The Limnos “mandra” project
The educational project "The Limnos mandra through the eyes of teenagers" offered students in Limnos, with and without disabilities, experiential education activities, field trips, and creative photography workshops on the theme of the Limnos “mandra”.
The “mandra system”, is a unique agricultural production system which has allowed farmers to survive and be self-sufficient for centuries and is still in use.
The aim was to highlight the mandra as a living cell of Intangible Cultural Heritage, ecological knowledge, and sustainability for Limnos, by activating the younger members of the community.
Incorporating experiential and place-based learning practices, the project was addressed to teenagers who attended secondary schools in Limnos. By participating in educational presentations, field trips, and creative photography workshops, students approached the mandra in an interdisciplinary way and had the opportunity to delve deeper into the concept of intangible cultural heritage as a system of practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, and techniques that shape (and are embedded in) their shared living context.
Furthermore, they had the opportunity to acquire new knowledge, deepen their understanding, and reflect on three main areas:
- Agricultural activities: primary production and processing with a focus on the mandra, transition from family food self-sufficiency to commercial activity. Products, techniques, related professions, and labour relations.
- Women: the mandra as a symbol of femininity in Limnos, the traditional and contemporary role of women in rural business.
- Landscape of Limnos: techniques for constructing the mandra, its integration into the landscape of the Limnos countryside organically, harmonisation with climatic conditions and the changing seasons.
At the same time, using the mandra and its living and non-living environment as a source of inspiration, the proposed action offered students, regardless of their skills and sociocultural background, the opportunity to express themselves creatively and compose visual narratives based on the above themes, their shared living space, and its cultural identity, using photography and digital processing.
Through research, documentation, and open presentation of their work, they had also the opportunity to engage directly with the local community, take on the role of ambassadors for the island's intangible heritage, and raise awareness among their fellow citizens about the preservation of the mandra.
The project, implemented in autumn 2024, was designed and coordinated by Places & Traces NPO, in collaboration with the Pallimnian Fund, the Junior High and General High Schools of Moudros, and the vocational secondary unit of Repanidi for students with disabilities.
It was held under the auspices of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Limnos, and was co-funded by the Ministry of Culture, the Municipality of Limnos, and the Pallimnian Fund.
