Over the last few years Educational LARPing (LARP=Life Action Role Play) and simulation approaches increasingly grab more attention in the non-formal and formal education field. The approaches proofed to be effective and esp. productive in educational topics that need empathy, awareness and self-reflection. The educational LARP method incorporates some techniques of education through art-methods like the role-play, the improvisation theatre and theatre of the oppressed as well. Many other educational approaches that aim to tackle stereotypes, prejudice and bias are failing to reach their goals due to the lack of focus raising empathy and self-reflection capabilities of their learners. Mainly because the pedagogy against populist, racist and antidemocratic attitudes and behaviour need to interact with their learners on a personal level and cannot just focus on knowledge transfer and cognitive procedures. LARP has proven that its merits consist especially on the emotional and self-reflective capacities of the method.In this strategic partnership project we are involving five partners form four different European countries that are working with this methods for a good practice exchange. Five partner-meetings and three joint staff trainings will set up an extensive opportunity for the staff of the organisations.Though EduLARP is considerably a new method for many educational institutions and therefore extensive exchange and sharing experiences and best practices are still needed. There is a strong need to exchange experience and learn from each other concerning digital formats of the art- and cultural related educational approaches. This project aims to create a space for knowledge transfer, to experience digital formats and their didactic techniques and to exchange ideas for the digitalisation of methods as well as new development. The primary target group for the project are the staff members of our organisations that are working with experience-based cultural and art related learning approaches, especially LARP and simulation.During the project we will especially focus on the topics inclusion-exclusion, diversity and discrimination that are especially addressable by experience-based learning approaches. Many educational institutions - esp. in the non-formal field - are aware of this advantage and consider this approaches as a chance in the actual social and political situation in a lot of European societies. Polarized and stereotyped society discourses forced by populist political movements and the natural defence-psychology of people against accusations making authentic experience necessary. EduLARPs can be used to work on this topics and they have the advantage that they can be used with target groups of all sectors and milieus and they can be applied in digital and non-digital formats.

Educational Life Action Role Play games (EduLARP) let learners step into the shoes of others and experience new situations, which could be an effective method in sensitizing people about their prejudices and stereotypes, addressing people’s empathy and provoking reflection and critical thinking. As we did not find an existing role-play game that offers a holistic and accurate picture of the migration process in Europe and as migration & xenophobia became a more and more urgent topic in 2015 and the following years, we decided to join forces and work towards a new and innovative method that embodies the migration process in all its complexities. Objectives:Our consortium developed a modular and multi-dimensional EduLARP called Minosia Labyrinth on the topics migration and inclusion. Minosia Labyrinth is available in five different versions. There is a European version in English, which is focussing on the common procedures, rules and similarities in the migration system and inclusion processes of the involved countries of the European Union. Furthermore there are four additional country versions in the national languages of the partner organisations, which are adapted to the specifics of the migration system and inclusion processes in the countries of the partner organisations. To enable the method to be used as widely as possible, the game is available in a complex and a light edition. The main target-groups of the method are the members of the mainstream society and people that are in work or social related contact with migrants groups. All materials needed to implement Minosia Labyrinth, the handbook; video-tutorials and a promotion video could be found on the project website: www.minosia.eu Number and profile of participants:Our consortium consisted of 4 partner organisations from Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Italy, representing experiences from North, West, South and Eastern Europe and different perspectives on migration. Our development team was formed by 2-3 people per partner that are all experts in the fields of migration and inclusion, youth work and/or education. The inclusion of migrants and their perspectives in our teams & in the project was one important. Our direct target group were multipliers in the fields of non-formal and formal education that can use the game in their daily work with youth, (young) adults, transnational learners groups etc. Our indirect target group were learners and trainees in (non-)formal adult and youth education that experienced the game as participants. Description of activities & methodology:The main activity of this project aimed at the intellectual output of an innovative and modular station-based EduLARP that brings the migration and social inclusion experience to life. The project focused therefore mainly on the development, try-out, evaluation and dissemination of the educational tool. Tutors were trained to foster the implementation of the EduLARP. According to the fields of expertise, the tasks in the consortium were distributed; a constant quality monitoring and evaluation process ensured guided the project. In general the project consisted to a large extend of knowledge & good practice exchange, qualitative and quantitative data research, game-design and development of a new method, try-out phases, tutor training and dissemination events. 11 partner meetings connected the different phases of the project.Results and impact envisaged & long term benefits:The envisaged impact of this project reached across multiple levels and touched different target groups. The objective was to make the situation of refugees and migrants in Europe more noticeable and comprehensible and to impart knowledge on topics such as causes of fleeing, escape routes, bureaucratic obstacles, living conditions, legal status, conflict on values etc. The EduLARP is a tool to challenge and fight stereotypes, racism, xenophobia and polarization in European societies and to strengthen democratic values, diversity and respect of human rights. Besides the production of a new high quality non-formal method, the project also fostered good practice exchange and cooperation between our partner organisations, strengthened their networks and transcultural skills, extended their teaching skills and knowledge on methods development and empowered their capacities in raising empathy and awareness for migrants and their realities in Europe.