Ljudska univerza Rogaška Slatina is a partner in the international Erasmus+ project "ARTicipate!" (Engaging adult learners at risk of exclusion through participatory methods). The aim of the project is to develop and promote innovative, creative and inclusive approaches to the education of adults at risk of social exclusion. The project focuses on the use of participatory artistic methods, such as digital storytelling, participatory photography, participatory podcasts and participatory theatre. The aim is to strengthen the competences of adult educators and to provide vulnerable groups of adults with the opportunity to express themselves, connect with others and improve their social and communication skills.

As part of the project, the partners are developing four comprehensive, practical and user-friendly manuals for adult educators, which will be publicly available online. Each manual will contain clear methodologies, examples of exercises and instructions for using participatory artistic techniques when working with adult participants. In addition, there will be an online platform – an “inspiration pool” – where educators can share good practices, exchange experiences and gain ideas for working with groups of adults at risk of exclusion.

So far, four international trainings have been conducted for employees of partner organisations: in Spain on participatory podcasting, in Finland on participatory photography, in Denmark on digital storytelling, and in Greece on participatory theatre. The participants then transferred the acquired knowledge to their organisations and included it in regular educational activities.

As part of the project, local workshops were also held at the Rogaška Slatina People's University, where participants from the University for the Third Age, i.e. older adults, first tried their hand at participatory photography and podcasting, which we have already written about in the article that you can find at this link, and in the last few months they have also tried their hand at digital storytelling and participatory theatre. Such activities are extremely important for the elderly, as they allow them to share their life experiences, develop digital and communication skills, and strengthen their sense of belonging and inclusion in the community. At the same time, creative expression helps them maintain mental vitality, stimulates their imagination, and enables them to socialize in a pleasant and stimulating way.

The participants enjoyed these workshops immensely. Through digital storytelling, they created personal narratives that reflected their life journey, values, and memories, while through participatory theatre, they explored different life situations, having fun and learning from each other. Active participation in the artistic processes brought them a sense of pride, self-confidence, and creative inspiration.

The project activities are implemented by an international consortium consisting of:

- Keski-Pohjanmaan koulutusyhtymä (Finland, project coordinator) https://www.kpedu.fi/kpedu/kpedu-in-english 

- Upstream Stories (Denmark) https://upstreamstories.org/  

- Fundación San Cebrián (Spain) https://www.fundacionsancebrian.com/portal/ 

- 2ESP EPAL PEIRAIA (Greece)  http://2epal-esp-peiraia.att.sch.gr/ 

- Ljudska univerza Rogaška Slatina (Slovenia) https://lu-rogaska.si/  . 

Mojca Vukovič has been working in the field of adult education at Ljudska univerza Rogaška Slatina for 19 years. At the organisation, she manages international projects and the University for the Third Age of Rogaška Slatina.