School of Shepherds

The office of pastor is shown and perceived by us constantly as something nostalgic, closed to disappear, or belonging to the past. Being shepherd is never seen as a profession with a future, which may be attractive to young people. However, in the recent years we have witnessed the birth of a new generation of young shepherds and farmers, working according to new social paradigms (food soverignity, ecologic production...). It is a phenomenon currently hatching world-wide, but still unnoticed by the majority of society. School of Shepherds is a long-term project presenting an approach to this livestock renewal, especially from the experience of the Shepherds School of Catalonia. The objective of this project is to break visual clichés and provide a positive look about the current rural world regeneration. A subjective dialogue is set between the rigid codes of a traditional world and the fresh air filtered from the new pastor’s generation. The School of Shepherds of Catalonia, one of the pioneering experiences in the recovery and revitalization of the livestock sector, gives the opportunity to train young people, from predominantly urban environments, who want to learn the office of pastor. Students go through a month of theoretical training and four months of real farming practices.