N25.083-Civic Stage: Youth Theatre for EU Participation and Education Access

Title: N25.083 – Civic Stage: Youth Theatre for EU Participation and Education Access

Author: Anja Marojevic

Company/Organisation name: Redial Partnership

Short biography:

Redial is an innovative and forward-thinking voluntary and community sector organisation based in Dublin, actively engaged in promoting social inclusion within diverse communities across Ireland. Our vision at REDIAL is to establish inclusive learning communities that empower individuals from all backgrounds to develop skills, overcome barriers to inclusion, and unlock their full potential. We operate as a collective of practitioners pooling our wealth of experience, skills, and resources to develop, implement, and evaluate innovative projects and methodologies across various domains including learning, employability, entrepreneurship, active citizenship, migration, community development, and social cohesion. At both the EU and local levels, REDIAL’s dedicated staff and volunteers possess extensive experience in supporting individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to fully participate in society through various educational pathways. Our team has a proven track record of running volunteer mentoring programs catering to diverse members of the community, including ethnic minorities, isolated individuals, those facing mental health challenges, and ex-offenders, aiding them in skill development and fostering competence in employment and self-employment. We have also spearheaded numerous programs designed to support excluded individuals in accessing opportunities within the labour market. In addition to our core initiatives, REDIAL is deeply involved in transnational projects, where our expertise spans a wide spectrum. This includes mentoring programs focused on employment and enterprise, providing creative resettlement support for refugees and migrants, promoting community health and well-being, championing gender equality and diversity, and pioneering innovative approaches to resettlement and rehabilitation for ex-offenders in both custodial and community settings. Moreover, we specialise in leveraging performative arts as a dynamic non-formal education tool to empower youth and cultivate their social and civic engagement. Through global education endeavours, we aim to nurture “unprivileged artists” and foster their involvement in addressing pressing global challenges, ultimately striving to promote global citizenship.

Short project summary
CivicStage mobilises Theatre of the Oppressed (Forum, Image, Invisible, and Legislative Theatre) to empower young people, especially those facing barriers to education, to participate meaningfully in civic life. Through co-created theatre labs and policy dialogues with municipalities and education providers, youth identify barriers to accessing education and turn them into concrete policy tasks and community actions. The project strengthens democratic engagement, reduces exclusion, and enhances youth agency.

Main Aim of the proposed project
Build civic competencies and critical consciousness among diverse youth using participatory theatre methods.
Co-create and articulate solutions to barriers in education access and youth participation, turning scenes into actionable proposals.
Train youth workers and educators in Theatre of the Oppressed for civic participation.
Promote inclusive participation in school councils, youth councils, and EU Youth Dialogue processes.

Expected results – output of the proposed project
1 Youth Theatre Lab in each partner country engaging 120-180 young people, with at least 40% from underrepresented groups.
1 Legislative Theatre event in each partner country generating a portfolio of youth proposals and community action plans.
Civic Stage Toolkit (open access): facilitator guides, session plans, inclusion checklists, and youth-friendly explainers on participation routes.
Training of 10 facilitators (youth workers/teachers) per partner country, with mentoring and a practice exchange community.
A transnational showcase and policy-sharing forum to present proposals, compare contexts, and seed replication.

Project field of implementation
Youth

Project type
CERV

The end users/beneficiary:
Youth workers, Young people

Implementation area:
Education and Competencies Development, Social Inclusion and Equal Opportunities, Civic Engagement and Active Citizenship

What do you need from IgnitorHub network event for this project?
Core Partner(s)