What if Greek myths became a catalyst for inclusion, creativity and civic engagement? That is the challenge taken up by Medea Sum, an Erasmus+ cooperation project between schools, which has just been launched in France, Belgium and Italy.
An inclusive and interdisciplinary approach to the classics
The Medea Sum project aims to bring classical culture to life and make it accessible to all pupils, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds or with little exposure to the humanities. Too often perceived as elitist or disconnected, the study of ancient myths can nevertheless offer powerful keys to understanding the contemporary world. Statistics show that students from working-class backgrounds are significantly under-represented in courses offering Latin or Greek. In France, only 15% of students from modest backgrounds choose these options, compared to 39% of privileged students.
Yet classical culture provides a common foundation for understanding many aspects of our societies: democracy, justice, power relations, the representation of women, and even founding narratives. Restoring access to this knowledge in more inclusive forms is a cultural, educational and democratic challenge.
A project rooted in active pedagogy
At the heart of the project is the complex figure of Medea, who is by turns a woman, a foreigner, a witch, a mother and a criminal. Based on this character, the pupils will conduct a collective, artistic and critical investigation:
- What is justice?
- How can power be represented?
- Who decides what story is told?
Thus, students do not simply study ancient texts: they embody them, question them, rewrite them and stage them, combining literary, philosophical, legal and social perspectives.
Key skills for today’s students
The project explicitly aims to develop several cross-curricular skills:
- Linguistic and oral skills: through reading classical texts, writing dialogues and theatrical performance.
- Critical thinking: by comparing ancient stories with contemporary issues (justice, power, femininity, otherness).
- Creativity: through scriptwriting, staging and interpreting stories.
- Collaboration and cooperation: collective work on the theatrical trial encourages listening, debate and the joint construction of knowledge.
- Active citizenship: by taking a critical look at society through myths, students develop their commitment and their ability to speak out in public.
Next steps
The project, launched in March 2025, will run until 2026. It will result in:
- The creation of the “Medea Sum” toolbox with a set of exhibits and testimonies to conduct the investigation
- An educational guide presenting thematic courses
- Workshops in each partner school
- Transnational training in Italy for teachers, project managers and designers involved
- Final multiplier events to present the results of the initiative.
The results will be published online under a Creative Commons licence and translated into the languages of the partnership.
A European partnership
By combining the teaching practices of three education systems (France, Italy, Belgium), the project encourages innovation through exchange.
It enables teachers to train together, experiment with new approaches and co-develop teaching tools that can be transferred to other contexts.
Finally, it promotes a common European cultural heritage, Greek and Latin myths, to fuel a shared reflection on values, democracy and equality.