NARRADRAMA – The Power of Storytelling for Youth

A European project that brings together body, memory, and creation

NARRADRAMA – The Power of Storytelling for Youth is a European project co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme that proposes an innovative approach to youth work, combining body-based practices, storytelling, and artistic creation as tools for personal and collective transformation.

The project is rooted in a central idea: life experiences—especially those linked to memory, conflict, or trauma—are not expressed solely through words. The body, movement, breathing, and symbolic imagination are also essential languages for understanding, processing, and re-signifying lived experiences.

From this perspective, NARRADRAMA develops a methodology that integrates body practices, theatre, creative writing, and fictionalised autobiographical storytelling.

Project duration and objectives

NARRADRAMA is implemented over a period of 12 months, bringing together organisations from Italy, Spain, and Belgium with extensive experience in non-formal education, performing arts, storytelling, and youth social work.

The project was created in response to the growing challenges affecting European youth—such as anxiety, social isolation, and emotional distress—and proposes storytelling, creative writing, and dramatization as tools for personal and social empowerment.

The main objectives of NARRADRAMA are to:

• Strengthen young people’s self-esteem, emotional resilience, and confidence through creative writing, fictionalised storytelling, and dramatic practices.

• Create safe spaces for self-expression, intercultural dialogue, and the building of meaningful connections.

• Foster empathy, active participation, and social inclusion through collective creative processes.

• Support professionals and youth workers with innovative methodologies based on storytelling and body-based work.

• Give visibility to young people’s voices through the creation of a collective book and an audiobook.

• Promote young people’s access to and participation in cultural life at the European level.

Consortium partners

The NARRADRAMA project is carried out through the collaboration of an international consortium committed to social and cultural innovation:

• MTS Edizioni (Italy) – Coordinating organisation of the project.

• ESA – European Social Art (Spain) – Partner organisation, responsible for local activities and methodological implementation in Valencia.

• PFE – Projects for Europe (Belgium) – Partner organisation specialised in youth work and innovative educational practices.

This transnational collaboration enriches the project through diverse cultural and professional perspectives, strengthening its European dimension.

Activities carried out so far

During the first months of the project, several key activities have been implemented, focusing on the design, experimentation, and practical application of the NARRADRAMA methodology.

Among these, the First International NARRADRAMA Workshop, held in Valencia from 1 to 4 December 2025, stands out. The workshop brought together young people and professionals from Italy, Belgium, and Spain.

Through body-based, theatrical, and narrative dynamics, participants worked on the core pillars of the project, addressing the so-called Trinity of Trauma: body, transformation, and memory. Activities included:

• Body activation and somatic awareness practices.

• Symbolic imagination and theatre exercises.

• Creative writing and fictionalised autobiographical storytelling.

• Group dynamics focused on collective creation.

These experiences marked the first validation of the methodology, generating a space of trust, listening, and shared creative exploration among participants.

Upcoming activities

Following the first international workshop and the initial phase of methodological experimentation, the NARRADRAMA project will continue through a series of interconnected actions designed to deepen the creative process and give visibility to young participants’ voices.

The upcoming activities include:

• Local creative writing workshops in Italy, Spain, and Belgium, where young participants will continue developing and refining their stories with the support of youth and arts professionals. These sessions will strengthen the creation of local narrative communities, fostering peer support and creative confidence.

• A narrative editing workshop in Italy, coordinated by MTS Edizioni, focusing on revision, rewriting, and preparing texts for publication. This phase will introduce participants to editorial processes and strengthen their written communication skills.

• Book and audiobook creation workshops in Belgium, organised by Projects for Europe (PFE) in Brussels. During this stage, participants will work with digital tools and AI-assisted storytelling to produce the audiobook accompanying the written publication, exploring new ways of telling and sharing stories.

• Final event at the Turin International Book Fair (Italy), where the project will conclude with the public presentation of the collective book and audiobook. Through readings, performances, and encounters with cultural stakeholders, young participants will share their narratives with the public, closing the process with an experience of visibility and recognition.

These activities will consolidate the creative journey initiated at the beginning of the project, amplify young voices at the European level, and disseminate the NARRADRAMA methodology as an innovative tool for youth work, art, and emotional well-being.

For more information:

🔗 Official project website: https://narradrama.eu