Group Mobilities of Adults under the Erasmus+ Programme: Fostering Creativity and Intercultural Dialogue
The traces of Lace and Salt
On an island scented with sea and lavender, where salt shines on the skin like crystal dust and the threads of lace capture the morning light, an Erasmus adult mobility The Traces of Lace and Salt took place. It was a meeting of creativity, tradition, and dialogue. The programme brought together participants from Slovenia and Croatia in a joint exploration of Pag’s cultural heritage, in cooperation with the local hosts, the Pag Lace Makers Association Frane Budak.
Pag became our teacher. Its narrow stone streets, the smell of the sea and the silence of museums became a living part of the learning process. Participants observed, listened and touched the world around them, finding in every detail traces of the past that inspire the present. Lace, just like salt, became a metaphor for everything that connects: precision, patience, community, and the skills passed on through touch.
The workshops turned into encounters with the people who create this heritage. The lace makers of Pag, guardians of a centuries-old tradition, opened their hearts and hands, showing that every thread carries a story. Their work, quiet focus and the rhythm of the needle taught participants that creativity is born from attention, and sustainability from respect for time and effort. In the fragility and strength of lace, many recognised their own thread, the one that links personal experience with collective heritage.
But Pag did not stop at tradition alone. Through photography, video and digital tools, participants learned how the old can speak a new language. A particularly important activity was learning to install and use an application for creating photo collages, which proved a real challenge for our older learners. From the first steps, downloading the app, navigating menus, understanding basic functions, to creating their own digital works. Every small success, a saved image, an added element or a chosen layout, brought great satisfaction and a sense of achievement. This activity was not merely a digital skill but a symbol of empowerment, proof that even those with minimal digital experience can, with support and patience, master modern tools and express their stories and creativity through them. In the digital interpretation workshops, participants created short visual stories, recorded motifs of lace, salt and landscapes, and explored ways of turning heritage into a contemporary expression. These activities showed that technology, when used with purpose and balance, can be an ally of heritage, not its competitor.
A particularly powerful experience came through visits to the Pag Lace Museum and the Salt Museum places where history flows into everyday life. Guided tours encouraged participants to reflect on the connection between natural resources, labour and art, and on how both the saltworks and the lace makers have shaped the island’s identity for centuries. These reflections opened questions about sustainability, the role of culture in the community, and what it means today to protect tradition without merely preserving it.
Our educational programme did not focus only on craftwork but also on inner processes. Each workshop offered space for reflection on identity, creativity and one’s role in the community, also through inclusion cards. Through conversation and writing, participants shared their impressions and sought meaning in small things – in a gesture, a glance, the silence between two sentences. In such an atmosphere, trust and a sense of belonging grew, reaching beyond borders and languages.
The programme methodology was simple yet multilayered: participatory learning through experience, creating through collaboration, and reflecting through art. Pag became a classroom without walls, where theory and practice intertwined in the rhythm of the sea. Each participant found their own means of expression, through a camera lens, through words, or through the whisper of a needle on cloth.
The programme additionally explored priority Erasmus+ topics: green, digital and inclusive practices, as well as active participation. Through discussions and practical tasks, participants examined how these values can be recognised in everyday life and integrated into shared activities. Special attention was given to understanding the impact of mobility, from personal growth and competence development to contributing to the community and transferring knowledge back home. We learned how to become aware of changes that occur during mobility, how to name them, and how to document learning outcomes as concrete, applicable results of experiential learning. This reflective component gave the programme additional depth and enabled participants to more clearly perceive their progress and long term benefits.
At the final gathering, as impressions settled and stories intertwined, it became clear that the mobility was much more than an educational programme. It was a collective lesson in attention, slowing down and listening. It showed how cultural heritage can be a tool for change, a source of learning and a bridge between generations. Participants took home more than new skills, they carried with them a sense of connection with the island, with its people and with their own creativity.
The pedagogical approaches used in the programme were carefully selected to meet the needs of diverse groups of participants, especially those with less experience in digital or artistic fields. Methods of experiential learning were combined with participatory approaches that encouraged cooperation, mutual support and knowledge sharing. Reflective methods were also used guided discussions, short written impressions and group analyses of experiences, to help participants better understand their own learning processes. The activities were designed to foster creative thinking, independence and a sense of competence, while creating a safe and supportive environment where everyone can progress at their own pace. This pedagogical framework enabled a natural blending of theory, practice and personal experience, making learning a lively, dynamic and meaningful process.
Once again, it became clear that adult education grounded in art and experience has the power to shift perspectives and build communities. Because once you feel the rhythm of lace between your fingers and the taste of salt on your lips, you know you have learned not only about heritage, but about life itself.
