard, sticking coloured wooden pegs around the areas of the foundations, walls and domes. They must also write the problems of the Cathedral on pieces of white cardboard and place each one in the corresponding peg.

In addition to these workshops, there are also other kinds of workshops and activities open to schools on different dates. To find out more, please call 945 255 135.