StageCraft is an established training programme and had already been realised in the Czech Republic, Italy and Scotland and it was from the Scotland training that BeASILY experienced it. Building on this experience, BeASILY were keen for StageCraft to be the first Erasmus+ application and an opportunity to build on the knowledge & experience gained from BeASILY’s cooperation with Think Forward and Coyote Initiatives in the UK as well as other international partners. It would allow BeASILY the foundations and experience of realising a quality training experience and be the beginning for this emerging organisation. Stagecraft offers training and development opportunities for youth workers, young leaders and those working with young people, an opportunity to grow and improve their presentation and engagement skills and to learn new methodologies that will support the effectiveness of their youth work practice. In partnership with the facilitators and building on the knowledge and experience of the previous three editions we upgraded the programme and introduced new elements. Our intention was to equip youth workers with foundation engagement skills to ensure their communication is more effective and engaging, as a way of building and maintaining positive relationships with young people and learning environments. The training explores presentation and engagement techniques focusing on: - What do we do? The content and intention of youth work, how we structure ideas developed from youth participation, educational theory and psychology; - The role of the youth workers in presenting ideas and challenges to young people: utilising stories, metaphors, humour, body language, voice, managing groups and “audiences”; - The use of the “stage” in developing rapport, attention, building relationships with young people, facilitation skills, using “stage anchors” and visual aids. The training is based on approaches developed through Psychology and some NLP, as well as drawing on the youth work experiences and good practice and also performance and theatre skills of staff from the team of lead facilitators. Main Aim: To develop awareness and understanding of advanced presentation, communication and engagement skills, based on youth work principles and practice; and to explore how these competences can be applied in a youth work and Erasmus+ context. The training was realised using a range of experiential learning opportunities, non-formal educational approaches and a wealth of youth work theory and practice to actively engage and develop the skills of the participants. Objectives: • To develop awareness and build on a greater understanding of the presentation, communication and engagement skills and experiences of youth workers • To explore and understand the effects of effective presentation and engagement with an audience of young people and in the role of youth worker • To gain a greater awareness of the theory and practices behind “Stagecraft” taken from the fields of psychology, sociology, education, theatre and creative community (comedy, music and drama) • To identify and realise the opportunities to put the skills developed into practice • To follow the recognition pathways offered through Youthpass & the ETS YW framework of competences • To explore the opportunities for realising their youth work potential through Erasmus+ and develop future collaborations. The training provided its participants with valuable tools and competences to: ENGAGE more effectively their target groups; CONNECT with them and develop local & international networks; EMPOWER youth workers & their target groups through the youth work skills gained from this training. StageCraft worked with 31 participants from 10 different partner countries: youth workers, youth leaders, social workers, creatives working with young people, ex-beneficiaries of Erasmus+ (either Youth Exchanges or ESC) and experienced youth workers looking to step up a level in their presentation & engagement skills with young people. The delivery team 6 included trainers, facilitators and logistics team from BeASILY and two of the international partners. In addition the participants had the opportunity to share their own practice, their own realities and learn from each other, as well as the opportunity to apply the learning in practice. There was also time given to networking and for identifying future opportunities and collaboration. Reflection was realised individually and in small groups throughout the training and encouraged after the training through the evaluation and YouthPass activities as well as maintaining the platforms of communication such as WhatsApp and Padlet.