Creative Space for Dialogue
Creative safer spaces set a necessary and fruitful base for dialogue in youth work settings.
Europe is facing more serious challenges than it has in years.
In addition the wars in and around Europe and the impacts of climate change, Europe is grappling with issues such as a lack of belonging, racism, religious or faith-based tensions, and radicalization. These complex challenges urgently call for new approaches.
In the Creative Space for Dialogue project, these issues were explored through dialogue and interfaith dialogue, with a strong emphasis on cultural diversity and sensitivity.
Safer creative spaces are built through skills such as negotiating shared ground rules and fostering a sense of collective emotional safety.
A safe and creative space allows young people to engage with sensitive and complex topics in a way that encourages open and sustainable dialogue.
The project consortium brought together experts in youth work and creative methods from four partner countries: Finland, Poland, Serbia, and Slovenia. Through this collaboration, we offered a unique perspective and practical tools to address challenges faced by young people and youth workers across Europe.
Some of the creative methods and techniques introduced, tested, and evaluated during the themed seminars included:
- Interfaith dialogue
- Film education
- Forum theatre and the Theatre of the Oppressed (inspired by Augusto Boal)
- Drama education
- Oxford-style debate
- Living library.
Creative Safer Spaces – A Web Guide for Youth Work
We believe that positive change in society is possible.
By establishing safer spaces that foster the use of eye-opening creative methods, we can build trust and open up space for addressing even the most challenging topics.
The Creative Safer Spaces web guide introduces readers to the concepts of safe and safer spaces, as well as to the principles of accessibility and inclusion in youth work. It is a clear, practical tool for youth workers and educators who want to create creative and safe environments together with young people.
The guide is built around three key frameworks: antiracist, psychosocial, and anti-ableist. These perspectives are integrated into the practical guidance offered for youth work settings. In addition to youth work, the guide is also valuable for teachers, event producers, coordinators, and communicators seeking to make their workspaces, learning environments, and local communities safer, more inclusive, and more creative.
Alongside insights and real-life examples, the guide offers concrete tools: guidelines, checklists, and example forms for everyday use.
We hope you enjoy exploring the material!
Links to the material
What is a safer space?
A safer space is a supportive and non-threatening environment that promotes open-mindedness, mutual respect, and a willingness to learn from others — while ensuring both physical and mental safety.
It is a space that critically examines the power structures shaping our everyday lives and where power dynamics, personal backgrounds, and the impact of our behaviour on others are acknowledged and addressed.
A safer space actively seeks to recognise and respect the specific needs of those targeted by hate. Everyone who enters shares the responsibility to uphold its values.
Final themed seminar in October 2022. Photo Izola, Slovenia.
Creative Space for Dialogue is an Erasmus+ project that brought together nearly one hundred experts from the fields of culture, media, art education, youth work, and non-formal education across Finland, Serbia, Slovenia, and Poland. The project was rooted in the idea of creating and sharing experiences on how creative spaces can be used to foster sustainable dialogue.
The project consisted of four themed seminars for youth workers. Each seminar explored the same core concept through different methods and perspectives. Together, the seminars offered the European youth sector a fresh approach to understanding safe spaces, dialogue, and the crucial role youth workers play in creating them.
Creative Space for Dialogue themed seminar in Helsinki, Finland. April 2022.
Project Partners
Haver Srbija, Serbia
Haver is a non-profit educational organization, active in the field of informal education and
working in partnership with individuals, NGO-s and public institutions to overcome
prejudice, discrimination and intolerance in Serbia. The mission of Haver is to contribute to building a society of coexistence, living together based on shared values and common understanding. Programs of the organization are designed and cover all generations, with a special focus on primary and high school students and teachers in Serbia.
PiNA, Slovenia
PiNA was founded in 1998 at the Initiative of the Open Society Institute. Today, the Association for Culture and Education PiNA is a Europe Direct Information Centre, a Eurodesk regional partner, a regional Centre for Intercultural Dialogue, a regional NGOs HUB and a youth centre with the status of operating in the public interest in the field of youth. Expecting to give something back to society and to have a positive, enduring influence on the targeted population, all PiNA’s projects share a common idea – the social impact and focus on four main areas: active citizenship, international cooperation, human rights, creativity and social reflection.
RKI, Finland
The Peace Education Institute is a Finnish, politically non-aligned peace organization for educators who work in formal and non-formal education settings. In practice, this means teachers, youth workers or activists who are interested in creating safer, more inclusive and equal spaces in their work and in wider society. Our work is guided by three themes that are anti-racism, equality, and global.
Taki Jestem, Poland
Taki Jestem is a foundation that has been active in the field of culture, art, and education since 2003. The aims of the Taki Jestem foundation focus on popularising culture and art education and developing various types of creative activity as well as breaking barriers and providing access to culture on an equal basis. By realising projects such as the flagship Festival of Extraordinary Films and Encounters, the foundation fulfils its mission and expands the scope of new competencies among the youth, including cultural competencies. The foundation sees that this is particularly important for disadvantaged groups in terms of disability, cultural, and social diversity. In 2018, the foundation was awarded by the Committee for the Protection of Children’s Rights in the competition “The child-friendly world”. In 2022, the foundation received the main award in the category Culture and Multimedia.
