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Stories that Transform: Learning about Myths, Creativity, and Community in the Spanish Pyrenees

Sanillés, September 11–20, 2025

In September 2025, the village of Sanillés in the Catalan Pyrenees (Spain) hosted a nine-day international training course, Ancient Future. The event brought together youth workers, teachers, and educators from nine European countries: Italy, Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Lithuania. The program focused on non-formal education, creative practices, and a reflective approach to human and community development through the exploration of stories, myths, and embodied practices. Organized by Proyecto Nagual (Spain) in cooperation with partner organizations, the course invited participants to explore, create, and reflect – not only as educators, but also as individuals with personal stories and shared community experiences.

The training was grounded in the principles of experiential learning, defined by Kolb’s (1984) model: knowledge is acquired through a continuous cycle of experience, reflection, conceptualization, and experimentation. Participants engaged in creative writing workshops, conscious movement practices, dance therapy, meditation, ritual nature practices, and myth analysis. Experiential education becomes especially effective when paired with artistic expression, which strengthens the emotional connection to learning – a crucial factor when working with socially vulnerable or less motivated learners (Malchiodi, 2005; Barrett, 2011).

The course was facilitated by a professional team of lecturers:
• Raúl R. Sola – PhD in sociology, specialist in creative therapy, integrating pedagogy with psychotherapy.
• Myrto Zarokosta – dance movement therapist, working with somatics, community dance, and ritual practices.
• Carles Perelló – cultural manager, focusing on sustainable creative activity and community building.

Their workshops fostered inner exploration, togetherness, and the search for new educational forms.

 

Myth – a cultural mirror and the core of education

As Jung (1969) notes, myths reflect universal archetypes – the collective foundation of the human unconscious. Campbell (2004) interprets the “hero’s journey” as a process of personal growth relevant to every learner. Myth, therefore, is not only a narrative about the past but also a contemporary educational tool that helps to:
• shape identity;
• transmit values;
• foster creativity;
• develop intercultural understanding (Egan, 2004).

This is particularly important in today’s global context, where cultural distinctiveness is often at risk of fading. During the training, participants not only analyzed myths but also created new ones – exploring what kinds of stories are needed in contemporary society.

 

Phenomenological practice: experiencing myth

A phenomenological methodology was applied – not just discussing myths, but experiencing them through the body, senses, and emotions. This approach enabled participants to engage more deeply in the learning process and proved especially relevant for learners with special educational needs, who often respond more strongly to multisensory content (Nind & Vinha, 2014).

 

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