Ceramic Artworks to Raise Esteem and Employability

<< Background >>We submitted an application for this project to address the social and developmental needs of young people with visual impairments, a condition that is often misunderstood and profoundly affects self-awareness, independence and social identity. Following the insights of Enrico Negri, the project uses experiential learning, particularly ceramics, to enhance psychomotor skills, body perception and self-esteem. Through practical workshops, participants improve their mobility and coordination, strengthen their autonomy and rebuild their social identity, finding new ways of creative expression. The programme also offers professional prospects, fostering inclusion and connection with peers and promoting learning tailored to their sensory abilities. This reduces dependence on caregivers, increases personal confidence and develops skills useful in combating unemployment, enabling young people to see themselves as capable individuals, artists and active members of the community.<< Objectives >>The C.A.R.E. project aimed to create a lasting impact on the lives of visually impaired young people, supporting their personal, educational, and professional development in an integrated way. It improved self-esteem and psychomotor skills through tactile ceramic workshops, fostering reconnection with the body and creative expression (Objective 1). It also enhanced employability and entrepreneurial spirit by providing practical skills and transferable experiences for future careers (Objective 2). At the same time, it promoted active participation in local communities, helping V.I. youth feel included and valued (Objective 3). At the institutional level, it strengthened the capacity of educational and cultural organisations to offer inclusive and adaptive ceramic education (Objective 4), and provided trainers and youth workers with inclusive tools and methodologies to support V.I. youth in a creative and meaningful way (Objective 5).In summary, the project unlocked their potential, strengthened independence and confidence, and contributed to changing the perception of disability, presenting visually impaired youth as creative and active individuals in society.<< Implementation >>The CARE project followed a structured approach covering the entire cycle, from planning to the concrete impact on participants. Project management ensured coordination, monitoring and efficient communication between all partners and with the funding agency. Through design and development, best practices were collected and adapted from ceramics workshops in partner countries, linking activities to the psychomotor development of young people, particularly those with visual impairments, and integrating non-formal education methods to foster social and interpersonal skills. The training of trainers produced a practical manual with inclusive strategies, developed with the active contribution of the young people themselves, while the direct training of students enhanced their psychomotor, artistic and professional skills, strengthening their self-esteem and employability. Finally, the project promoted the dissemination and application of the results, ensuring that the good practices and skills acquired could have a lasting impact in local communities and beyond.<< Results >>WP2 Design and development: led to the creation of R1, a handbook on launching inclusive ceramics workshops aimed at developing psychomotor skills in able-bodied and disabled young people. This resource laid the foundations for all subsequent project activities and is in line with project objective 4. WP3 Training of trainers: led to the creation of R2, a practical handbook offering tailored guidance for trainers and youth workers on how to effectively engage visually impaired (V.I.) students in ceramics workshops. It is available online in all partner languages, with accessibility features and a Braille version. WP4 Training of V.I. students: this produced R6, a handbook on entrepreneurship for the V.I. community to improve employability and promote social inclusion. It includes the video series “Entrepreneurship Beyond Limits”, which presents success stories of young V.I. entrepreneurs. This resource is accessible online in multiple languages. WP5: The dissemination and exploitation strategy focused on clearly defining the objectives, target audience, stakeholder involvement and communication methods.