Project: Carnival: Create and Celebrate (Creative urban diversity in public spaces) Multilateral exchange exploring cultural diversity through carnival arts (music, dance & costume making). Duration: 8 days of programmed activity. Venue: Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The countries involved: Participants from United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Portugal, Germany and Spain. The number of participants: 72 people (60 young people and 12 group leaders). Context: Every year thousands of young people from minority backgrounds across Europe actively participate in creative carnival activities. These activities reinforce pride in cultural roots, encourage a sense of place and belonging and aid in the development of social, technical and creative skills. Carnival enables and allows us to explore aspects of our cultural heritage and aspects of our changing identities. Carnival is the largest culturally diverse celebration of a contemporary Europe and geographically traces the migration and immigration people through continents and countries, with roots in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, North and South America. Carnival makes space for redefining a modern multicultural European heritage and identity. Objectives: to explore and share skills through creative workshops, and celebrate, through collaborative performance work; to explore and celebrate the diversity of young people’s histories traditions and cultures through the arts; to explore the processes used to build and present creative work that celebrates European cultural diversity and impacts on ideas of European citizenship; to improve the skills of working collectively in an intercultural environment; to develop their social, personal and group work skills; to produce an intercultural arts event; to have taken part in peer led skills sharing workshops in local community contexts and professional development activities. The participants in this project mostly come from less privileged and disadvantaged backgrounds and live within areas of urban deprivation or high unemployment, with many having low levels of educational qualifications. Many of the groups are from minority or culturally diverse communities and have not had the opportunity to be involved in international work before. The project will use intercultural activities, workshops and performance as the main tools for young people from culturally diverse backgrounds to explore issues around cultural diversity and citizenship. The project will host a number of intercultural arts workshops delivered by professional facilitators and peer led skills sharing sessions in diverse community contexts. Through these activities the participants will create performance work presented to audiences within large-scale outdoor event. Throughout the project there will be discussions, workshops and evaluations, as well as cultural visits and a social activities programme. Results and impact • 60 young people take an active part in developing multicultural arts events. • One large-scale presentation (Street Parade) guaranteeing visibility • 300 young people and community participants outside the exchange take part in workshops. Participants, partners and target groups will have: • Developed their social and personal skills, communicating through creative activities. • Performed in public, increasing confidence and self-esteem. • Created work that reflects their lives and experiences. • Become more self-confident in their abilities to produce collaborative work. Through the delivery of public workshops, activities and the very visible Street Parade we will ensure an impact on the local community. During the project we will be arranging visits and various workshops with culturally diverse community organizations so that the international groups meet and engage with local people. These visits will benefit, positively improve and foster (inter)cultural understanding between local communities.