Trainers and artists from seven European organizations spent a week together in Larissa, Greece to prepare the next step of the two-year-long DeTalks project supported by the Erasmus+ program .

 

During one week (24-30 March 2019) of intense workshops the participants were experimenting, sharing, creating and playing in order to find the best ways to remove talk from communication.

 

We did all this with the aim of developing innovative non-verbal and artistic practices that may be used to support the social inclusion of young newcomers in Europe by providing tools to supplement their linguistic education.

 

Why are we doing this?

 

Because we believe that for newcomers in Europe, learning the host societies’ languages cannot be restricted to grammar and vocabulary only. In order to successfully interact with natives other crucial aspects of communication also have to be taken into account. Culturally defined non-verbal cues are more important aspects of communication than grammar and vocabulary ever could be.

 

Therefore the DeTalks project combines the development of non-verbal communication skills with the non-formal learning environments of performing arts and media.

 

What is next?

 

• We will organize pilot trainings in each partner country involving young newcomers, local youth and youth workers to test and refine the practices we have developed in the project.
• We will create a guide book of innovative art-based practices for linguistic education through non-verbal communication.

 

The DeTalks consortium consists of seven partner organizations from Sweden, Greece, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Hungary and France.

 

If you are interested in cooperating with us on this project or becoming a participant in our pilot trainings, please feel free to drop us an email at andreea[at]lestetesdelart.fr