The current project PALkonnect is engaging cultural, artistic and research organizations to stimulate European awareness and empower people of current and future generations to respect the inclusion and the diversity and to be successful innovators in their local environment.The aim of the current project is to support artists from social inclusion groups to present and promote their artworks in post-COVID 19 circumstances and to inspire their cooperation within the European countries. The project aims to equip them with the necessary innovative skills and competences to encourage their creativity and the creation of new art pieces. Additionally, the main objective of the project is to enhance the promotion and popularity of cultural and historical information about the targeted social inclusion groups in order to increase the public knowledge and integration process. Sharing the personal story and historical facts about each inclusion group will support the integration process and increase the public knowledge. The specific objectives of the project are:•To introduce and examine the situation of the artists with social inclusion background (Migrants, Refugees, Romani, Disabled people) in the new post-COVID 19 circumstances •To enhance artistic skills development and competences that reinforce creativity, as well as to boost quality, innovation and recognition of artists’ work•To equip the artists with new skills heling their social empowerment and using the topics part of the training curriculum (Facilitator Programme for integration through arts)•To assess and pilot the knowledge, skills and competences acquired through non-formal learning of the curriculum modules•To accelerate digital transformation and use of digital means to adapt to the way creative products, cultural goods and events are created, managed, disseminated, accessed and consumed (Digital Open Art Studio).•To reinforce the cross-sectoral and international cooperation with focus on creativity and artistic empowerment and strengthening the cooperation and networking between organizations from 7 EU Countries (Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Croatia and Romania).•Provide a recovery plan for artists, using more digital and resilient recovery•Equip cultural workers with skills for equity, diversity and inclusion challenges in the learning environmentThe partnership has been created among 7 EU organizations and translationally as the cooperation is the vehicle for artistic work promotion, enhancement, cooperation and supportThe project is aiming to support 133 artists and 550 cultural workers directly helping them to improve their skills, receive new competences and network. Within the description of the project, there is a clear demonstration of the expected results of the project in terms of intellectual outputs, multiplier events, and learning and training activities

"In ""The Search for The Holy Grail"" project we involved 4 partners from Poland, Sweden, Northern Ireland and Italy. All of the organizations work with people with disabilities (intellectual disabilities, autistic, Asperger syndrome, deaf persons). We want to involve people with disabilities in creating the educational tool for staff. Our goal is to produce 4 movies and ebook created by people with disabilities. We want to ask them what is really important and a good example of working with them. We want them to be leaders of this process. In ""The Search Fot The Holy Grail"" we focus on that very moment when things actually change.That moment when you realise things will not be the same again. From now on, it will actually be better.In the project, “The search for the Holy Grail”, persons with intellectual disabilities will share those moments that has given them the opportunity to live a better and fuller life. Locating those specific moments, ""The Holy Grails"" and share the in an E-book and movies, will give us an idea of what we, the staff, should be looking for to offer persons with disabilities the possibility to lead a more complete life.All the materials will be available on the page of the project but also on pages of all partners and EPALE."

People with disabilities (PWD) come from a group of people that are rarely found in leading positions in society. PWD have often been in learning, subordinate situation all their life. They are the ones getting supervision and help from professional leaders. To change this is complex. Needs and target groups: 1. To train PWD in leading workshops/ study visits/ giving lectures. 2. To train staff in how to support this process of new thinking and learning, and also in supporting the staff in taking one step back 3. to train PWD how to be a leader in education and work, to think about independent leaving. This project challenges the norm about who has the right to be a leader and what it means to be a leader of your own life. All three partners (Poland, Swede, Northern Ireland / UK) had different experiences in working with PWD and leadership, but in different areas (education, culture and work) and we learned from each other. Our mission is a world where all people (including PWD) will have the possibility to lead their own lifes and also to be able to share their knowledge with others by being in leading positions.The aim of the project was to promote involvement in society among mentally disabled persons. Even when planning the project activities in different partner organizations, disabled persons were included in the planning team, one of them in every organization were a second coordinator.Partners of this project presented all those main areas of human life in which person himself can affect; education, working life, art, leisure time and hobbies. The transnational aspect gave new ways of planning and working to every partner organization. For example partners from Sweden, Northern Ireland / UK and Poland focused on developing the art activates (music, theatre, painting, video) hobbies and leisure time but also in work. In the project, we created continues workshops in our countries where PWD where they were trained how to “Lead my own Life”. All partners learned PWD how to be a leader in art, theatre, music, sport etc. All partners trained 90 PWD and some of them joined to an international meeting. What is also important our PWD during the project organize workshops in different places like schools, associations, festivals, centres for people with disabilities etc and we reached more than 250 people. We organized 3 blended mobilities for PWD and one short term join staff meeting for staff. All of those meetings had their own specific. 1 meeting in Sweden was dedicated to workshops on how to be a good leader and how to present your self. We also have seen places were PWD are living and working as independent people. In Northen Ireland, we had workshops connected with the local event of Halloween. We prepared a special theatre performance called H'ween Widows. We present the performance in 3 days for 3 hours and it was open to all the public. In those days more than 5000 people could see our performance including PWD as actors. Meeting in Poland was dedicated to present results of our polish NL possibilities. We had music, theatre and painting workshops done by PWD. In all those meetings we also recorded Super Love WOman movie that was one of the important initiatives of the project. Super Love Woman was a superhero that apiaries always at the moment when PWD rights to be independent were not respected. PWD create the scenario of every scene. The idea was to make a funny and educational movie for staff and PWD. We always present a bad and good example of behaviour for PWD. In all international meetings, we shoot at least 1 scene. Movies are available on youtube, facebook page and EPALLE page of Polish and Sweedish platform. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ63NtL1w6ADuring the project, we create also, facebook page where we showed our tools and way of working with PWD and staff. Results were also presented on every facebook page of organizations involved in the project. Page of the project - www.facebook.com/LeadingMyOwnLife/link to the movie - https://www.facebook.com/LeadingMyOwnLife/videos/2324642587802914/During our project very important was to make an educational movie for staff and PWD that shows our main ide that people with disabilities can be a leader. We are very satisfied with the results and we show the movie in many places (schools, associations, local policymakers, local social institutions and workers). MOvies is available on youtube, facebook page and also EPALE so we hope it will be a future tool for staff to work on independent for PWD.

STELLA is an international, two-years project carried out in the frame of the ERASMUS+ program. The participating ten partners were organizations in Germany, Poland, Italy, Greece, the United Kingdom, Sweden, France, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Turkey. STELLA addressed the agenda for new skills and jobs included in the Europe 2020 Strategy as well as the intended Erasmus+ contribution to support implementation of the European policy agenda for individual and organizational growth, jobs, equity and social inclusion and the Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations. Based on previously gathered observations and experiences regarding the strong wish of people with disabilities for an independent living, the partners produced a needs analysis to identify the demanded competences which support people with disabilities on their way to independent living and which improve their professional chances substantially. These needs and competences include areas such as social behavior, self-esteem, development of critical thinking, emotion control, team ability, analytical thinking, technical and communication skills. STELLA practicably targeted these competences and produced as an innovative output a handbook for staff, trainers, HR responsible and educators on “How to improve basic work skills of people with disabilities”. The need analysis was based on former projects’ lessons learned from different European countries and was not limited to certain areas of professionalism. Therefore, the innovative output is transferable and applicable to every field of the labor market as well as on an international dimension. The project was also carried out in an innovative and inclusive way: During the project implementation people with disabilities were staff members of the work packages' teams. Here are some important statements of the participants with disabilities:“My confidence increased. I take pride in my work from beginning to end.”“I enjoyed this work in the working-group “communication skills” as a journalist a lot and I want to continue working in this field”.“Team work makes the dream work.”“Europe in its endless possibilities is: opening, participation, skills enrichment, irreplaceable human exchange”.The main objective of the project was the production of the handbook which basically provides everyone who operates in an inclusive work environment information and methods on how to improve basic work skills for people with disabilities. This handbook has been translated into easy to understand language of each partner language, so that people with disabilities have barrier-free and autonomous access to all information, and products that have been gained through the project activities. The handbook is structured into six chapters according to the work packages:1.Organizational Skills2.Social Behavior3.Team Ability4.Critical Thinking5.Communication Skills6.Technical SkillsIn each chapter the STELLA project members with and without disabilities describe concrete and useful tools to strengthen competences regarding the required skills.Additional objectives were to raise awareness of working in an inclusive team, to foster intercultural competences, to foster the EU citizenship, to include people with disabilities in all aspects of the implementation of the project and to improve the opportunities and conditions for people with disabilities for an independent living. STELLA activities were carried out on an international and national level (group discussions, workshops, role plays, job shadowing and video analysis). People with disabilities have developed competences and strengths during the project that will continuously support their further autonomy and self-confidence. During the project, they carried out activities on a constantly increasing independence from staff members. On a transnational level, four inclusive meetings in Germany, Greece, Turkey and Lithuania took place during the project span of 24 months. Further activities addressed project marketing aspects, e.g multiplier events to raise the project acceptance among the direct and indirect target groups and other stakeholders. The project consortium believes that STELLA has a huge overall impact. Almost 9000 people are currently employed by the project partners and their associated partners. Additionally 1000 trainers and educators could be reached directly through the network of “Caravan 2000” in which the partners were embedded. Therefore, the results of the project had a potential impact on a total of 10.000 staff members. Thousands of people with disabilities can be trained to improve their basic work skills and consequently be socially integrated and professionally included.