ACTING UP addresses the problem of low level of participation of adult learners in lifelong learning. The project aims to exploit the potential of drama techniques to increase the motivation of adult learners. The methodology will foster the work of trainers and counselors supporting the adult learners. The programme will be implemented in 5 EU countries: Poland, UK, France, Italy, Portugal. The project sets the objective to engage adult learners (especially those low-skilled with fewer opportunities) in continuing education through the use of drama techniques and up-skill them to find proper education and employment pathways. ACTING UP focuses on two target groups: - firstly, it will address adult educators, trainers, vocational counsellors, and socio-cultural practitioners who will be trained to use drama activities as pedagogic method to support vulnerable adult learners - secondly, it will address adult learners at particular risk of exclusion, those who require up-skilling or re-skilling, often affected by unemployment, restructuring and career transitions, and contribute to social inclusion, active citizenship and personal development The activities of the project include: 1. Research activity: development of European Guidebook on best practices on the use of theatre as a methodological tool 2. Development of the Course curriculum and materials of drama course for teachers. Workshops for group of 25 trainers/ teachers/counsellors who will apply ACTING UP methodology to their work (5 people per country) 3. Digitalisation of the training content and materials into VLE (Vitural Learning Environment) to support a wider audience and make the training materials more widely available to other counsellors across the sectors. 4. Designing the course for beneficiaries. The trainers involved in the project, once trained, will design a course for adult learner at risk of exclusion using the drama techniques. 5. Piloting the drama workshops by trainers in Poland, France, Italy, Portugal and UK. Exploiting drama as tool to motivate and engage adult learners. In each country 30 participants will be engaged. A final performance will be delivered at the end of the pathways. 6. Setting up and proceeding with Evaluation 7. Dissemination and Exploitation the project results. It will include producing promotional materials such as leaflets, project website and development of the dissemination reports. Local small scale multiplier events will be organized in participant countries. At the end final conference to disseminate the outputs to for national adult education providers, policy makers and representatives from local government and national funding bodies will be organized in Lodz, Poland. 8. Management and coordinaton The objectives to be reached at the end of the piloting phase are the following: - Teachers / trainers / counsellors will integrate theatre techniques in their work methodologies to support vulnerable adult learners; - Adult learners at risk of social exclusion (low-skilled, unemployed NEET) a. life skills (creative problem solving, decision making, visualizing goals) b. social skills (respect, confidence, self discipline, intrapersonal and interpersonal skills) c. work skills, such as: cooperation, collaboration, punctuality, dedication, concentration, acceptance of disappointment, adaptability and attention to nuance
ACTING UP (http://actingup.eu) project addressed the problem of low level of participation of adult learners in lifelong learning. The project aimed to exploit the potential of drama techniques to increase the motivation of adult learners. The methodology fostered the work of trainers and counsellors supporting the adult learners. Experienced training and educational organisations from 5 EU countries implemented the programme in Poland, Scotland-UK, France, Portugal and Italy. The project set the objective to engage adult learners (especially those low-skilled with fewer opportunities) in continuing education through the use of drama techniques and up-skill them to find proper education and employment pathways. ACTING UP focused on two target groups: Firstly, it addressed adult educators, trainers, vocational counsellors, and socio-cultural practitioners who were being trained to use drama activities as pedagogic method to support vulnerable adult learners. Secondly, it addressed adult learners at particular risk of exclusion, those who require up-skilling or re-skilling, often affected by unemployment, restructuring and career transitions, and contribute to social inclusion, active citizenship and personal development. The main activities constituting Intellectual Outputs of the project included: 1.European Guidebook Research conducted in each partner country and development of European Guidebook – collection of best practices on the exploitation of theatre, movement and drama techniques as a methodological tool. The publication is available to download in 5 languages (PL, EN, FR, PT, IT) from ACTING UP web-site. 2.Trainers’ Training on drama techniques. We designed Course curriculum and materials of drama training for teachers, educators, trainers, vocational counsellors and socio-cultural practitioners. We organised 5-days training in Porto for group of 25 trainers (5 people per country), which was very practical workshop-based event on how to exploit drama to support adult learners. All workshops’ exercises with instructions are described and illustrated with pictures and videos and are available on project e-Learning platform with the form of Session Plans in 5 languages (PL, EN, FR, PT, IT) and toolkit for downloads. 3.E-Learning Course for teachers, educators, trainers, vocational counsellors and socio-cultural practitioners (http://platform-actingup.eu) Trainings’ and workshops’ content in 5 partners' languages (PL, EN, FR, PT, IT) along with all materials supported with the pictures and videos produced by the partnership throughout the whole project are available on-line within project e-Learning platform. The e-Learning platform is available for everyone with free registration. It consists of Session Plans, Glossary (main terminology in 5 languages), Toolkit (all exercises divided by 9 categories/topics ready for downloading) and YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUpvXo3dADA8a2EujFj8rOA. 4.Course for beneficiaries. Trainers who participated in the 5-days course on drama techniques in Porto were obliged to integrate some elements of drama to their regular training activities. Their proposals were collated in a common course for beneficiaries jointly developed by trainers from all participating countries. It is a comprehensive publication including ready to use scenarios of trainings grouped in 5 separate courses. Each one has detailed instructions for trainers such as: overview, suggested target group, objectives, duration, learning outcomes and finally exercises grouped within an annex with detailed descriptions. Apart from drama-based activities we present exercises implemented on regular basis by partner organisations within their chosen programmes. Course for beneficiaries is available to download in 5 languages (PL, EN, FR, PT, IT) from ACTING UP web-site. 5.Piloting the course in each country Course for beneficiaries developed by European trainers’ team underwent testing in 5 countries. Each organisation selected 30 participants for the piloting phase. Trainers introduced their own programmes designed to specific target groups beneficiaries produced in respective national language. Beneficiaries had a chance to exploit drama for their further motivation and engagement. At the end of the pathway the learners under trainers’ supervision delivered a final performance during Multiplier Event with local stakeholders. Usually it was a sample of Theatre Forum methodology involving the audience, presentation of drama-based exercises or combination of both. In case of Poland, Multiplier Event had a character of more formal Final Conference at international level and was occasion to present all project results. Apart from main tasks related to 5 Intellectual Outputs all partners carried out their duties related to Project Management and Implementation that covered transversal activities such as coordination, dissemination, evaluation and participation in international meetings.