TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Fergal Barr
The creation of the specific Seminar STEPPING STONE came from the natural broadening of Cork Community Art link's vision in connecting to other European NGOs and groups that work with youth and local communities through art and creativity.
The seminar aimed at sharing methodologies of work with local communities and how to meet
with the youth in disadvantaged areas.
1. Increase the contacts of partners and NGOs; strengthening relationship among the participating members and opening to new ones among the Erasmus Plus actions with the idea of creating trainings targeting young people, aimed at widening and deepening the tools of intercultural communication in their possession.
2. To create a European network of accredited No-profit organizations working on art-related media; questioning and sharing methods of Interaction with Youth in Local Communities
3. To develop a number of joint-actions between partner organisations; among the many developing a KA2 programme.
4. Main Theme: HOW TO MEET A COMMUNITY THROUGH ART-RELATED MEDIA?”
Participants were drawn from the following countries: Ireland, Portugal, UK, Poland and Spain. The target group were Artists and those involved in using creative methods to engage young people and communities.
Along with practical workshops led by the participants they shared methods including:
- ice-breakers, energisers, theatre movement and the use of props alongside non-verbal communication, tone, facial expression, body language, etc;
-an increase in each other knowledge of the many different types of art in the community and participatory techniques and analysis of the differences;
-learning how to work in a disadvantaged area by taking into consideration a number of factors including target group, context, environment, the type of action to be used, how to apply the art-related mediums.
The programme also included 'Market Place', Open Space and Action Planning.
The training was very well received largely because we facilitated a process that enabled participants to design and lead on many of the exercises thus having total ownership of the results.
In summary
- we built group cohesion so as to allow participants to feel comfortable, confident and secure with one another. This involved presentations of each organisation through 'Market Place' which was designed to raise awareness of their work whilst a second workshop allowed partner organisations to deliver an element of their practice.
- participants were better informed and equipped for post-programme work as we offered direction, guidance and space for reflection practice they delivered and how this could be 'tweaked' following feedback.
- participants were better informed and more aware of related issues through the promotion of discussion surrounding various practice on offer
- networking capacity was increased due to the emphasis we put on building trust and group cohesion thus increasing likelihood of post-programme activity
- participants developed a range of skill and knowledge through a process of self-organising not only practice workshops but also through, Open Space and Action Planning, a number of theme-based activities that grew out of the previous days discussions and delivery
I co-facilitated the programme which included leading, co-facilitating and support delivery of sessions. Also, I had to help formulate programme content and design programme materials.