Alongside the desk survey to collect Best Practices, IASIS conducted 2 Focus Groups with the involvement of 8 youth participants in each one. Sixteen Youth Workers from Greece, Spain and Italy participated in the interactive discussions and provided their insights regarding the techniques to approach young beneficiaries with diverse cultural background, artistic tools for the education of young migrants and expressed their opinion on the values of the theatrical and performance arts for the social inclusion.
According to the findings, the Youth Work community is very collaborative, and Youth Workers constantly support one another. They appear to enjoy what they do because the output of their work is rewarding, and Art is being considered as a significant methodology to engage all parties in youth activities, particularly young migrants, where Art breaks down all language barriers. However, we should bare in mind that the vast majority of participants stated that the interaction between Youth Workers and young people with different cultural background is a challenge, as many barriers are prominent. Apart from the most obvious, like language barriers and mental dissimilarities, they feel that there is no standard framework that could facilitate Youth Working and draw all its potentials for the effective integration to those who need it.
We do believe that Youth Workers’ role in enhancing Young People’s wellbeing is critical, and so we will promote their work at European level.
Youth People and Youth Workers go arm in arm.
«The design of theatrical activities is demanding, but when youngsters perform the scene the emotions, I feel that moment are indescribable”.
S.B. Youth Worker, Athens 2022