Graphic Youth

Project background: “Graphic Youth. EU Dialogue through Illustrated Narrative” is a 7-days (+ 2 for travel) youth exchange under Key Action 1 of the Erasmus+ programme that will be held in Palermo (IT) in March 2016. The exchange will be focused on the illustrated narrative (such as graphic novels and graphic journalism) as a non-formal instrument describing reality, informing people beyond traditional information services such as newspapers. Through this project we want to point out illustrated narrative as a way to talking about wars and conflicts and its ability to promote the participation of young people to EU citizenship. Young people interested in topics such as social dialogue and inclusion will get to know each other talking about creative ways of describe conflicts, wars and difficulties of our times, encouraging integration between people from different EU countries and from different social backgrounds. Through activities based on non-formal learning work, they will figure out how graphic novel, graphic journalism and illustrated narrative can be the perfect informal tools to create a new point of view about yesterday’s and today’s reality. All activities will take place in Palermo.

Objectives of the youth exchange:
– Help young people to improve the intercultural dialogue
– Enable the exchange of experiences and good practices about information and education
– Foster awareness of illustrated narrative among participants, at European level
– Help young people to develop their creativity supporting innovative artistic and educative methods
– Increase knowledge of participants about stories of other cultures and countries promoting European values, integration and citizenship
– Promote the active participation of young people in society
During all the activities, participants will examine closely how illustrated narrative can define new points of views about different topics by the non-formal language of comics, graphic novels and graphic journalism. Youngsters will talking about different comic books and they will be encouraged to analyze how pictures in comics can give a new conception about the language of information and communication. Using completely non-formal approaches, all participants will create a final report of their experience using all the graphic novel tools such as pictures, drawings, balloons and any other thing they’ll identify as a new, creative and non-formal way to talk about education and information of youngsters in Europe.

Profile of participants:
– Youngsters ages between 18 and 30
– People interested in media, social media, non-formal education, information, illustrated narrative, social dialogue and wishing to acquire new creative and communication skills
– Young people possibly from different social backgrounds