Erasmus+ Adult Education: Learning, Creativity and Active Aging in Madeira
- ARTE.M
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Working with Erasmus+ Adult Education mobilities is always a pleasure for our ARTE.M team. These programmes align deeply with our mission: empowering communities through art, wellbeing, cultural dialogue and creative learning.
Whenever we host an international group, we design the programme individually — taking into consideration the age profile, interests, educational needs and the general goals of the mobility.
In November 2025, we welcomed a wonderful group of Polish seniors 60+, brought to Madeira by Fundacja Inthinknity. For their visit, we prepared a set of meaningful activities designed to support creativity, wellbeing, social connection and learning in later adulthood.
As always in our headquarters gallery, ARTE.M delivered the programme in the friendly spaces of Art Center Caravel and Art Hub Madeira, creating an inspiring place to learn, be creative and share culture.
Chair Yoga
One of the highlights was Chair Yoga — a gentle practice adapted to senior participants. This method supports mobility, flexibility, balance and breathing, while offering a moment of quiet focus and inner presence. It showed that movement can be joyful, accessible, and a source of confidence at any age.
Workshops on Sustainable Cooking
We organized sustainable plant-based cooking classes in collaboration with Madeira-based chefs and organizations like SocioHabita Funchal, E.M. and VEG MADEIRA Associação. In addition to the Madeiran citizens and the Polish group, these workshops included elders from Funchal's local community centers, fostering intergenerational learning and authentic cultural interchange.
As they delved into a variety of healthier food options—from fresh, locally sourced ingredients to modern takes on classic Madeiran flavors—participants considered the role of nutrition in promoting health, economic opportunity, and ecological consciousness.
Learning about sustainability isn't just about books and theories; it's also about taste, creativity, and community. Just like art, food became a bridge across generations, cultures, tales, and experiences.
The group had nothing but good things to say about the experience: the local seniors who spent these moments with them were kind and welcoming, and the program's emphasis on creativity, knowledge, movement, cuisine, and cultural immersion left a lasting impression.
Craft Therapy and Mosaic Workshop: Hands that Remember, Create and Heal
At ARTE.M and Art Hub Madeira, we truly believe in the gentle power of craft therapy. Working with our hands is a quiet act of care: it grounds us, awakens creativity, brings focus and helps keep the mind flexible and the spirit alive.
When we cut, shape, assemble or place tiny pieces into a mosaic, we also gather fragments of memory, imagination and emotion. Craft slows us down, teaches patience, pushes worries away and stretches our sense of active age — showing that discovery and joy never expire.
For us, handmade work is a beautiful reminder that art belongs to everyone, and that creativity can heal in ways words sometimes cannot. Through shared making, people meet, connect and recognise themselves in one another. We stay young as long as our hands keep creating, and our hearts remain open to new colours, textures and ideas.
Cultural Visit to the Madeira Photography Museum
During their stay, the group also visited the Madeira Photography Museum – Atelier Vicente’s. Exploring visual archives, historic photography techniques and the cultural heritage of Funchal allowed them to connect with the island’s past and reflect on how identity is preserved through images. This experience added a deep cultural layer to the mobility.
Laughter Therapy
As part of the programme, we introduced laughter therapy — a simple yet powerful method that helps participants connect instantly. Through playful exercises, guided humour and shared positive energy, even the most reserved seniors relaxed, smiled and bonded. Laughter naturally breaks the ice, dissolves tension and creates a warm group dynamic. It supports emotional wellbeing, lifts the mood and reminds us that joy and human connection are always within reach.
Samba Workshop
Of course, Madeira would not be complete without rhythm and celebration. Participants took part in an energetic Samba Workshop, led by Brazilian performer Flávia Reis. Samba brought movement, laughter, expression and pure joy — proving once again that staying “young” is very often a state of spirit. The rhythms of samba became a reminder that life is lighter when we allow ourselves to dance.
Atelier on Drawing
Polish artist and illustrator Marta Horodniczy held a drawing workshop that was a highlight of the program. The participants used watercolors to capture the bright blooms, Portuguese-inspired patterns, and the colors of Madeira—eternal spring, flourishing gardens, and nature at its best.
The seniors were able to express themselves, pay attention to their surroundings, and use their imaginations to capture the special qualities of Madeira through intuitive sketching and kind creative instruction.
They were able to rediscover the pleasure of painting as an approachable, conscious art form, as well as their creativity and inner peace, thanks to Marta's class.
This mobility confirmed once again that adult education does not end with age — it evolves with us.Erasmus+ brought learning, art, discovery and connection to Madeira… and we are proud to be a part of it.
The project was also supported and covered by Portuguese media, highlighting its cultural and social value.
In partnership with Fundacja Inthinknity (Poland)Program Erasmus+, Erasmus+ Edukacja DorosłychACTION 1 – Mobility of Adult Learners and Adult Education Staff (KA121-ADU)Application Number: 2024-1-PL01-KA121-ADU000198666
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