SO.ART - SOCIAL AND PARTICIPATORY ARTS FOR YOUTH COMMUNITY BUILDING

Dates

13-19 October 2026 (7-day residential training course)

Arrival / Departure

Participants are expected to arrive on 12 October 2026 and to depart on 20 October 2026, to allow time for international travel to and from the venue.

Venue

Sala della Musica, ex Società Operaia, Alice Superiore, Municipality of Val di Chy (Valchiusella), Piedmont, Italy

Hosting organisation

AUDRA APS (Italy)

Partner countries

Italy, France, Poland, Spain, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Greece, Sweden, Serbia

Participants

24 participants (over 18 years old) + 3 facilitators

Working language

English

Accommodation

Community-run hostel close to the activity venues, in simple shared rooms

Meals

Vegan meals, prepared by a local social project. Nearby shops for personal needs.

Costs

Travel, accommodation, meals and activities are fully covered by the Erasmus+ Programme according to the approved budget. No participation fee is requested.

Application deadline

30th of August, via the application form linked below and here: https://forms.gle/4uJC5Ni4PtPGUQGA6

ABOUT THE PROJECT
SO.ART, Social and Participatory Arts for Youth Community Building, how participatory arts (in particular music, dance and theatre) can become an  accessible and transformative toolbox for community building, inclusion and youth participation, with particular attention to contexts where social isolation, polarisation, and marginalisation reduce young people’s opportunities to connect, cooperate and be heard.

The project builds on the experience gained through “Sync In! Cooperative Music for Inclusive Youth Participation” and “SIN(G)ERGY – Supporting Inclusion, Networking and Groupwork through Community Music”, respectively a youth exchange and a training course. Starting from these foundations, the organization has chosen to broaden its exploration of participatory arts beyond community music, integrating participatory dance and social theatre as additional pathways for community building and inclusive group processes.
 

WHAT YOU WILL DO

The days combine experiential workshops in the three artistic fields with sessions of analysis, peer learning, methodological transfer and facilitation practice led by the participants themselves.

Community Music: circle singing, collaborative vocal improvisation, body/circular music, social choir practices; embodied tools for listening, cooperation, co-creation and belonging.

Social & Community Theatre: physical theatre, improvisation and dramaturgical tools to explore roles, narratives and power dynamics in a non-judgemental, participatory way, with attention to inclusion and facilitation ethics.

Creative Movement /  Dance Movement Therapy-oriented practice: body awareness, presence, boundaries, trust and non-verbal communication as a foundation for safe, inclusive group facilitation.

A field-based experimental session with a real youth group at a Youth Community Centre (CAG) in the Municipality of Ivrea, co-designed and delivered by participants together with local educators.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND EUROPEAN NETWORK

The training aims to equip youth workers with methods and sensibilities that can be transferred into their local practice. Participants will be supported in strengthening their capacity to facilitate inclusive group processes through arts-based non-formal education and to build safe and participatory spaces that foster cooperation, mutual recognition and active citizenship.

The project will also nurture a peer network of practitioners who can exchange practices, support each other in implementation, and potentially co-develop future initiatives.

WHO CAN APPLY

We are looking for 24 participants from Italy, France, Poland, Spain, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Greece, Sweden and Serbia who:

are 18 years or older and work, or aim to work, with young people and young adults in community, school or non-formal settings;

are interested in integrating Community Music, Social Theatre and Creative Movement as tools for cohesion, cooperation and relational safety;

are motivated to work on group dynamics in heterogeneous contexts, where linguistic, cultural or relational barriers may emerge;

are available for the entire duration of the activity, from 12 to 20 October 2026 including travel days, and are willing to take an active role in facilitation practice and in the co-design of the final outputs;

commit to disseminating the methodology and outputs within their own organisation after the training.

No previous artistic experience is required. Selection will also aim at a balanced group in terms of experience levels, gender, age and country representation, with priority given to candidates with fewer opportunities for international mobility.

VENUE, ACCOMMODATION AND MEALS

Activities will take place in Val di Chy (Valchiusella), combining indoor and outdoor spaces. The main venue is the Sala della Musica, in the former Società Operaia in Alice Superiore, a rural community space. When appropriate, some sessions will take place outdoors, in natural settings along nearby paths.

Accommodation is planned in a community-run rural hostel close to the activity venues, with participants and facilitators hosted in shared rooms. Meals provided during the project will be prepared by a local social project and will be entirely vegan (plant-based), in line with the association's ethical and sustainability values. Small local shops are available nearby for personal needs and additional purchases.

Because the programme is residential and intensive, participants are required to be present for the entire duration of the activity, arriving on 12 October and departing on 20 October 2026. Requests for partial attendance cannot be accommodated.

FACILITATION TEAM

Giulia Attanasio (AUDRA APS,Terra dei Canti, Italy): Community Music and collaborative singing, didactic coordination.

Viola Zangirolami (Teatro Popolare Europeo, Italy): Social and Community Theatre.

Simona Capuano: (L’Albero delle Danze) Creative Movement and Dance Movement Therapy (DMT).