Future Narratives

Project duration: 1 February 2021 – 31 January 23

Target Groups: Youth workers and young people (18-30 years old). Priority is given to young people with fewer opportunities or with difficult backgrounds.

Summary: The project introduces youth workers and young people to the concept of “Futures Literacy,” developed since 2012 by UNESCO, seeking to study “the frames people use to understand tomorrow.” According to UNESCO, “Futures Literacy is a universally accessible skill that builds on the innate human capacity to imagine the future, and offers a clear, field tested solution to poverty-of-the-imagination”. 

“Futures literacy enables us to become aware of the sources of our hopes and fears, and improves our ability to harness the power of images of the future, to enable us to more fully appreciate the diversity of both the world around us and the choices we make.” – Nicklas Larsen, Jeanette Kæseler Mortensen & Riel Miller ‘What is Futures Literacy and why is it important?’ 

Future Narratives uses storytelling as the key tool to activate the capacity to reflect on the past, the present and the future and to recognise different approaches to them and their interpretation, thus fostering the understanding of the power of culture, stories and visions in enabling a better future. 

“Stories have a transformative power to allow us to see the world in a different way than we do if we just encounter it on our own. Stories are an entry point to understanding a different experience of the world.” – Empathy Museum’s Clare Patey

(Empathy Museum)

This understanding gives us not only the tools to work on a vision for ourselves and for our community, but also helps us develop key competences such as cultural understanding, critical thinking, social media literacy, communication and active participation in civic and social life.

Coordinator: Traces&Dreams (Sweden) 

Partners: Euro Project Lab (Italy), Andalucía Acoge (Spain), Inter Alia (Greece), Machart (Germany), Möjligheternas Plats (Sweden)

General Objectives 

  • To support capacity building for youth workers in the use of narrative and future literacy in order to empower young people; 
  • To promote the importance of young people’s awareness in common values, civic engagement and participation, fostering their empowerment; 
  • To promote dialogue, mutual understanding and cooperation between young Europeans through concepts of individual and collective storytelling and future literacy.

Specific Objectives

  • To provide youth workers with tools that promote young people’s key competences and active participation in civic and social life thanks to future literacy; 
  • To enhance young people’s key competences, with a particular focus on literacy; personal, social and learning to learn; digital; citizenship; cultural awareness and expression;
  • To engage, connect, empower young people thanks to future literacy, enabling their voice and their vision to reach out to policy-makers, public administrations, civil society and other young people all over Europe. 
  • To provide the organisations with innovative methodologies produced by Future Narratives for the implementation of their future activities.
  • Stakeholders outside the partnership will have the possibility to implement a complete and integrated pathway on narrative and storytelling as means of youth empowerment, structured on the basis of common guidelines. 

Activities

  • A series of online training sessions for youth workers on the concepts and practice of narrative and future literacy (Webinars, April – June 2021)
  • Future Narratives digital platform
  • A recruitment and introductory laboratory of 8 young people.
  • Future Narratives 5-days blended workshops in Spain (September 2021), Greece (February 2022) and Germany (August 2022) for young people to become educated and experiment on future literacy and narratives at personal societal level.
  • Future Narratives Laboratories in each country for the innovative use of narrative and storytelling in the empowerment of young people, forming a learning journey for young people and youth workers throughout the project.
  • ‘Narratives for Change’ Multiplier Events in each country
  • Preparatory laboratory (November 2022) & 5 days workshop in Sweden (January 2023) focused on the preparation for the final Transnational Workshop and Exhibition in Sweden.
  • An exhibition presented in Sweden and on the digital platform to disseminate the overall results of the project, led by the young people themselves.

Communication channels

In the Future Narratives digital platform, you may find information on the project, resources, and a blog. The platform includes a private area that allows young people to meet each other, share their stories, and showcase the creations made through the Future Narratives labs and workshops.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Future Narratives is a strategic partnership supporting innovation in the field of youth (Project No: 2020-3-SE02-KA205-003019). 

For more information about this project ask Amerissa (giannouli@interaliaproject.com) or Boyka (boneva@interaliaproject.com