"Stories We Tell: Represent Without Erasing"

There is a growing need to rethink how marginalized young people are represented in youth work, advocacy and communication across Europe. This includes ethnic minorities, LGBTQIA+ youth, migrants, young people with disabilities and those living in poverty. Even when intentions are positive, dominant narratives and visual representations often reinforce stereotypes, reproduce power imbalances or silence the voices they aim to highlight.
This training course was designed to address this gap. The project brings together youth workers, communicators, activists and social workers from six European countries for a six day training course. The aim is to create space to slow down, reflect and collectively build an ethical and responsible approach to storytelling in youth work. Participants are invited to question their own practices and to explore how stories are created, who controls them and whose voices are heard.
The training is based on non formal education and participatory learning. It uses methods such as participatory research, popular education and critical anthropology to support deeper reflection and practical skill building. Participants will work with collaborative and inclusive tools such as photovoice, forum theatre and other creative methodologies that actively involve young people in telling their own stories.
The needs addressed by the project are clear. Participants require skills to identify, challenge and deconstruct dominant narratives, particularly in multicultural contexts such as disadvantaged urban neighbourhoods or diverse rural areas. They also need practical and ethical methods to meaningfully involve young people in the construction of their own narratives, something that remains rare in many youth work and communication practices.
The objectives of the project are to strengthen participants’ critical thinking around representation, to equip them with non oppressive visual and narrative tools and to introduce collaborative storytelling methods that can be applied directly in their daily work. The project also aims to create a shared learning space and to build lasting connections and cooperation between youth workers and organisations across Europe.
The expected impact is both individual and organisational. Participants will leave with increased critical awareness and concrete tools to transform their everyday practice and to better value the voices of marginalized young people. Participating organisations will benefit from a co created training toolkit that can be used to train staff and volunteers, as well as from being part of a sustainable European network committed to social justice, diversity and ethical representation. The project seeks to create long term and meaningful change in the way youth work engages with marginalized communities.