1/ ENGAGING WITH PARTICIPATORY STRATEGIES The project provided a context to share best practices and learn from peers about participatory strategies. A participatory strategy can be designed for a workshop, a course or a project and is instrumental in what type of culture is introduced in a group. 2/ REFLECTING ON WORLDMAKING In connection to the 1st objective, the project paid special attention to studying what happens in these different strategies. We explored the significance of facilitation as well as the way in which the strategies activate particular ways of interacting with each other. 3/ UPSKILLING EMERGING PRACTITIONERS The sharing of best practices was the first step in mentorship. We cultivated learning opportunities for young people (18-26 y.o.) on the verge of becoming facilitators (= emerging practitioners). As such, the project accommodated the training of a new generation of facilitators. 4/ EXPANDING PARTNERSHIPS Each partner took part as a sextet formed around 2 organisations from 1 country who want to draw their practices closer as to lift up young people. This structure stemmed from the aim to strengthen the learning of a local network through an international knowledge exchange.
Worldmaking is a collaboration between partners from Belgium, France, Denmark, and the UK. The project was all about present and future cultures. What type of cultures do we want cultivate in our daily life and work? What elements do we want to keep, change, or leave behind? How do we introduce, install, or co-create such cultures? These questions were at the heart of our community of practice where we explored different ways to make and hold space for relations that are infused with care, play, curiosity, and respect. This project gathered practitioners who work with youth in arts education, participatory arts, and social justice. These practitioners work in diverse ways but share a craft of bringing young people together and setting up contexts for gathering and learning in response to the needs of those people. We took this opportunity to learn from each other's expertise in terms of enhancing our abilities as facilitators of sessions and projects with young people. Note that we do not use the term 'participation' to denote the involvement of youth in policy. Instead it refers to working methods that are conscious of group dynamics and train such awareness among participants.