The innovative aspect of the proposed working model is the alliance between theater and educational needs, particularly in terms of literacy : the use of theatrical methods as support tools for the traditional literacy courses, how theatre can enhance one’s appreciation and knowledge of one’s own language or in learning a second, and the use of theater methodology and literature to further enhance literacy programs. The project was conceived in light of the success of a previous initiative between the partner organizations. Previous project results indicated that theater could be used productively to construct a practical didactical framework to facilitate greater understanding and positive behavioural outcomes. As such theater provides a basis for making tangible and exercising concepts otherwise relegated to the theoretical realm. This idea has been specifically developed to further knowledge and research of theater and literacy in the prison context, with each of the partners addressing particular aspects and developing appropriate methods and processes – taking into account relevant local prison regulations and existing relationships between teaching staff and authorities. Prison is one of the most challenging environments in which to undertake educational projects because of the inherent nature of a detention facility and the characteristics of the majority of the prison population –that is, low levels of formal education and literacy combined with socio-economic disadvantage suffered prior to imprisonment . These problems are compounded and complicated further by growing numbers of immigrant detainees throughout Europe. Prison staff increasingly find themselves unprepared to deal with the emerging educational challenges deriving from the input and involvement of the European Union and new regulations. All of this translates into an urgent need to acquire new skills, to be appropriately equipped to positively confront the ever changing prison landscape. The staff therefore also represents an important target group for the project, and provide a unique opportunity for positive collaboration between stakeholders. All staff participating will therefore improve their skills - and those of their organization – specifically to connect with those prisoners for whom the new literacy opportunities inspire them to further their education and improve their socio-economic situation. Through training activities – conducted in turn by each theatre-prison group – we will carry out a pedagogical experiment. This will form the basis on which effective, innovative practices will be developed which will foster literacy through the creation of experimental situations, scenarios in which the particpants can "play" with language. The tested / applied practices will favour inclusive processes, aimed at overcoming negative stereotyping and prejudices commonly found in prison environments. We expect that this work will help the participant detainees (30 from each participating country) to improve their language, expression and relationship skills, and thus assist in facilitating their social and occupational reintegration after release. We will produce: the practical tool-kit “Why Theatre in Literacy?” for the use by teachers and educators involved in adult education, and the Strategical Guidelines “The Use of Performing Arts in Literacy". The value of this project is that – while the project activities “per se” are limited to the scope of prison – the results (experimentation, methodology, tool-kit, guide lines) will be equally useful and relevant to a range of different contexts, particularly marginal situations in which learners are less at ease than in more "formal" educational environments. During the dissemination activities, the project partners will identify the most appropriate situations in which the project results could be adopted, developed and usefully employed. Moreover, as neither schools nor specific study materials related to the binomial theatre-literacy exist, the research outputs produced by this partnership will contribute to filling this particular lacunae in the field’s literature, and hence will remain at the disposal of teachers, trainers and researchers involved in adult education.