Arts Empowering Youth Work

The project aim of our project was to make a significant contribution to the quality of youth work by integrating participatory arts working methods with the youth workers' activities in a creative way specially in international youth exchanges and with young people with different backrounds.The objectives were:1. A research of arts as a tool in youth work was conducted in the project and videos based on intervieuws about creative methods were produced along with an e-book about the results of the research. The book gives the philosphical basis to the results and identifys concepts to support participative art-based methods and makes the creative process and participative methods as a support for inclusion in youth work visible.2. We trained 21 youth workers and artists from our partnership organizations and 11 from other organizations to learn how to use participative art based methods in their work in order to create a new generation of facilitators and artists 3. We expected to have also 2 new members in Drums for Peace -network. We succeeded to have one new memberThe above mentioned 32 trainees were participants in our 2 mobilities. The profile of the participants was in line with our objectives: youth workers, artists, voluntary workers, and youth center staff. Everyone was interrested in using creative art-based and non-formal methods in youth work and as a tool in socio-pedagogic context among yong people with different backrounds. In the trainings in mobilities participants explored the process of a youth exchange and the use of participative art based methods. In the training of the second mobility trainees were able to bring their new skills to practice by working with groups of local youngsters. The research method was participative and active (action reserach ) supported the trainings and the quality of the whole project. All trainees showed new skills learned in the project and were fully able to conduct creative and participative art-based method in international youth work and local community as well. The project made an impact to local youth work specially in the “hands on” part of the training in Orivesi and Juupajoki in finland where it reached approx. 110 local young people, youth workers, voluntary workers and also teachers.2 mobilities with trainings were rconducted in the project:1 Cinisello Balsamo, IT, 14-21.2.20192 Sammalniemi, FI, 16-23.3.2019There were 3 project meetings:1 Kick-off meeting in Copenhagen, DK, 6-8.10.20182 Midterm meeting in Sammalniemi, FI, 3-6.8.20193 Final meeting in Gaia (Porto), PT, 10-16.11.2019ResultsArts Empwering Youth Work -bookletresearch based picture of common creative process in a participative art-based workshop. Models that connect people with different backroundsVideo intervieuws of experienced artist facilitators sharing their methods and vieuwsThe trainees learned how to use participative art-based methods and common creative process in youh work among young people with different backrounds and international youth projectsThe trainees learned to find models used in youth work and projects that connect people and create them by themselvesErasmus+ program, planning and application process was discussed widely and processed in groupworkIn the second mobility (C2) trainees were able to see and understand the effect of newly learned skills in the feedback from young people We expect the booklet and videos to make an impact widely and the will be available in the internet. These are specially aimed to facilitators in artistic context but also to educators and teachers who want to develop their methods.The booklet and the printed version will be available for free to anybodyWe will follow the results of the research in coming projectsPlanning of new projects and application processes that benefit from AEYW -project has startedAll participants in the trainings of this project who express their interrest will be allowed to work in their organization and invited as recognized members to the Drums for peace artists communitypartners of this project will try to make an impact in youth work and youth policy locally, nation wide and international context.