Learning a language also means discovering everything it can tell us.
English or… Nothing! was created in 2013 to bring students closer to real experiences of using a foreign language in an intercultural perspective, through two worlds able to fascinate and involve them: music and theatre.
An idea that had already begun in 2010.
The first lesson-show dates back to 2010: music, literature and cinema were already being used to spark curiosity and interest in English.
From the students’ passion for books, films and music.
The starting point was to show that many bands loved by the students are also passionate readers: their songs draw on literary works or film adaptations, deal with complex themes and convey messages that can become an opportunity for discussion.
English thus became a way to enter those stories, understand their references and meanings, and turn the work done in class into something to be shared with others.
English
Language through texts, stories, films, songs and contemporary themes.
Music
Songs performed live and selected in connection with the themes explored.
Theatre
Acting and staging to give form to the ideas developed during the year.
Not spectators: protagonists.
Each edition came to life thanks to students from Liceo Scientifico “Galileo Galilei”, involved as singers, musicians, actors, set designers, dancers, technicians on stage and behind the scenes, security staff and in many other roles.
Former students also kept returning to collaborate on the project despite university or work commitments.
Missing Link
The musical side of each show was made possible by the support of the cover band Missing Link.
- Joshua Giardini · guitars and vocals
- Shane Giardini · drums
- Paolo Giardini · bass, acoustic guitar and vocals
- Silvia Mazzau · keyboards and vocals
Six editions, one common thread.
From 2013 to 2018 each edition chose a different theme and built both classroom work and the final show around it. Stories, people and stage formats changed, while one idea remained constant: using language to talk about something that truly mattered to the students.
In 2013 the production document listed 61 students. Five years later, the 2018 edition involved more than one hundred participants: a growth that says more than any statistic about how large and shared the project had become.
The project continues in its archive.
The editions from 2014 to 2018 are preserved through their original web pages. The first 2013 edition is documented through the original materials currently available.
Explore the archive Project Facebook page