Given that the central notion of our project is inclusion, Greek pupils that participate in the project were asked to choose a fictional character from children’s literature and provide a new form of it adding elements of diversity that would serve as our project’s logo. After a brainstorming process, pupils opted for the character of Pippi Longstocking.
Below, the steps of the designing process are presented in more detail.
Initially, all the pupils and the teachers participating in the project gathered to share ideas and reach common decisions. The outline of the left half character of Pippi was made on a big piece of paper, the size of a person. Employing the brainstorming technique again, pupils were asked to think about how they could transform Pippi into a character that would incorporate local, national and inclusive elements. They had discussions in groups and came up with very interesting ideas that were then illustrated collaboratively on the initial outline through further drawing and painting by pupils’ representatives.
Pupils’ suggestions were the following:
- a blue and white T-shirt to symbolize the Greek flag
- an elf’s ear to refer to a mischievous elf-like character from the Greek Christmas folk tradition, called “Kalikantzaros”
- a traditional Greek shoe, called a “tsarouhi“
- a bicycle as Karditsa is considered to be one of the most bicycle-friendly Greek cities
- a peacock because of the numerous friendly peacocks that move around freely in the central park of our city called Pafsilypon
- a yellow and black stocking which are the colours of the local football team, Anagennisi Karditsas
- four colourful ribbons coming out of Pippi’s braids with the words RESPECT, LOVE, DIVERSITY and ACCEPTANCE written on them.
The left part of Pippi had been our logo by the time the other half was completed by the Italian pupils. For this reason, we sent to the Italian school by mail the actual piece of the painting the Greek pupils designed.
The Italian pupils were inspired by the Greek image and created the other half of Pippi. They discussed about the elements they would like to add on the logo. At the end they decided for
- a green, white and red t-shirt, the colours of Italian flag
- vine leaves tattoo on the forearm because excellent wine is produced in their area
- a black shoe that Tarantella dancers wear during the performance
- the National Park of Vesuvius with mount Vesuvius and its beautiful landscapes on the apron’s pocket
- a Longobard Castle, later De’ Medici Palace, one of the symbol of Ottaviano, on the apron, on the heart
- a blue and red stocking that are the colours of Ottaviano banner, of their school uniform, of their football and volleyball team
- four colourful ribbons with the words HUG, SUPPORT, TRUST, CARING, to include everyone
