Play Your Fight (PYF) is a project that combined Improv Theater and Conflict Transformation to equip youth workers - particularly those working with LGBT+ communities- with key transversal competences. PROJECT CONCEPT The ability to constructively deal with conflicts appears essential in youth work, both for the organization of work within teams of youth workers, and for dealing with the target groups -especially the ones who are experiencing vulnerable conditions. Working with conflicts can create resistance, as this topic is connected to difficult emotions, and complex -often unpleasant- experiences. There is also a sort of taboo, according to which things work well when there are no conflicts, therefore conflicts in youth work can be experienced as an obstacle to the job, instead of a natural part of it, and they are often hidden away, or acted out, instead of openly faced with competence. Queer communities in particular, often respond with defensiveness or hiding mechanisms to the high level of exposure they have towards conflicts. To respond to the need of developing conflict competence, and also to the sensitivity of this topic and of the target group, we chose IMPROV THEATER as a methodology that could help develop several key skills, while also bringing an atmosphere of playfulness and lightness, which helped to lower resistance and experiment new possibilities, keeping together playfulness and vulnerability. Examples of these key skills developed through improv theater are: expressing oneself; changing patterns of behavior; avoiding overthinking in favor of more intuitive responses; listening and creating connection with the other in the present moment; developing emotional agility; including non verbal communication, learning to use voice and body expression with awareness. At the same time, methods and frameworks from CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION helped to orient these skills towards creating sustainable dialogue, and focusing on the needs present in conflict situations. The choice of our target group increased the relevance of the project, as LGBT+ COMMUNITIES experience a higher level of vulnerability, and are prone to face conflicts connected to society’s response to their identity. NEEDS According to what we collected from our partners, their main need was to find concrete ways to approach conflicts, having concrete models, tools and methods to approach it creating safety and learning. Therefore, the needs that we kept as a focus in developing the project, and especially in structuring the PDA, were about learning: -how to make simple yet competent interventions in conflict situations -how to use improv theater to develop these skills -to manage emotions, in a way that escalates conflicts -what brings easiness, allowing to be able to face difficult dialogues -how to translate conflict experiences into learning important skills -to respect and meet the needs of all the people involved -to encourage free yet respectful self expression -to regulate emotions -to overcome shyness and learn to express authentically -to take space whilst also letting space to the other -to go beyond the idea of right or wrong, and learn to handle complexity OBJECTIVES -to gather 37 youth workers and offer them a Professional Development Activity where they could learn about conflict competence through improv theater; -to set a playground where youth workers explored different methods to handle conflicts, identifying options that are applicable to their own personality, organization and context; -to learn about Improv Theater, and how to use it as an educational means in youth work -to gain ways to communicate in conflicts in order to create open dialogue, connection, and mutual understanding; -to bring these methods in partner organizations and their target groups, through the implementation phase; -to positively impact LGBT+ communities, thanks to the competent interventions of youth workers working with them; -to evaluate the project and its impact through questionnaires.