Step Up On Stage

Aims & objectives

Training course about the use of participatory arts as a tool for social change: the aim of this training course is (was) to ecourage young people to take an active role in society by understanding their identity, their rights and the rights of others.

Objectives:
- to promote active involvement in European Citizenship amoungst young people through the use of participatory arts
- to develop an understanding of youth rights and encourage young people to understand their rights and promote the rights of their peers.
- To adopt new techniques in participatory arts to use with young people with fewer opportunities
- To contribute to peace buiilding, conflict reslolution and international understanding.
- To coorporate with other countries in SEE (South Eastern Europe) and EU countries and develop awarness and understanding of our differences and silimarities
- To share good examples of practice of participation of young people in youth work.
- To create partnerships between youth workers who share common interests and enthusiasm in a European context.
- To facilitate further development and promote implemention of Youth In Action project ideas

Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team

3 courses for youth workers from Belgium, Croatia, Romania, Macedonia, Serbia, U.K., Spain, Poland, Albania

Training methods used & main activities

This training courses were organised within a context & approach of Non Formal Education (NFE). This means that we had an active, participatory, non-academic approach.
The working methods in the course employed during the training courses were workshops about various forms of “Participatory Arts", discussions, open space methods and field excursions.

Outcomes of the activity

Participants gained competencies in 4 different fields:

P A R T I C I P A T O R Y A R T S :
- How to use participatory arts to build awareness of self and other
- Create solutions which young people especially those most marginalized see as problems.
- Building capacity for social transformation and political action among young people
- Develop skills in decision making and being advocates for young peoples rights
T H E H U M A N R I G H T S :
- What are youth rights? Looking at UN convention on the Rights of the Child
- Rights in EU and SEE countries and comparisons
- The use of Participatory Arts to promote rights
- How we can make our work more rights based
I N T E R C U L T U R A L L E A R N I N G :
- Working in an intercultural environment
- Cultural awareness of different cultural environments
- Exploring stereotypes and prejudices
- Looking deep into our identity and cultural meanings.
T H E P R O G R A M M E Y O U T H I N A C T I O N
- what is the YOUTH IN ACTION programme, wat is the structure, with a focus on group exchanges
- exchange of ideas and working out future projects

At the last day of the training course, all learnt issues were integrated in a public performance.

After each training, participants devellopped youth exchanges were they implemented the social theatre in the programmes.

As documentation:
- All participants received CD with training materials + extra resources

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

Full-time trainer for preparation, realisation and evaluation of training.

I worked on this training for 27 days as a full time trainer.