Activities

The kick-off meeting of the YOUpART project, which was hosted in Suhl from 14 to 16 November 2024, brought together representatives of all project partners from three European countries—Spain, Bulgaria, and Germany, which hosted the event. This meeting marked the first in-person coordination among the partners following the official launch of the project.

The primary objective of the meeting was to align partners on the project concept and implementation strategy. Key topics addressed included the project’s aims and objectives, the overall structure and work plan, the project timetable, the distribution of tasks and responsibilities, and the scheduling of upcoming project activities. In addition, partners discussed partnership agreements, reporting obligations (interim and final), the project budget, and payment procedures.

The meeting concluded with a general review of the discussions held, as well as an agreement on the next steps and forthcoming tasks to be carried out within the project framework.

A five-day capacity-building training for staff members of the partner organisations was organised in Dabravata, Bulgaria, from 22 to 26 June 2025. The activity brought together 18 youth workers from Bulgaria, Germany and Spain.

During the training, participants collaboratively worked on the training modules previously developed by the project partners. The programme focused on strengthening professional competences, exchanging good practices, and enhancing participants’ skills in working with young people through creative and participatory approaches. The training also provided an opportunity to reinforce transnational cooperation, foster peer learning, and ensure a common understanding of the project methodology and objectives.

This joint training activity played a key role in preparing the partner organisations for the effective implementation of the project activities at national level and contributed to ensuring the quality and consistency of the project outcomes across all partner countries.

The pilot youth workshops were carried out based on the Training Toolbox jointly developed by all project partners. These activities were implemented with disadvantaged young people in all partner countries over a period of five working days, between September and November 2025. More than a 100 young people took part in the pilot phase in the partner country.

The workshops were delivered by trained facilitators who had previously participated in the project’s transnational training activity organised in 2025. Prior to the implementation, participants were properly prepared through the provision of additional information and clear explanations to ensure a full understanding of the activities and objectives. All recommended materials and resources proposed by the project partners were carefully considered and integrated into the preparation and delivery of the pilot activities

JST Timetable (download)

01. Kick-off meeting

Suhl, Germany

03. Joint staff training

Dabrava, Bulgaria

04. Pilot workshops

Bulgaria, Germany, Spain

02. Training toolbox development

Bulgaria, Germany, Spain

05. Youth forums

06. Closing transnational meeting

Madrid, Spain

The final project meeting, hosted by ACOBE in Madrid with the support of the City of Madrid, has been successfully concluded.

During the session, the partners reviewed the communication channels and the results of the internal evaluations. Key achievements included the identification of best practices and the exploration of future cooperation. Like the first meeting, TM2 will strengthen the cooperation between youth and arts organizations and local authorities. This partnership ensures that the entire learning community actively supports the social and professional integration of marginalized young people.

The results of the YOUpART project are moving beyond the workshops and into the public eye. Through our Youth Forums in Bulgaria, Germany, and Spain, we are sharing our innovative methodology with a broad audience of stakeholders from the arts, education, and civil society.

• By bringing together young participants and key decision-makers, these forums are driving our core missions forward:

• Empowering Educators: Strengthening youth work through the exchange of arts-based methods that make inclusion and diversity a standard in non-formal learning.

• Building Strong Networks: Creating lasting partnerships between youth organizations, cultural institutions, and local authorities.

• Fostering Integration: Ensuring the entire community works together to support the social and professional integration of marginalized young people.

With over 90 social workers, stakeholders and young people involved, these forums are more than just events—they are a bridge to a more inclusive future.

The activity “Training Toolbox Develpment” was successfully implemented as a core component of the YOUpART project, resulting in an educational resource designed to strengthen the key competences of young people with fewer opportunities. Developed in strict alignment with the approved project proposal, the initiative utilized a collaborative, transnational approach combining expertise from youth work, social inclusion, and arts-based non-formal education. Initially, project experts mapped existing local and regional good practices in pedagogical art and youth empowerment, providing the qualitative foundation for the final methodology.

The resulting Toolbox integrates a comprehensive set of complementary resources, including structured training units, practical methodologies, video tutorials, and guidelines for youth workers and stakeholders. To ensure high quality and practical applicability, the materials were closely linked to the Joint Staff Training, where project staff collaboratively tested and refined the content. This rigorous development process was finalized through local pilot workshops with end beneficiaries in each partner country, whose feedback validated the relevance, usability, and consistency of the outcomes across all partner contexts.

YOUpART

Empowering youth through vibrant art initiatives.

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