Project Summary Youth workers in the field of arts education increasingly need to expand their skills to ensure that what they do remains relevant to the needs of young people. There is an ongoing need for increased awareness, knowledge, and skills, and experience to improve the professional profiles of education staff to strengthen Europe’s economic position. The arts and education sectors have no specific capacity to offer real world learning environments to develop innovation among youth arts workers which ultimately limits students’ access to interdicisplinary creative learning. Sampad European Placement Programme for Youth Workers (SEPP:YW) aims to provide professional and personal development to creative professionals interested in exploring the intersection of arts, culture and digital technology in a European context, particularly encouraging those with a curiosity in culturally specific practices. To enable us to achieve this there are four key objectives: • To provide high quality vocational learning experiences at some of the world’s leading institutions • To open up new opportunities and international networks with a new set of peers • To develop a robust understanding of the potential of incorporating digital technology into artistic practices • To provide a framework for self-reflective personal attainment in new skills, experiences, and knowledge in language, European culture, and the application of creative learning for youth work SEPP:YW will take a cross-disciplinary approach whereby 22 youth workers over 24 months in the fields of plastic and performing arts will work with peers in the host countries of Spain, Austria and the Netherlands. Among the peers will be technologists, developers and coders, creatives and artists. The cross-disciplinary environment will bring together a professional network, and an opportunity to learn how arts practices can innovate through the use of digital technologies and new media. SEPP:YW will support an expansion of opportunities, through access to organisations working with digital technologies and new media, in ways that can benefit the arts education sector with new ideas and increased competitiveness. We will work with key leaders in the field where digital technology is inherently used within the creative industries. These are: • Ars Electronica, Linz, Austria, one of the most significant centres of excellence in terms of the development and presentation of electronic arts, science and technology. They will host 10 mobilities. • Cinekid, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, hosts the largest new media festival for children. Cinekid aims to strengthen the position of youth towards the media through their active and creative participation. They will host 10 mobilities. Following an induction with the host, a crucial and significant element of the participants’ learning experience will be a highly tactile ‘hands on’ approach, working across disciplines to develop their skills. The process will enable the participants to gain new ideas and ways of working to develop their practices. Furthermore, the participants will be able to offer insights of their own practices to transnational peers. Activities include: • Assistance with programmes related to innovation and product development through interdisciplinary working • Collaborative working with programmers and software designers in an collaborative environment • Hands on learning how to innovate their artistic practices through use of digital technology • Hands on learning about the processes of international collaboration, production and knowledge transfer for research and development • Assistance and delivery support for exhibition and events related to digital media festival content • Hands on learning about new concepts and trends in art and digital technology • Understanding the process of curation, and exhibition, and management of digital products • Collaborating as part of a wider team to achieve desired results • Networking with European peers • Attendance and support at professional conferences Overall, in the long term the project will increase opportunities and access for youth work professionals, with a particular emphasis upon encouraging under-represented Minority Ethnic individuals, to improve competitiveness, networks and employability, benefiting students and young people in the arts education sector. The results of their learning will be disseminated via an online report and distributed to schools and education institutions.