Creativity is one of the most powerful tools in youth work — yet many youth workers lack the practical methods and the confidence to use it. Co-Creative Communities sets out to change that.

About the project

Co-Creative Communities (CCC) is an 18-month Erasmus+ Small-Scale Partnership (September 2026 – February 2028) bringing together Selkie Educatieve Stichting (Netherlands, lead applicant), CREATOSPHERE (Bulgaria), and Aurora Network (North Macedonia). Together, the partners are developing a co-designed, experience-tested methodology that blends participatory design, the 7-step Community Journey Model, and nature-based youth work across three national contexts. It responds to a clear need: while most youth practitioners already draw on creative approaches, many lack the practical tools and confidence to facilitate creative processes.

What the project does

Over 18 months, CCC unfolds through five connected phases:

• A Co-Design Partner Seminar in Bulgaria, where the partners combine their traditions and design the training curriculum together.
• A Transnational Youth Worker Training in Bitola, North Macedonia — an intensive, experiential programme equipping youth workers with arts-based facilitation methods.
• Local Multiplier Events, where trained youth workers deliver nine community art actions across the three countries, reaching up to 180 young people.
• The open-access Creative Communities Method Toolkit and a Showcase Film capturing the methods and their impact.
• A dissemination phase led by Aurora Network, culminating in a public Showcase Festival in Bitola.

Aurora Network’s role

Aurora Network hosts the Transnational Youth Worker Training in Bitola and leads the project’s dissemination and community showcasing — including a one-day public Showcase Festival with live workshops, performances, and exhibitions curated by young people. We also bring our experience in nature-based youth work into the shared methodology.

Why it matters

CCC turns creative practice into shared, open knowledge — giving youth workers across Europe practical, tested tools to help young people connect, express themselves, and shape their communities. The project is supported by the Erasmus+ Programme with a total grant of €60,000.