European Meeting Weaving Inclusion: IDENTITIES & ART (TEIA)

This meeting aims to support youth workers and facilitators in developing their socio-educational competences to better respond to the needs of young people, with a particular focus on LGBTI+ and neurodivergent youth. Through arts-based methods, participants will explore inclusion and diversity in a creative, practical, and accessible way.

This project addresses the ongoing challenges of discrimination and exclusion by equipping youth workers with tools that promote inclusion, understanding, and empowerment.

Arts are used as a central approach throughout the meeting, enabling participants to explore themes such as identity, diversity, and belonging. The programme includes workshops, storytelling, multimedia, crafts, co-creation processes, and textile art.

The learning process is participatory and experience-based, encouraging reflection, exchange, and immediate application in participants’ professional contexts.

The project aims to:

• Strengthen inclusive and intercultural competences
• Provide practical tool for youth worker
• Support work with LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent youth
• Encourage active participation and social inclusion
• Promote personal and professional development

The programme combines:

• Creative workshops (textile arts, crafts, multimedia)
• Group work and Intercultural exchange
• Exploration of the town of Covilhã
• Reflection and skills development activities

All activities are designed to be immediately transferable to participants’ professional contexts.

Inclusion is the core of this project. The meeting creates a safe and supportive environment, particularly for LGBTI+ and neurodivergent participants.

It promotes:

• Promoting gender equality
• Respect for diversity
• Supports for participants facing discrimination or cultural barriers
• Recognition of different identities, experiences and ways of learning

This project targets Portuguese-speaking (lusophone) youth workers, facilitators and individuals active in youth work who are interested in inclusion, diversity and creative methodologies.

A total of 47 participants will be selected.

This nine-day mobility will take place in Covilhã, a town in central Portugal. Its environment offers a range of spaces that support both learning and cultural immersion, allowing participants to connect with local context while engaging in this project.