Partners Meeting and LTTA Training for Youth Workers in Reggio Emilia

In November, Street Art Museum Amsterdam (SAMA) participated in an intensive Partners Meeting (TPM) and Long-Term Training Activity (LTTA) in Reggio Emilia, Italy, hosted by the Municipality of Reggio Emilia – Officina Educativa. The week brought together project partners and youth workers from different countries to strengthen cooperation, review project progress, and deepen practical skills in using street art as a tool for non-formal education and social inclusion.

The programme began with informal arrivals and a shared exploration of Reggio Emilia’s city centre, including visits to local walls and public spaces, setting the tone for learning through place and observation. The Partners Meeting followed, focusing on project management and content development. Partners discussed feedback from youth workers on earlier work packages, reflected on the pilot phase, and aligned on dissemination, quality assurance, and preparations for the LTTA. These sessions ensured clarity, shared responsibility, and a strong foundation for the training days that followed.

The LTTA training combined theory, practice, and peer exchange. Youth workers took part in interactive sessions, team-building activities, and live painting, followed by hands-on training modules delivered by each partner in international working groups. The programme included focus groups to gather feedback on the first training modules and introduce upcoming ones, as well as in-depth exchanges with local street artists who shared their experiences of working in public space and community-based workshops. Site visits across Reggio Emilia—ranging from neighbourhood murals and cultural centres to former industrial areas—allowed participants to explore street art as a social inclusion tool in real contexts.

The final days focused on reflection and future application. Youth workers collaboratively developed guidelines for street art workshops and drafted concrete workshop concepts, discussing potential challenges and solutions together. The closing Partners Meeting ensured a collective evaluation of the LTTA and clear planning of next steps. For SAMA, the week in Reggio Emilia reaffirmed the value of international learning, hands-on methodologies, and street art as a powerful medium for dialogue, empowerment, and non-formal education in diverse urban settings.