Hello! As an example of project follow-up, I would like to tell you about my experience with “The Magic Circle: Game and Narrative design as a tool for social inclusion and youth empowerment” project, funded by Erasmus+ and organised by La Fenice in Tortona, Italy. 

In a nutshell, the project aims at supporting youth leaders and young people from 8 European countries in the development of their skills in games, activities, and methodologies put into use when working with youth. It is oriented towards a better awareness of interculturality with all disadvantaged groups in society, through a Training Course and 2 consecutive Youth Exchanges.

I first came across this project when I decided to participate in the Training Course in December 2021. From the beginning I was informed that my participation in the Training Course means that I have to organise local actions in order to ‘expand the circle’ and help to create more output for the project. Not only this, but I was also asked to attend the second part of the project which was a Youth Exchange in April 2022. There I went as a youth leader for the German team because I already had the experience and knowledge gained from attending the Training Course and organising my local actions. 

In the meantime, La Fenice scheduled online meetings as a form of follow-up for the project. First, after the Training Course and before the Youth Exchange, we had a couple of meetings where we discussed about the local actions we were planning and organising. There we had the chance to share our ideas, hear others’ and help each other if needed. La Fenice further involved the participants, future youth leaders, by asking us to be in charge of finding participants for the Youth Exchange and to be the team leader. After the Youth Exchange, we had another online meeting with the organisers and the rest of the youth leaders. There we talked about the impact the project had on our participants and what could be done to further ‘expand the circle’. 

As you can see, during this project various methods of follow-up were used. This ensured continuos participation in the project which created more output for the project and proliferated the message. Or as La Fenice referred to it, it successfully expanded the Magic Circle.