Animate The Change!

Background of the project

Reaching groups of young people that are excluded, isolated, discriminated, building a tolerant and healthy diverse community is always a hard, challenging and difficult task. Streets have a huge potential in terms of informing, awareness-raising, including and building a community therefore specific methods designed for street work are highly recommended in this field and specially in times when they are not so widely applied.

The main goal of the project is to develop competencies among youth workers to contribute to a cohesive society though alternative street animation and campaigning methods.

More specific objectives are:

• To increase the knowledge level of young people and youth workers in topics like: global interdependencies, MDG-s, social and global justice, social exclusion
• To create pro-active attitudes towards social exclusion and global issues;
• To encourage participation and involvement of young people in social processes;
• to develop sense of common responsibility for the future of their local communities from a global and social perspective;
• To develop practical skills in street animation and campaigning methods (street theatre, clowning, juggling, flash mobs, animation, etc);
• To stimulate the participants to act as “social exclusion fighters” in their own organization and regions;

Training course

During the training course, participants will undergo to an in-depth process of exploring global and social topics and learn how to apply the think global, act local motto in their own lives and organizations by acquiring new alternative methods for making awareness/information/inclusion. Different “street work” tools and methods will be explored and can be used further on in their activities with their target groups and in non-formal education of their colleagues.

Target group

The target audience are youth workers (aged 18 and above) who are active in the community development field and need to develop multiplying skills  (i.e. ways to spread the message) in alternative methods as street animation and campaigning in order to reach more target groups in their communities.

Previous experience in local projects aiming at community development or/and social intervention is preferred.

There will be 26 participants in total coming from Portugal, Latvia, UK, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Italy, Romania. Due to a cancellation, we urgently need one more UK participant.

Organisers

KuKu – Društvo za Kreativno Udeležbo (Organisation for Creative Participation) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that works on a local and international level. It was founded in October 2009 by the young people, students and youth leaders from Ptuj with significant experience in youth work.

Our mission is to promote creativity for social change through participative arts for young people aged 13-30 years old. Our main activities are joggling (poi, balls, devil stick, diabolo, clubs, staff …), music (percussion, didgeridoo, self-made instruments), dance (contemporary dance, African dance) and Social theatre. We are organizing street animation, children animation, performances and workshops.

Our aim is to promote active participation, individual responsibility and emotional thinking of young people. To raise awareness about multiculturalism, global education and sustainable development through art and creativity on the streets and in everyday life.

Details

Dates: Friday 17 – Sunday 26 August 2012
Location: Ptuj, Slovenia
Places available: ONE
Age: 18+

Costs

You must pay for your own travel to Slovenia but we will reimburse you €210 (approx. £163) at the end of the project. Please keep all receipts, boarding passes, e-tickets, train tickets in order to get the reimbursement.

Accommodation

You will stay in chalets in Ptuj. All meals and accommodation will be free.

Travel

The cheapest way is by Ryanair to GRAZ in Austria. This is also closer to Ptuj than flying to Ljubljiana airport. At the moment (8/8/12), if you were to book via OPODO you can get a flight for £186.35. This includes credit card fees and 15kg luggage. If you booked the same flight directly on the Ryanair website, it would cost you £228.41.

How to Apply

• DOWNLOAD APPLICATION here
• DOWNLOAD THE Welcome Guide .  This contains info about the training, accommodation, the area of Ptuj, travel etc. It may help you reach a speedy decision. Don’t forget that the cost of flights increases daily so submit your application ASAP.

This is extremely urgent as the start date is Friday 17 August. If you are interested and available to travel please send your application form directly to Aja at: animatethechange@gmail.com.