STAR 2.0: Amsterdam Meeting Sets the Stage for Empowering Youth through Street Art

On September 17th-18th, 2024, project partners from across Europe gathered in Amsterdam for a productive transnational project meeting (TPM) hosted by the Street Art Museum Amsterdam (SAMA). The STAR 2.0 initiative, designed to empower disadvantaged youth through the transformative power of street art, brought together representatives from EPMA, Reggio Emilia, Clube Intercultural Europeu, ALDA, and SAMA to discuss strategies for the project's next phase.



Key Highlights of the Meeting

1. Refining the STAR 2.0 Curriculum
Day one focused on presenting the project's curriculum, which aims to equip youth workers with the skills to use street art as a tool for social inclusion. The curriculum will consist of five core modules, targeting youth workers who may not have prior experience with street art. Key topics include:
  • Understanding the impact of street art
  • Engaging socially excluded youth
  • Utilizing street art for inclusion and participation
  • Developing management and logistics skills for art projects

Discussions emphasized that street art should be a dialogue-driven, inclusive approach rather than a top-down method. The group explored how to transform the curriculum content into practical training modules, ensuring youth workers can effectively connect with both young people and street artists.

                   


2. Addressing Youth Workers ' Needs
To tailor the training effectively, partners will conduct an online survey targeting youth workers across partner countries. The goal is to identify gaps in their current skill sets, understand their needs, and incorporate these insights into the curriculum. This step will inform the development of training modules, set to begin in early 2025.


3. Bridging the Gap between Art and Education
A key challenge identified was the need for youth workers to build stronger connections with street artists while also understanding the educational value of street art. Discussions highlighted that while some youth workers lack formal training in art techniques, they play a crucial role in fostering creativity and engagement among young people.



4. Upcoming Focus Groups and Workshops
In February 2025, each partner will organize focus groups to refine the training content further. These sessions will gather feedback from youth workers, municipal representatives, educators, and local artists. The outcomes will help shape the online training modules, which will be available in multiple languages by August 2025.


5. Practical Street Art Workshops
The STAR 2.0 project aims to bring street art into communities, empowering youth to transform their surroundings. Workshops will be organized across partner countries, involving local artists and youth workers who have completed the online training. Participants will create new street art pieces, fostering a sense of community pride and encouraging civic engagement.



Next Steps: Online Platform and Dissemination
EPMA will lead the development of an online platform to host training materials, videos, and resources. The platform, set to go live by mid-2025, will serve as a hub for youth workers to access training and collaborate.  Additionally, ALDA will spearhead a dissemination campaign to promote the project, including flyers, social media posts, and newsletters to increase engagement.
Conclusion
The Amsterdam meeting laid a strong foundation for STAR 2.0's next phase, focusing on empowering youth through creative expression and social inclusion. With the commitment of all partners, the project is set to make a significant impact on communities across Europe, using street art as a bridge to connect, engage, and inspire young people.

Stay tuned for more updates on STAR 2.0 as we move forward with our mission to transform lives through art.