Project dates: 24th – 30th of November 2019
Project place: Vienna, Austria
Deadline for applying: 10th of September 2019
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Non-formal education can seem pretty silly: We make participants run around a room and shout the sounds of animals. We make them pretend like they are ninjas or space aliens in order to energize them in the morning. But even though we all use humour, when we coordinate volunteering projects, run youth exchanges or facilitate seminars – we almost never stop for a moment and reflect deeply on what that actually means. This seminar will be a space for that.
“Fa-silly-tators” is a 7-day seminar that will take place in Vienna from 24th to 30th of November 2019. The seminar will bring together 32 participants from 20 countries in Europe (Austria, Ireland, Greece, Slovakia, Turkey, Italy, Estonia, France, Spain, Serbia, Portugal, Albania, Moldova, Romania, Germany, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Switzerland and Hungary). By experiencing non-formal education methods such as drawing challenges, speed dating, brainstorming techniques and silent discussion, the participants will get to explore humour and jokes. They will learn and exchange methods and best practices on how to use humour to empower youth with fewer opportunities and marginalized groups, how to do humour from a feminist/antiracist/queer/etc. lens, when to use humour and how to deal with conflicts around it.
The project has the following objectives:
- Understand how laughter can support learning
- Reflect on humour in connection to teambuilding and a seminar group owning the space that they are working in
- Exchange (the silliest) energizers and point out sexism, racism or other stereotypes in energizers
- Identify conflicts around humour, e.g. when it comes to humour in relation to stereotypes and marginalized groups
- Reflect on the challenges and potentials of intercultural humour in creating an intercultural team as well as awareness on Europe among young people
- Understand the importance of finding the right timing for humour
- Discuss how humour can be used to create a safe learning and exchanging space as well as destroy it
- Come up with certain rules and conclusion about humour in NFE that in the future will help us and others identify whether a joke, game etc. they were using was timely and appropriate or not
- Create a collection of (non-formal education) tools and guidelines for youth workers and NFE practitioners for the usage of humour in NFE
- Networking between organisations and networks
PARTICIPANTS’ PROFILE
The participants will be trainers, facilitators, project and volunteering camp coordinators, educators and youth workers.
All participants will be expected and stimulated to contribute to the activities and discussions. They are very welcome and invited to come up with their own ideas and present some methods or workshops they are experienced in and they want to share. Please contact us in advance to tell us about it and we will see how it can fit in the seminar agenda.
All participants selected for this project must meet the following criteria
- be 18 years old or older
- have experience as a trainer, facilitator, project coordinator, educator and/or youth worker
- be active in their sending organization
- be able to work in English
- be interested in the seminar topics and have a strong motivation to act as a multiplier
- commit to implement the learned knowledge and skills in practice back home
- commit to actively participate from the beginning to the end of the seminar
We explicitly encourage participants of all genders, sexual orientations and ethnic backgrounds to apply.
Please note that there will be opportunities to visit the Vienna, but that this is not a “getting to know the city” project. On some days, the seminar also foresees evening sessions.
ACCOMMODATION and FINANCES:
All costs related to accommodation and food will be covered by the hosting organization.
Travel costs will be reimbursed up to 275 euros according to the rules and conditions of Erasmus+ programme.
PARTICIPATION FEE: NONE
SENDING FEE: 500 MKD
HOW TO APPLY
Send an Application form to sending@cid.mk stating in the subject: Application the Seminar “Fa-silly-tators! Exploring humour in non-formal Education and youth projects”