Wild Dreamers
Erasmus+ Training course
20 - 29 June 2024
Centro Didattico Valpore - Italy
Wild Dreamers
Wild Dreamers is an 8-day training program hosted by Teatro Invisibile, designed for youth workers, trainers, and educators dedicated to fostering the potential of young individuals. It provides the ground to explore novel methodologies and insights relevant to personal development and youth work, alongside a reconnection with nature and an embrace of mindfulness practices.
The training underscores the significance of detaching from stress and societal norms to facilitate genuine self-expression and personal development. Participants are encouraged to slow down, cultivate presence, and engage in introspection, fostering a deeper bond with themselves and the natural world.
Wild Dreamers aims to integrate nature-infused mindfulness techniques into youth work, acknowledging their capacity to augment vitality, creativity, and holistic well-being. By equipping youth workers with these tools, the initiative aims to involve young people from diverse backgrounds and advocate for a sustainable educational paradigm.
The concept of “nature” encompasses both intrinsic human attributes and the external environment, emphasizing the interconnectedness between individuals and their surroundings. The program seeks to enhance youth workers’ proficiency in movement and nature-based mindfulness, inspire empathetic engagement, and facilitate collaborative action plans within their communities.
Who is this training for?
This training is designed for youth workers, trainers, educators, NGO leaders, and more generally for people willing to:
- engage fully in the program, including follow-up and dissemination
- be and learn in Nature, spending time outdoor, no matter the weather!
- spend one week within a tiny community of participants who take care of their common space and time
- explore and experiment with body based methods: movement, dance, contact improvisation, playfight, creative expression, breathwork
- experience meditation and breathing techniques with curiosity and openmindedness
- gather new tools and inspirations for their work and activities with youngsters
Who can apply?
The training is designed for youth workers, volunteers and those who work with other people. It aims to refresh skills and attitudes to our daily work as well as our personal lives and to the greater world.
We aim to have 28 participants from Italy, Slovenia, France, Germany, Spain, Poland, Latvia, Portugal & Greece overall.
Participants must be over 18 and have a communicative level in English so that they can participate fully in the program.
We expect you to participate in the whole program. It means coming later or leaving earlier is not allowed. Also, prepare for an intensive experience with at least 6 hours of activities every day!
IMPORTANT NOTE
A training course is not a vacation or a nearly cost-free spiritual retreat, nor is it a place for personal therapy sessions. Wild Dreamers is meant to be dynamic learning adventure where you’ll immerse yourself in intensive growth, both personally and professionally. It’s about seizing the opportunity to absorb new skills and insights, ready to give back to the world with fresh perspectives and expertise.
Main topics
– Learning and drawing inspiration from Nature
– Vulnerability: connecting with our inner self, beyond daily masks and armors
– Body-mind connection: embodiment of concepts, attitudes, qualities
– Creativity: encouraging body and mind to explore and express the inner beauty waiting to be awakened
– Connection, inclusion and transformation: cultivating empathy and carefulness towards others and environment, becoming a source of positive transformation for the community
Methodologies
– Nature based activities
– Somatic and kinesthetic learning, holistic based education and body expression
– Creative expression through art: clay modeling, poem writing, drawing
– Contact Improvisation, Playfight, Tuning scores
– Different nuances of Yoga, The Art of Doing Nothing
– Movement-Breath-Meditation, energizing the body mind system.
What will happen during the course?
We will:
– Connect with the forest through movement and dance, spending time alone, exploring, and reflecting.
– Explore emotions, behavioral patterns, and reactions.
– Examine psychological aspects through the perspectives of the body, movement, and proprioception.
– Hike, occasionally at night or in the early morning darkness.
– Draw inspiration from nature, its cycles, patterns, and energies.
– Meditate, integrate experiences, embrace silence, and simply be.
PRACTICALITIES
Before applying please read all this information
WHEN
Arrival day is 20th of June, departure will be the 29th.
VENUE
The training will be hosted at “Centro didattico ambientale Valpore”. Valpore is a self-catering holiday home located in a stunning location: a promontory at an altitude of 1276 meters on the northern slope of Monte Grappa, in the municipality of Seren del Grappa (Belluno).
Valpore website: https://valpore.org/
ACCOMMODATION
Valpore is a place of great beauty, nature and simplicity. The rooms are essential, warm and clean, with bunk beds and not much space for else. There is the option to sleep in tents (some will be provided by us, but you can bring your own).
Participants must bring their sleeping bags (or sheets) and a pillow case. Phone connection around the house is limited if not absent. You can get it by hiking 15 minutes uphill.
Wi-Fi: we might get hotspot few hours per day gently granted by the keepers, but let’s not take it for granted.
If these little discomforts don’t scare you, you will be able to fully enjoy the reward this place, the program and the chef will offer.
TRAVEL AND REIMBURSEMENT
The travel costs of the participants will be refunded after the training course usually within 6 – 8 weeks (after participants send all their travel documents and fulfill closing tasks for the project including dissemination).
We highly encourage and support participants in planning Green travel (train, carpooling, bus).
Maximum amounts:
Slovenia: 180€
Poland, Latvia, Greece, Portugal: 275€
Germany, France: 275€ (320€ if Green travel)
Spain: 275 (mainland) / 360€ (Canary islands)
FOOD
The delicious food will be vegan/vegetarian, prepared with love and care by our cooks.
In order to provide and keep a safe and focused atmosphere for everybody we invite you to agree with an alcohol/drugs-free policy during the whole training course.
COSTS
Participation contribution: we offer the opportunity to self-assess your contribution on a sliding scale between 100 – 200 euro (to be paid in cash upon arrival). Considering the participation in 8 full days of activities, please choose an amount that responds to your personal possibilities and matches the values of balance and reciprocity
TEAM OF TRAINERS AND TEACHERS
Antonio Cargnello
Antonio is a passionate trainer who loves to craft experiences for self development, group awareness, creative expression and pursuit of a wise and joyful freedom. He facilitates workshops for teenagers, students, youth workers and adults, using and mixing his expertise and experiences from theatrical improvisation, contemporary dance, martial arts and contact improvisation.
Gemma Paganelli
Gemma's guide leads into a combination of layers through dance, meditation, introspection, and pedagogy, combining physical and mental disciplines. With a background in contemporary dance and a passion for personal growth, Gemma interprets embodiment as a creative ongoing process that inspires positive change, self-discovery, contact, and transformation.
Kristaps Ditke
Kristaps specializes in guiding individuals to recharge their internal batteries and discover healthy outlets for releasing energy, all while channeling that energy into meaningful pursuits that foster personal growth and a zest for life. As a Sudarshan Kriya instructor, he also imparts techniques for inner harmony and vitality.
THE CHEF & THE FOOD
Elizabete Sitnikova
Elizabete SitnikovaElizabete cooks meals that tell a story and remind of her home and great adventures. She integrates nutrition and flavour preparing delicious vegetarian and vegan recipes.