'The Get Together' III: ‘Practitioner As Person’ – Connection and Recharge - Creating Meaningful Space and Time for YOU the person

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

- You can only apply if aged 18 and over; there is no upper age limit.

- Please note that if you need a visa to enter Germany it is not possible to provide letters of invite.

- This programme is NOT funded under Erasmus+ and therefore no travel – bursary or reimbursement is available.

Question...

Want to Get Together with other practitioners but without the pressure of attending all the workshops? Wish you could spend quality time and get to know your colleagues a much more than normal? Longing for a time where you can just sit and chat, or have a laugh, or be spontaneous and create memories without the pressure of going to the next session? Feel the need for an experience where every moment is not planned in advance? Well, perhaps The Get Together is just what you need?

‘The Get Together’ is different from most other programmes – it creates and prioritises time and space for practitioners to come together and share common ground… without everything planned in advance!

Youth Work practitioners and Non-Formal Educators come together regularly but how often do they get to really foster interpersonal connection, or share their ideas, their visions, their aspirations, their passions or their experiences? When do they get to tell non-work stories, or even just spend quality time together? How often do they really get to enjoy each other’s company and just for a short period, even just a few days, leave everyday policy, practice, programmes and strategy behind and be themselves?

The Get Together is an open-ended space and how it will look will only become clear once participants come together and self-organise 'the agenda.'

Participants are invited to bring their ideas, their thoughts, their opinions, their passions, and their 'offers.' So, if you are looking already for information about a programme, please don't ask - we really won't know how it looks until we will meet!

We want to offer a meaningful space primarily for those of you who are human beings but ordinarily are practitioners on a day-to-day basis. The emphasis is on YOU and the passion or 'offer' YOU bring rather than your 'expertise' that you are used to sharing in the normal practitioner environment.

This is the third meeting of ‘The Get Together’; the first took place also in Bremen and last year, in Amphilochia, Greece.

We will create space for you to join colleagues and peers for several days where relaxed conversation and recharging are at the heart of the time spent together and where regular work, e.g., Erasmus+, Council of Europe (and similar) is left aside momentarily.

Rest, connection, conversation, and recharge are very much central to the programme. Like those that also attend, the time together becomes what you create. We nurture and curate it together.

The aim of the meeting is to provide an opportunity for practitioners to connect with one another in nature, but rather than (as is ‘the norm’) focus on developing programmes and projects or discuss policy and strategy, or even the evolution of models of practice, or sample new tools or ways of working, we want to create space for individuals to engage with one another at a more informal and humane level, and make time to be together as people that coincidently are connected by youth work and non-formal education.

A criticism we often hear from practitioners is that they don’t have enough time in the normal large in-person youth work events to spend quality time with one another but with The Get Together we provide this.

We wish to provide opportunities for practitioners to sit and chat about things that are important to them (and not necessarily those of their organisation) without the pressure of having to report back or the obligation of having to create a list of actions they must implement post-programme.

We want to create time for practitioners to engage but where they are not necessarily having to represent the interests of their organisation or advocating on behalf of a community of interest.

We would like to offer you space to sit, relax and enjoy each other’s company and get to know the person rather than just merely the practitioner.

We are keen to explore moments together where the emphasis is on fun, enjoyment, and laughter, creativity and imagination, and other pro-social elements such as care, compassion and kindness but equally, ensure moments of serenity and calm, as well as creating memories and appreciating time together away from intense and often demanding schedules and environments that have come to dominate the Youth Work agenda. At The Get Together you get to leave your practitioner hat firmly at the door.

This initiative is not in receipt of any funding. It is organised by a small collective of practitioners - The Youth Work and Trainers Bazaar – and we are delighted that once more NaturKultur, will host ‘The Get Together’ in their residential centre, in beautiful natural surroundings, just outside of Bremen.

The event is self-organised, and participants will help to arrange all elements including activities and meals. Yes, if you enjoy cooking, you will even have time to hang out together in the kitchen and cook up a storm!

Apart from time and energy, there is a small fee of €30. Travel will also be the responsibility of participants no matter where they travel from. There is no bursary or potential for covering travel, so please don’t ask.

If you fancy getting together to share stories, experiences, ideas and thoughts, reflection, the outdoors, and perhaps even some health and wellbeing activities, and learn about the non-work activities that other colleagues are involved in then fill out the application form below.

Some of the themes from previous years have included: Storytelling, Music, Gaming, Dancing, Poetry, Relaxation Activities, Individual Time, Humour, Informal Discussions, Reflection Spaces, Art, Outdoors, Cycling, Theatre and Nature.

If you wish to be part of this space and feel you can make a positive contribution please fill out the application form which can be accessed at:

https://forms.gle/r4jgy2PNAyf7EwqF8

Deadline for application is Midnight CET Friday 31st May 2026

If you have any questions, please e-mail us below but please take time to read all the information above before contacting us:

theyouthworkandtrainersbazaar@outlook.com