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Description of initiative
Wires Crossed - Level 2 was the second step of an innovative education programme to promote positive physical and mental well-being, safe risk-taking, self-control and social inclusion among young people through the art of funambulism (tightwire walking with a balancing pole). The project developed competences for youth circus educators and promoted high-quality youth work that is inclusive and reaches young people with fewer opportunities.
This project was a continuation of cooperation leading to a large-scale European project led by Galway Community Circus and their partners École de Cirque de Bruxelles and CABUWAZI in 2017-2021 as part of the Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture programme. The objectives of the project were to develop skills and competences of youth circus educators; help youth circus organisations increase their capacity; improve health and wellbeing and social, personal and life skills of young people; develop and share effective methods in reaching out to marginalized youth; promote social inclusion, solidarity and intercultural dialogue; help young people with fewer opportunities become more engaged and involved in society; help young refugees become more integrated in their local community and connected to young people in other parts of Europe; and to make funambulism a widely used innovative educational method in youth and social circus sector and beyond.
Further information on the initiative
Themes: Culture and...
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Results, benefits, impact and lessons learnt
The Wires Crossed - Level 2 project educated alumni of 'Wires Crossed - A Balancing Act for Europe Level 1' Strategic Partnership organised in 2017/18 in further pedagogical and technical funambulism skills at a more advanced level. The funambulism training used the methodology developed by the partners and an expert team during the first Wires Crossed Erasmus+ project.
The LTT activities successfully tested and evaluated the methodology, allowing for improvements, revisions and further development for its use in other future funambulism pedagogy projects in Europe. Long-term benefits of the project include improvement in physical and mental wellbeing and social inclusion among young people, improved quality of youth circus education on offer across Europe, and Youth and Social Circus/education becoming a more widely recognized tool for social change.