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Our Cypriot partners, Center for Social Innovation – CSI, on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, organized the “3rd Film Festival for Disability” on 2 & 3 December 2023, in Nicosia. This distinctive cinematic celebration dedicated to inclusion, accessibility, and collaboration has firmly entrenched itself as an annual fixture. The upcoming iteration marks its third consecutive year, solidifying its status as a significant cultural institution. The overarching objective of the festival is to facilitate a meaningful encounter between the general public and the multifaceted issues surrounding disability, accessibility, equal opportunities, human rights, and diversity. Leveraging the transformative power of the 7th Art, the festival also incorporates parallel activities that serve to deepen the audience’s engagement with these vital themes. Moreover, the festival goes beyond the cinematic experience by incorporating informative initiatives. For instance, during breaks in the screenings, CARE brochures were thoughtfully distributed to the audience. These brochures serve as a conduit for disseminating information about the aims, objectives, and activities of the CARE project, shedding light on its profound impact on the visually impaired (VI) community. In essence, the “3rd Film Festival for Disability” stands not only as a testament to artistic expression but also as a beacon of awareness, fostering understanding, empathy, and support for individuals with disabilities. It exemplifies the power of film as a medium to catalyze social change and propel conversations surrounding the imperative issues of our time.  

On the 4th of December 2023, during the 5th International Conference: “Literacy and Contemporary Society: Creativity, Equity, Social Action” organized by the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute, Cyprus Ministry of Education, Sport, and Youth, in collaboration with the University of Cyprus, our partners Center for Social Innovation – CSI , presented an activity based on the “CARE Manual on how to start ceramic workshops for the development of psychomotor skills” to be used for inclusive communication in formal or non-formal educational settings. The participants, comprising teachers and university students, displayed their interest in incorporating CARE activities into their teaching methodologies. The highlighted activity underscored the importance of empowering learners to present the process and meaning behind their artworks. This not only fosters creative expression but also improves public speaking skills and boosts confidence. In conclusion, CARE’s presence at the conference exemplifies a commitment to nurturing literacy, creativity, equity, and social action in contemporary education. As we explore innovative approaches to learning, initiatives like CARE contribute to a more inclusive and engaging educational landscape.

Ιnternational training in Poland on how to promote the social and labour inclusion of visually impaired young people (V.I) through ceramic workshops. As a part of the “CARE: Ceramic Artworks to Raise Esteem and Employability” project, the 1st international training event occurred from October 23 to 27, 2023, in Łódź, Poland. Over 20 ceramists and educators participated in it, with main aim the implementation of ceramic workshops to visually impaired young individuals. In Poland, the participants engaged in various ceramic workshops and collaborated with other professionals in the arts and crafts field. Through their active involvement in these workshops, participants not only improved their manual dexterity, but also developed their socio-emotional skills, focusing on the expression of emotions through the creation of ceramic pieces. These skills are vital in assisting visually impaired young people in using ceramics as a means of self-expression and social interaction. This, in turn, fosters greater inclusion in society and provides new employment opportunities within the arts and crafts sector. Furthermore, participants had the unique opportunity to visit a youth center, where they interacted with visually impaired young individuals and offered support in specialized ceramic workshops. This experience served as a valuable lesson in understanding various forms of visual impairment and fostering empathy for visually impaired young people. During the training, the participants got access to helpful resources provided by CARE, which can be downloaded from CARE website. These resources include a special handbook with clear instructions for organizing ceramic workshops for visually impaired young people. It also offers a variety of fun and engaging activities that can help visually impaired young individuals improve their social skills and actively participate in these activities.   Ceramic workshops for visually impaired youth (ages 18 and up) will soon commence in Greece, Ireland, Poland, Italy, and Cyprus, spanning approximately 100 hours.  

On 7-8 June 2023, the European partners of CARE from Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Poland, Ireland met in Wexford (Ireland) to finalise the elaboration of the manual that will contain practical indications and educational lesson plans on how to implement creative ceramic workshops for young people, especially visually impaired ones. Through the processing of ceramics, young people will develop a new way of exploring the external environment, enhancing their sensory skills, their psychomotor and kinaesthetic skills, and also improving their ability to show emotions through artistic practice. To this end, ceramic workshops will be launched in the different countries of the partnership. Later, the young people involved will have the opportunity to participate in an international exchange abroad. In the upcoming months, CARE partners will work on: The development of a manual on how to implement ceramic courses to increase psychomotor skills of young people, especially visually impaired ones; The organisation of an international training for youth workers, who will then be involved in the implementation of practical ceramic workshops with visually impaired young people; The organisation of an international training for visually impaired young people, thus giving them the opportunity to travel abroad and exchange with other young people from the different countries in CARE The meeting in Wexford was also a good opportunity to strengthen cooperation between the partners and co-design new activities, reiterating the desire to work closely with young people, supporting them in their personal growth and inclusion process through the non-formal approach of the artistic practice and the ceramics. Stay tuned!    

Nine participants from five partner organizations coming from four European countries attended the 1st Transnational kick-off meeting of the Erasmus+ project ‘’C.A.R.E.: Ceramic Artworks to Raise Esteem and Employability”. This project kick-off meeting took place in Athens on 17th – 18th January 2023 and was hosted by SIGMA BUSINESS NETWORK. The outcome of this three-year (2022-2025) project – funded through EU “Strategic Partnership” program – is to increase the self-esteem of young people with visual impairment (V.I.P.), by strengthening their psychomotor skills through ceramics workshops. Representatives from SIGMA BUSINESS NETWORK and all participating partners attended the meeting and had the chance to present their company and business area of their engagement as well as their role in the project. Project Management and implementation planning, Financial Management were also presented, while Project Quality Assurance Strategy and actions, Valorization and Sustainability were also explained, and their management was discussed in detail in relation to this project. The meeting also provided the opportunity for the partners to exchange ideas and thoughts on the program and discuss the arrangements for the next transnational project meetings to follow.  

C.A.R.E. arises a key opportunity for young people with visual impairment (V.I.P.) to unlock their potential as individuals, as artists, and as employees, through ceramic workshops and enhances their psychomotor skills, as one of the foundations for development. Specific Objectives: To raise young visually impaired people (V.I.P.) self-esteem by strengthening their psychomotor skills. To enhance the young V.I.P.’s opportunities to employability in the field of art, culture, social and manual work, or to have them become future entrepreneurs. To give V.I.P. the confidence to become positive actors in the growth of their community, for their city, as well as the EU artistic scenario. To foster the capacity building and impact of educational and training centers with the introduction of pottery classes for all learners but equipping their trainers with the right skills to welcome V.I.P. To equip youth workers, educators, and trainers with the competencies to engage V.I. learners in their classes/workshops, and to foster the development of psychomotor skills in young learners through ceramics workshops. Expected results: A manual on how to start ceramic workshops A complimentary handbook with specific guidelines for V.I. learners Professional videos with the highlights from the local workshops and the transnational training events A manual with case studies   The project will be conducted by a consortium of 5 partners from 4 European countries: Italy, Greece, Ireland, and Cyprus. Lead Partner: I.E.R.F.O.P. ONLUS (IT) Partner – P1: PRISM IMPRESA SOCIALE S.R.L. (IT) Partner – P2: SIGMA BUSINESS NETWORK (GR) Partner – P3: ARDMORE EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT (IR) Partner – P4: CSI CENTER FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION LTD (CY)