CONTEXTThe cultural and creative sectors (CCS) are among the most severely impacted sectors of COVID-19 causing unemployment and precariousness on labour affecting circa 8,7 million people working on the CCS sectors in the EU and 1,1 million cultural enterprises, and hence hampering re-entering to and entering to labour markets for the first time. Consequently, the activity of the sector diminishes. The situation may cause irreparable damage and a permanent decline of the cultural and creative sectors in Europe, and their consumption impacting well-being and cohesion of the communities, and impacting other sectors too, such as tourism.CCS sectors need permanent, adaptable and sustainable solutions to tackle societal change caused by the COVID-19 and any other new ones. The current crises has impacted labour markets of the sector and the sector’s product/service delivery as well, and as the situation shows, the current skills of the CCS workers are not enough to tackle these challenges. There is a need to upgrade the skills of unemployed, employed, self-employed and micro and small organisations in the CCS sectors to make them able to tackle challenges created by the COVID-19, any prospect challenges, and the negative development of the labour market situation, in order to maintain and obtain employment on the CSS sectors.OBJECTIVEServiceDigiCult project aims to tackle the aforementioned challenges created by COVID-19 by developing skills of unemployed, employed, self-employed and micro and small organisations in the CCS sectors to tackle the challenges COVID-19 and upcoming challenges in a sustainable way to help them to maintain and enter to employment, and being able to employ self and others. The skills areas to tackle focus on innovating and reinventing services, making service of products, to be delivered to customers in a new society harnessing digitalisation into it, and strategic foresight to tackle any future challenges and changes.For this purpose, ServiceDigiCult project aims to create an online training and toolkit of service innovation for the cultural and creative sectors in order to foster their service innovation and development into novel and sustainable solutions which can also be provided digitally. Service innovation and design can be used for rethinking own product offer into new services using for instance digitalisation. Hence, the project uses creative methods to tackle the challenges of the CCS sectors. Training will be supported by handbooks for the learners and trainers on how to use training and the toolkit, and a sustainable strategic foresight guide to create readiness to foresee and react to societal and sectoral changes using the service innovation.The training can be used as autonomous online training independent of time and place, but also as trainer-led blended or virtual learning. The toolkit and the materials are freely and openly available online to ease the access to them and the use of them. The training methods will combine for example, the toolkit, text, videos/webinars, examples, and empathy-and user-based tools.ACTIVITIES - METHODOLOGYThe activities and the methodology of ServiceDigiCult are:O1 Competency Framework – Desk research, interviews and surveys.O2 ServiceDigiCult Training and toolkit for Online and Blended learning – Training and toolkit outline design, training material and platform development,O3 Handbooks for Implementing ServiceCult Training, which benefit from piloting the ServiceDigiCult training in the IO3,O4 Sustainable strategic foresight guide – to increase the subjects’ ability to foresee changes on markets and to react on them in a proactive, sustainable and strategical way, and apply this in the service innovation.PARTICIPANTSTarget group 1: unemployed, employed, self-employed and micro and small organisations in the cultural and creative sectors in the EU needing novel service innovation training tailored to their needsTarget group 2: cultural actors, promoters and enhancers, such as municipalities and cultural organisations and associations, service design and design professionals, enterprise organisations and developers, obtain cutting-edge training material to support the target group 1.The project is expected to engage circa 12340 representatives of target groups and stakeholders, of which in intellectual outputs 60 representatives of the target group 1, 40 of the target group 2, and 20-40 representatives of general public.RESULTS, LONG-TERM IMPACTIncreased ability of the unemployed, employed, self-employed and micro and small organisations in the CCS sectors to innovate services to be delivered to the public also digitally in a sustainable and strategical way. This is expected to upskill people in the CCS sectors to better tackle the challenges of and recover from the crises created by the COVID-19, and to improve their employability potential and the employment situation of the sector.

<< Objectives >>C.A.R.E. objectives are:- To raise young visually impaired people's self-esteem by strengthening their psychomotor skills, thus enhancing their opportunities to employability in the field of art, culture, social and manual work. - To foster the capacity building and impact of youth centres with the introduction of pottery workshops for all learners but with the right skills to welcome and fully engage visually impaired learners.<< Implementation >>C.A.R.E. leads to the structuring of ceramic workshops specifically tailored for young people with visual impairment, bridging (1) the competencies of experienced organizations already working with V.I.P., (2) the expertise in running ceramic workshops of pottery masters in each country involved, and (3) the active involvement of youth centres that will acquire new competencies to master psychomotor skills development and adapt their activity methods to welcome young V.I.P. in their premises.<< Results >>Project results are manuals to start pottery workshops in any organisation, with guidelines on how to fully engage visually impaired learners. The project participants’ artworks will be permanently exhibited in each partner city, thus creating the concept of city museum. The project arises as a key opportunity for young people with visual impairment to unlock their potential as individuals, as artists, and as employees, through pottery workshops and the enhancement of their psychomotor skills.

"Esteban Gonzalez Pons stated in his speech for the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Roma in front of the European parliament: ""Europa is not a market, it is the will to live together. …"". However, this will and ability to live together is a process that starts in the schools and last as long as we live. Crucial role in that process is taken by the period of the university education and the academic years. These are times and the places where the young people learn to communicate efficiently and with respect to others opinion based on experience, knowledge, skills and abilities. It is up to the university professors along with students themselves to form specific attitudes not to be intolerant, ignorant or discriminative. Therefore, it is of extreme importance that the university professors & assistants are well prepared and educated to support students to argue and form their points without prejudices and complexes.Currently, in Romania and all partner countries there is no training or other course for university professors & assistants how to work in an intercultural & cross-cultural (ICC) environment. Although there some courses like ethno-pedagogy, ethno-psychology, intercultural teaching, etc. in the university programmes, it is still a great challenge for the professors themselves to work within an ICC environment given the fact that a good percentage of university students in Romania are from different ethnicity and different cultures. The rationale for the current project are multifold but the major are:• The university education is a stimulus & preparation for acquiring a profession and specialty in life. Therefore, the way the education is conducted in the university is of utmost importance for the subsequent development of the students.• Lack of national qualification & qualification programmes for university professors & assistants in ICC training & education in neither of the partners’ countries.• Unawareness of the university professors & assistants about the main and additional forms of pedagogical interaction in ICC educational environment.Therefore, the main aim of UniCulture project is to develop an innovative, holistic and interactive approach for training of university professors & teaching staff to conduct educational process in ICC environment.The specific objectives of the proposal shall be to:-Raise the awareness of the university professors & assistants about the need to adopt their teaching styles to the constantly changing and dynamic environment in the universities.-Develop the competences of the university professors & assistant in intercultural and cross-cultural communication with the students during and outside the lectures.-Stress the importance of proper and adequate intercultural & cross-cultural communication as a mean for better social inclusion of different cultural & vulnerable groups of students.The main target group of the project shall be the university professors & assistant that work on a daily basis in an environment that is getting more and more diverse, intercultural and demanding.UniCulture project will develop a holistic & integral approach targeting university professors & assistants. UniCulture training pack will include:1) Handbook for teaching staff to develop their personal & professional competencies how to work in ICC environment as well as how to overcome the ethnical stereotypes & prejudices in the educational process. It will guide the professors thought the contemporary approaches, methods and tools in ethno-pedagogy, ethno-phycology & intercultural education. 2) Workbook for teaching staff with practical examples & case studies on how the taught methods & techniques can be applied in everyday life. It will include also interactive tests & exercises that will support the teachers in the learning process.3) Manual for trainers to facilitate the conduction of UniCulture training course.4) Guide on intercultural communication & social inclusion that will provide the link between working in such environment & support the inclusion of vulnerable groups. The Guide will develop the needed competences in the professors & assistants to support the social inclusion process in the universities.UniCulture training pack will be created to support the university professors & assistants `to further develop their social & intercultural competences. It will provide the necessary theoretical and practical knowledge for recognition & application of interactive techniques for various forms of pedagogical interactions in ICC environment. Moreover, UniCulture will enhance the access & active participation of students from vulnerable groups & minorities in the educational & social processes in universities. Thus, it will foster the social inclusion and will fight the discrimination patterns in societies. UniCulture proposal shall be developed together by 3 universities, 2 NGOs & 1 associate university in response to all mentioned above topics & aims"

In Europe, we currently use 16 tonnes of material (person/year), of which 6 become waste and only a limited part (36%) is recycled.On the other side, in a socio-economic period as delicate as the one we are experiencing (pandemic coivd19), self-esteem and the ability to reinvent yourself and find alternative solutions to problems is crucial, both for the personal sphere and for the working sphere.In this context, RecyclART project, and the 5 countries partnership, aims to develop a transnational programme for firstly developing and secondly exploiting ADULTS creativity for:payback the environment and find new and alternative ways to transform waste in art piecesupskilling long term unemployed adults by stimulating their self esteem and problem solving abilities through art For these reasons, the project focuses on the following priorities:Skills development and inclusion through creativity and artsEnvironmental and climate goalsSupporting the setting up of and access to upskilling pathwaysThis project deals with two dimensions of creative recycling: (1)occasional creative recycling: occasional activity of recycling and reusing with no project behind(2)projectual creative recycling: systematic activity of recycling and reusing implementing a precise procedure NEED → PROJECT → WASTE → NEW OBJECT. While the first dimension works only with artistic creativity, the second one deals with project and design and so problem solving abilities.In this project, 2 target groups will be involved:long-term unemployed ADULTS interested in creative activities and in connecting recycling with design;Adult educators using creative methodologies and artists working or having worked with recycling and realisation of new objects using waste and interested in mentoring adult learners. The activities of the project include:Deeper analysis of pre existing techniques of occasional creative recycling at EU level (IO1) Learning materials and practical handbook (IO2) for projectual creative recycling and a blended LTTA (C1)Exchange platform (IO3) for materials and mentoring experiences5 Multiplier Events (Greece, Italy, Albania, Poland, Romania) By the end of the project, RecyclART will produce the following impact:+ Nr of report IO1 download≥ 200+ Nr of download of practical handbook IO2≥ 300+ Nr of users of the platform (IO3) ≥ 200+ Nr of stakeholders listed on the contact database ≥ 200+ Nr. of long term unemployed adults directly involved in LTTA ≥10+ Nr. of adults trainers and/or artist of recycling directly involved in LTTA≥5+ general personal satisfaction in having acquired new skills and self-esteem+ feeling of having more opportunities in the world of work+ positive feelings given by art applied to recycling + beneficial effects on the environment The partnership consortium will grant open access for all materials produced within the framework of the project so NO LIMITATION will be adopted: everything produced within RecyclART project will be freely usable and downloadable even after the completion of the project, thus ensuring the maximum diffusion and exploitation of results.

"<< Background >>Currently, there are numerous changes in the socio-economic environment. One of the phenomena permanently imprinting on the society is its aging. Europe has the highest proportion of seniors in their populations, where 18% of the population is over the age of 65. In the year 2050, it is estimated that 25% of the population will be 65 years of age or older (United Nations, 2019). Older people are often at risk of digital exclusion and digital divide (Friemel 2016, Millward 2003, Rainie 2015), especially in rural areas. Digital divide prevents elders from accessing important societal information and community services related to science and technology that can offer benefits for autonomy, well-being, and social participation (Quan-Haase et al., 2018; Siren & Knudsen 2017).In 2020, the Office of Electronic Communications studied that only 30% of seniors (60+) use the Internet. Additionally, digitization and access to high-speed internet is increasing. Social media are becoming more and more important. They are democratic but at the same time they are a place of disinformation and misinformation. Fake news spreads freely and quickly (sharing), additionally there are controlled campaigns on the Internet - trolls or bots spread false information, manipulating the recipients. In the post-truth era, anyone can ""sell"" pseudo-truths by pretending they are facts and research findings. Fake news poses a threat to the public, it can change people's perceptions (Balmas 2014, Holton and Lewis 2011), affect trust (Baumpatner and Morris 2006, Tsfati et al. 2009), shape one's perception of others (Lee 2014, Moy et al. 2006), and influence opinions about serious news (Landreville et al. 2010).The themes of the project fit directly into critical thinking and media literacy education priority, especially with the growing importance of social media. It is social media that is highly ""infodemic"" and exposes citizens to fake news and pseudoscience. In addition, in an indirect way, the course itself and other project activities will foster the development of social and intercultural competencies of direct and indirect beneficiaries. The FakeNews&Elders project promotes the social inclusion of elders as people with fewer opportunities, often digitally and educationally excluded. The specific nature of this target group exposes them to age discrimination and can cause deepening of exclusion. The project aims to help overcome barriers faced by elders in everyday life. Barriers stem from a lack of awareness of how the modern digital world works, including social media, an inability to distinguish false information, succumbing to manipulation, and believing in post-truth.The project activities are addressed to local educational and learning environments - educators, libraries, trainers, consultants or NGOs. A special place in FakeNews&Elders project is given to libraries and Universities of Third Age, providing physical space close to the place of residence of people in old age. In rural areas, rural housewives' associations are such stakeholders. Other stakeholders also create micro learning environments and integrate the local community. By equipping participants with scientific and critical thinking skills, the course topics will improve their ability to cope with ever present misinformation and miscommunication in the media.<< Objectives >>When summarizing the planned main achievements of the project, the first step is to refer to the addressees of the project results.First group will be elders (55+) who will gain new competencies on critical thinking, scientific thinking and coping successfully with overwhelming digital communication. The second, diverse and extensive group of recipients are people indirectly benefiting from the project's results are those who work with the elders on a daily basis and also encounter problems related to the dynamic digital changes and the growing popularity of digital media. This group may include: local animators, employees (teachers and an administrative staff) of Universities of the Third Age, NGOs or initiative groups working with mature people, libraries, parish associations, farmers' clubs and societies, trainers and counsellors working with adults, social workers. Further stakeholders include groups that will be able to benefit from selected project results: (1) Social media managers and communicators/journalists/experts/scientists active on social media, (2) Scientists and R&I stakeholder including the business sector, Research institutions, Universities communication staff and press offices, RPOs, (3) legacy media professionals, (4) Face to face events organizers and explainers, (5) Policy makers.In view of the above the FakeNews&Elders project will bridge the digital divide of older people by: (1) sustaining active citizenship by avoiding risk of marginalization of groups affected by the knowledge divide in the digital society. Negative outcomes of a “grey” digital divide are: limited use of on-line public services, social and civil exclusion. It prevents elders from accessing important societal information and services related to science and technology that can offer benefits for autonomy and well-being. (2) improving elders’ media communication competences with the focus on ability to critically evaluate the media and use the media. The solution to the problem of disinformation and manipulation but the solution may lie in the skills of effective communication, critical thinking, media literacy and bigger integration of elders into the internet life and its pitfalls. Thanks to planning in the project activities addressed to the environments cooperating or planning to start or intensify cooperation with people in old age it will be possible to access modern methods of education, contacts with the international environment while maintaining safety - materials will be prepared in national languages. Inclusion will also be ensured by the methodology. In the first stage of the development of the course for adults, a co-creation workshop with the future recipients is planned. Their participation will ensure that the course is tailored to their needs and will allow them to share their experience, which is of high value to people in old age.The ambition of the authors of the FakeNews&Elders project is to permanently awaken civic attitude and acceptance of participation and deepening and broadening the social debate on how elders function in digital space.<< Implementation >>The project will result in key FakeNews&Elders supporting tools:- Anatomy of miscommunication and fake news – a guide to understand how mass communication works. This result will provide basic knowledge of the scientific and science communication process, fake news and deep news and the tools to detect them (websites, analytical methodologies, etc.) and individual coping strategies.The guide will provide insight into how fake news can be spread and manipulated on social media. - A practical course for elders on using media communication in a critical way;The course will consist of four fundamental concepts: (1) what fake news looks like and (2) practical activities on how to identify them, (3) media literacy basics and (4) social media problematic.Participants will learn how to spot misinformation on the internet and verify the images, videos, and news. Participants will learn how to work with Facebook and other social media platforms, how to fact-check information using the right tools or report false ones. The course will consist of activities, readings, and quizzes to practise fact-checking skills which is an important part of the course. - Methodological guide for organisations working with elders. The methodological guide aims at offering knowledge and skills to help adult educators to deliver the training and implement a constructive learning environment for seniors using the FAKENEWS & ELDERS resources. It includes principles of pedagogy, andragogy, senior learning needs, mentoring approaches, individualised support approaches and other themes produced by the project partners. The aim is also to allow more experienced educators from different fields and with different expertise to offer their best practices and advice on how to best use the FAKE NEWS & ELDERS tools. It will be created in the form of a Train-the-Trainer Format for adult educators/trainers/advisors/social workers etc. An important part of this guide will be: Toolbox for Adult Educators/social workers and Bank of good examples.- Educational Boards. The boards will have an educational purpose and contain key information about fake news and how to deal with this phenomenon. The slogans will be illustrated with eye-catching graphics. The boards will be produced on a rigid backing and will be ready to be hung in the places often visited by elders.Educational boards are one of the forms that make up the communication system with the public. They help visitors of libraries, universities, coworking spaces or places addressed to beneficiaries of NGos understand basic issues related to a given topic. All activities assume close cooperation between partners and mutual support. After the elaboration of the guidelines and the initial concept, the development, piloting, necessary adjustments and implementation follow. Each time this is done taking into account the needs and expectations of the audience, including research and analysis, in accordance with the principles of citizen science and participation.The cross-cutting assumption is also to ensure high innovation, easy and wide transferability of project results.Associated partners have an important role to play in the project. Their experience has been used in the preparation of this application. In the course of the project they will support the partners in every step of the project and they will disseminate the results using their extensive network of contacts.<< Results >>There are two types of results expected from the project - tangible and intangible. Most relevant tangible products are:1. Anatomy of miscommunication and fake news – a guide to understand how mass communication works; 2. A practical course for elders on using media communication in a critical way;3. Methodological guide for organisations working with elders (E-Seniors) 4. Educational Boards.In addition to the above mentioned Intellectual Outputs, the following outcomes will be delivered: project visual identification, Website, Newsletters, Quality Assurance and Management, Dissemination activities, Project movie, Technical reports (interim and final), Multiplier events in each partners’ country and a European conference in GR.They will be prepared in English and all partners’ languages (PL, ES, CZ, IT, FR, GR) Intangible results are an important complement to tangible products. Acquisition of new knowledge, skills and consequently change of attitudes and habits will concern mainly elders. However, people from their close circle - local animators, employees of Universities of the Third Age, NGOs or initiative groups working with people in old age, librarians, associates parish associations, farmers' clubs and societies, trainers and counsellors working with adults, social workers will also develop their competences. Also further stakeholders, drawing from the project experience, will develop awareness, increase curiosity and become convinced of the contemporary importance and relevance of the project topic. Thus, a ripple effect will appear and the fight against pseudoscience and false messages will enter more strongly into the research agenda, media discussion and policies.By providing support not only to elders, but also to a wide range of people working with them in their daily work, the competencies of educators and other staff involved in adult education will be improved. Higher competence of these groups may lead to a general improvement in the focus and effectiveness of adult education. This will certainly enrich the toolbox of educators with tools to raise awareness and motivate people in old age. Project Results and other materials will be created with a view to building and strengthening European identity. Moreover thanks to the partners' extensive experience with working with elders, the Results planned in the FakeNews&Elders project will take into account the expectations of people in old age and the organizations and stakeholders working with them. The highest standards of ethical working, the ethos of lifelong learning and motivation will be maintained and motivators will be incorporated."