StageCraft for Youth Workers

"StageCraft for Youth Workers" is 6 days residential training course promoted by Cooperativa Sociale Muovimente (Italy) and Think Forward (UK). The course aims to develop advanced communication, presentation and facilitation skills for youth work, with an experienced team combining approaches such as theatre, comedy, storytelling, psychology, sociology, education, music, social & creative community work. The project will take place in Sermugnano, a small village in central Italy, from the 12th to the 18th of November 2018 (travel days included). It will involve 26 participants and 4 trainers from 8 different European countries (Italy, Czech Republic, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain and United Kingdom). The objectives of the training course are: • To develop and build on a greater understanding of the presentation 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 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; The course seeks to develop what we think are the neglected and advanced skills of being able artfully to use the environment, our physiology, our body language and the content of our message to young people to make our Youth Work even more effective. We draw on skills-sets used in the theatre, by professional presenters and comedians, and in applied psychology to make the training diverse and exciting. Participants will come to realise that as well as expensive and ubiquitous technology, there are many factors, resources and skills that we can use to get and maintain the attention and interest of young people and so develop productive and effective relationships with them.