We invite teachers from Spain to participate in a series of workshops at the Gernika Peace Museum, Foru Plaza 1, 48300 Gernika-Lumo, Basque Country, taking place on 5–10 October 2026. Admission is free, but registration via the online form is required.
The workshops are part of the Sound in the Silence project – an intercultural and international remembrance project for secondary school students, organised by the ENRS since 2011. During the project, students work with artists from different artistic fields at historically significant locations. The programme offers young people a chance to find new ways of looking at the history of Europe, its nations, states, and regions, to develop their own perception of reality and the tools for expressing it.
Programme
Over the course of six days, teachers will have the opportunity to take part in five blocks of workshops.
5 October (Monday) – BUILDING CLASSROOM COMMUNITY
The first block will be led by Karolina Jastrzębska-Mitzner, Educator and Educational Programme Coordinator at the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews.
Play, connect, belong: games that build classroom community
Games are an ideal tool for creating optimal conditions for group development and supporting individual growth. During informal, relaxed play, it is possible to achieve a wide range of pedagogical, educational, and psychological objectives while also providing an opportunity to unwind and have fun. Participants will explore and test a variety of board games and educational training games as tools for building a positive classroom community, fostering mutual understanding, and introducing a sense of ease, freedom, and enjoyment into the school environment.
6–7 October (Tuesday, Wednesday) – MEMORY OF THE SPANISH WAR
The second block will be led by historian Anna Pastor Roldán.
What happened yesterday where there is a mass grave today?
Participants will analyse primary sources linked to emancipatory political processes that took place in locations where a mass grave is now situated. Drawing on the communicative power of the recently updated 'map of mass graves' (Mapa Estatal de Fosas), the workshop explores the invisible layers beneath the surface – beyond the bodies, beyond death – to focus on the revolutionary power of the actions of those who were murdered.
Childhood under the Franco regime
Between 1940 and 1960, the organisation and education of children and young people under the Franco regime was primarily in the hands of the Frente de Juventudes, created in 1940 and linked to the Falange. Its role was not limited to political control; it also sought to instil the regime's ideological, moral and religious principles through educational, sporting, recreational and political training activities, drawing inspiration from the youth organisations of other dictatorships, including the Hitler Youth. Throughout this workshop, participants will analyse ten worksheets discussing childhood under Franco's regime.
7 October (Wednesday) – THE MUSEUM OF PEACE THAT DOESN'T EXIST
This session will be led by Aksana Shytsikava and Maitane Zarate Herrero of the Gernika Gogoratuz Peace Research Center.
A participatory session in which educators explore what peace can mean through everyday objects, stories, memories, and personal associations. Instead of offering a fixed definition of peace, participants will collectively "curate" an imaginary museum and reflect on different dimensions of peace, memory, conflict, and education.
8 October (Thursday) – HISTORY, MEMORY AND DISINFORMATION
Gernika and fake news, led by Idoia Orbe Narbaiza of the Gernika Peace Museum, explores the thematic areas of ethics and history through a specific historical event: the bombing of Gernika on 26 April 1937. Starting from the contemporary concept of fake news, participants will reflect on the importance of the past and on the need to preserve the truth about historical events, without allowing the way such events are communicated to be manipulated for propagandistic, social, or political purposes. The ultimate aim is for participants to recognise the value of historical memory while learning to use appropriate tools to develop their own critical perspective.
ENRS educational resources in the classroom: exploring history and disinformation, led by Julia Machnowska, introduces participants to the educational resources developed by the ENRS and presents Hi-Story Lessons , an online educational platform offering ready-to-use materials exploring European history through diverse perspectives and personal stories. Participants will also work with materials focusing on disinformation, exploring a sample lesson designed to help students understand how historical narratives are constructed and shaped by different perspectives and interests.
9–10 October (Friday, Saturday) – FUNDRAISING FOR EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS
The final block, led by Iwona Szelewa, project and grant management professional at the ENRS, is delivered over two interactive sessions. Teachers with a project idea but little or no experience with fundraising will learn how to turn educational ideas into funding proposals under EU programmes such as Erasmus+, covering project design, setting clear objectives, planning activities, building partnerships, creating a simple budget, and writing applications that stand out.
Rules for participation
- The workshops will be held in person at the Gernika Peace Museum (Foru Plaza 1, 48300 Gernika-Lumo, Bizkaia, Basque Country). They will not be streamed online.
- The workshops will be conducted in English and are free of charge. Participation is conditional upon completing the online registration form.
- Snacks, refreshments or lunch will be provided for participants.
- The organiser does not provide accommodation and will not reimburse accommodation or travel costs.
- After the workshops, participants will receive a certificate confirming their attendance.
- During the workshops, photographs will be taken and a documentary film made about the Sound in the Silence project. Participants will be asked for permission to share their visual image.
- Places are limited. Priority will be given to those registering for all days of the workshop.
- The organiser reserves the right to make changes to the workshop schedule.
- Please let us know as soon as possible if you are unable to attend, so that your place can be offered to someone on the waiting list.
To apply, please fill in the form here.
Tentative schedule
A detailed hour-by-hour schedule is available to download here. The programme may be subject to change.
What is the Sound in the Silence project?
Sound in the Silence is an interdisciplinary remembrance project aimed at encouraging high school students from around Europe to actively reflect on difficult aspects of 20th-century history through artistic means. Each edition takes place in a carefully selected location. While pupils learn about the site's past and work on their final performance, their teachers take part in workshops on interdisciplinary ways of teaching history, exchanging experience with peers from different countries.
Read more about the Sound in the Silence 2026 edition here.