In 2021, Associate Professor Chris Staggle of the Department of Design begins a collaborative partnership with the Fine Arts Center of the University of Zaragoza in Spain, which will ultimately lead to an overseas trip and documentary production to the “forgotten” small town of Teruel in 2024. It led to .
Teruel is a city in the state of Aragon with a population of approximately 35,900 people and the capital of the province of Teruel. Teruel is known for its famous things. jamon serrano (cured ham), pottery, and surrounding ruins where the oldest dinosaur fossils on the Iberian Peninsula were discovered.
Stargle’s interest in a remote typography seminar was met with the kindness of Teruel resident Alfonso Burgos Risco, and the plan took shape.
“When I sent my first email inquiring about partner schools, we were still working to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and I was wondering how international schools recognized the importance of typography and typography in their design curriculum. I wanted to know more about how they were being treated,” Staggle said. “I was pleasantly surprised when I received an email from Alfonso saying that he was interested in this type of seminar.”
After the success of the first seminar, the two spent nearly two years developing a second event and made plans for Stagl to travel to Spain to host an in-person event.
“The students who attended the typography seminar learned a lot from Professor Staggle about working with typography both structurally and as a design element,” Burgos Risco said. “Once travel restrictions were lifted, Chris and I began discussing a trip where he could come here to Teruel and recreate that seminar in person.”
A month before the project began, the word “documentary” sparked a lightbulb that revealed what could be achieved this time. Although neither professor had any traditional film experience, both were drawn to the creation and editing of cinematic content and both saw the value of incorporating video as a teaching tool for storytelling into any classroom environment. I recognized it. They found the most common throughlines in video to help you maximize your seminar’s potential.
Week of January 29thth – February 2n.d. Burgos Risco and Stagl worked with 25 students from the University of Zaragoza to create Portrait of Teruel, a short documentary that examines why students and local residents value their community so highly. Students spent the week with his two professors, learning about the concept, planning, writing, production, and editing of a production, as well as the intricacies of technology and the proper handling of production equipment on set.
“Artistically and professionally, this workshop gave me the opportunity to discover how to work in audio-visual work. There are many things to consider, such as cameras, microphones, planning, interviewing people, editing, etc. A lot of things to do, problems that arise and have to be solved,” said Ignacio Martín Pérez, a student at the University of Zaragoza. “On a personal level, I was able to meet new people, work in a team, and use English.”
Zaragoza student Yarett Guenzor said the workshop was a true collaboration between people working in fields they are passionate about.
“I was able to connect with people I didn’t know before and feel a connection to the group and the projects we are developing,” she said. “I think I gained great knowledge in every sense of the word. So, this is a workshop that I would definitely like to do again. In addition to learning, I enjoyed it, and it left me with very fond memories.”
Staggle called working with Burgos Risco and its students a “once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
“Using Teruel as a backdrop for the documentary was a great experience,” he said. “We look forward to working together again and building a strong relationship filled with academic projects, research and a vibrant student exchange program.”
Dr. Miguel Ángel Benitez Castro, Vice-Dean of International Relations at the University of Zaragoza, said he is excited about the continued partnership between the two universities.
“The strong partnership that Alfonso and Chris have built over the past week is evident in the creative work produced by our students,” he said. “We could not be more pleased with this result and look forward to seeing what both schools do next.”
Click here to watch the documentary.