Dates: 15-24 July 2023

Number of participants: 18 participants

Participating countries: Italy, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Spain

Organizer: Quinta Tinta

 Apply here: Application form

Inquiries about this training course: Justinas at hello@abroadship.org

 Costs:

• Contribution fee: €40, to be paid on arrival in cash at the training.
• 100% accommodation, food and program materials are covered by the grant from Erasmus+
• 100% traveling costs are covered, up to the maximum expenses:
  • €275/participant for Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Spain

Connecting Cultures Chucking

‘Humour is a phenomenon that is truly social and solidly entangled in culture’ [Zijderveld, 1995]

Our project is born from the idea that many of the conflicts that people face every day, at work and in personal and private life, have their origins in intercultural misunderstandings of which there is little awareness

Connecting Culture Chuckling will create awareness on the central role of culture in influencing behaviors, choices and actions and above all in building relationships through communication.

What we have the opportunity to do is to increase intercultural sensitivity through theatrical improvisation methodologies, laughter and play. Laughter and play are natural gestures, towards which we have an innate propensity.

Accepting the ideas and proposals of others and adding one’s own (yes… and) is the basic principle of theatrical improvisation. The variety of ideas becomes the richness of the creative act, which feeds on the diversity of the actors on the scene. Translating the same concept into intercultural encounters, we can improve our ability to recognize different ways of seeing the world, which are no less effective than our own. Indeed, precisely for this reason, different worldviews can open our minds to new interpretations and awareness, becoming new tools for interpreting reality. We need to replace mistrust with curiosity!

Objective

The aim of “CCC – Connecting Culture Chuckling” is to increase intercultural competence through theater improv combined with the tool of laughter.

Methods

The main method is theatrical improvisation for discovering, understanding, and developing:

Trust in the relationship – Mutual listening – Integration of proposals – Expansion of creativity – Empathy – Self-efficacy and autonomy – Problem-solving – Flexibility – Observation and understanding of the context – Attention and focus- Stress management

Together, we will learn acting techniques, improvisation techniques and dramaturgy, to be applied in the youth work to achieve social inclusion and intercultural involvement.

Also, we will explore the tool of laughter through stand-up comedy and clownery.

Participant profile

• You live in Italy / Bulgaria / Greece / Hungary / Lithuania / Spain.
• You are 18+ years old.
• You are able to work in English.
• You are interested in experiencing improv and theatrical techniques.
• You define yourself as a youth worker – e.g. as a youth leader, social worker, trainer, facilitator, volunteer, educator.
• You are committed to applying what you learn after the training in your city, team, organization, friends, in the next few months.

Priority is given to participants who are facing conditions that make their participation in commercial trainings difficult or non-affordable (i.e. unemployed, minorities, from isolated areas)

The project wants to overcome the idea of intercultural competence as a formal methodology, enriching it through the tool of laughter and stimulating the transition from “knowing how to do” to “knowing how to be”.

Accommodation

The group will live in the hostel Open011. It is a quality multifunctional center and guesthouse a few meters from the Dora station, 10 minutes from the Porta Susa station, a few km from the Juventus Allianz Stadium, and perfectly connected to both the airport and the center of the city. https://open011.it/

In the hostel you will be sharing rooms in smaller groups of people. There is a private bathroom and air conditioning in each of the rooms. There is wi-fi available.

We will have breakfast in the hostel.

The closest airport is Torino Caselle. If you cannot find affordable tickets to Torino, it is possible to travel to Milano Bergamo or Milano Malpensa, and come to Torino by public transport (train or bus).

Activities and main meals are organised in Cecchi Point (10 mins walking from the hostel), where Quinta Tinta is located. http://www.cecchipoint.it/

Costs

The project is funded through the Erasmus+ program, thus accommodation, food, materials, the program, and the travel costs up to the maximum allowed amount are fully covered.

As a training course, we ask for a participant’s contribution of 40€ per person, to be paid on arrival at the training. We consider this as a symbolical contribution to your learning and it will be used to cover some of the project costs.

According to the rules of the Erasmus+ program, you can get your travel costs reimbursed up to 275€. If your travel costs are lower or the same as this amount, you get reimbursement of 100 % of your real travel costs. If your travel costs are higher than the maximum reimbursable amount, the difference is covered by you.

To be eligible for reimbursement, we ask you to keep all your tickets, boarding passes, and invoices (originals). ONLY if you have the travel tickets, boarding passes, and invoices we can reimburse your travel cost.

The reimbursement is done usually approx. 2 -3 months after the project, once you send us the originals of the tickets and took part in all the phases of the project.

We will only reimburse your travel costs if you participate in the whole training, the follow-up, and the evaluation after the project

This means that instead of flying we can:

• take international trains
• take international busses
• come by car, travelling together with at least 2 other people.

In order to make it possible, if you choose one of these travel options you have the right to a higher reimbursement and to 2 additional travel days; also, ONLY if you choose green travel we can reimburse food and accommodation for the travel days

Phases

Preparation: Selection of participants, connecting with your national team, learning goals, planning within national groups.

Activity: 8 days of training in Italy

Implementation and follow-up: Each participant implements their learning on the local level – organises a follow up activity (based on the learning from the training) + shares outcomes of it, within 2 months after the training

Evaluation and closing: Online evaluation of impact of the training, within 2 months after the training