The creation of a short film inspired by the myth of Apollo and Daphne, involving students with disabilities, represents an educational experience of great educational, cultural and social value.
The program was born from the need to seamlessly integrate several topics from the project's teaching modules, while simultaneously promoting inclusion, active participation, and the appreciation of diversity.
The myth of Apollo and Daphne, taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses, offers a powerful and symbolic narrative: it speaks of desire, freedom, transformation, and respect for others. These universal themes, when approached with accessible language and through audiovisual media, become effective tools for learning and critical reflection.
Language learning through audiovisual language
The short film becomes a language laboratory: simplified dialogues, images, gestures, and repetition promote the acquisition of Italian and/or English. For students with disabilities, the use of video allows them to overcome the barriers of traditional communication, stimulating memory, comprehension, and language production in a natural and motivating way.
Working on an adapted mythological text also allows you to expand your vocabulary, improve your pronunciation, and develop communication skills through group work.
Civic Education: Respect, Inclusion, and Collaboration
The myth offers a starting point for addressing key civic education themes, such as respect for others and the right to self-determination. Through cooperative work on the short film, students concretely experience the principles of active citizenship, inclusion, and collaboration. Each student, regardless of their abilities, contributes to the project according to their own capabilities, strengthening their self-esteem and sense of belonging to the group.
History of Art: From Myth to Image
The project is directly connected to the history of art, particularly the study of representations of Apollo and Daphne, such as the famous sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, which the students admired thanks to an artistic-educational program conducted in collaboration with the VA.MI. association at the Galleria Borghese.
Students learn to recognize myth in works of art, understanding the concepts of metamorphosis, movement, and visual narrative.
Transposing the myth into a short film allows us to move from observation to creation, making art a living and accessible experience.
Human Sciences and Health Promotion
The myth offered students the opportunity to explore issues related to gender difference, the value of consent, and the importance of empathy.
Furthermore, preparing the stage makeup and hair allowed us to work on personal care and hygiene.
Basic Computer Science
Use the computer to retrieve, evaluate, store, produce, present and exchange information as well as to communicate and participate in collaborative networks via the Internet, especially regarding: knowledge of myth, context, customs and tricks.
World of work
The professional figures involved in the making of the short film and the knowledge of the professional figures who actually collaborated in the realization of the project (costume designer, stage props designer, English teacher, beautician and hairdresser)
Safety at Work
Inspection of the selected set for filming, assessing potential risks, understanding its characteristics, avoiding obstacles and tripping, ensuring consistent compliance with prevention and safety measures, and using PPE both during set preparation and during filming. Risk profile analysis of the professionals involved in the project.
Working with Numbers
Spatial-temporal organization; storyboard, timetable with project development and completion times.
A shared growth experience
Making a short film about the myth of Apollo and Daphne with students with disabilities means educating through art, using creativity as a tool for inclusion, and transforming learning into a meaningful experience. It's a project that unites past and present, word and image, school and citizenship, demonstrating that culture is truly for everyone.
