East Cork Music Project (ECMP) was established by a group of youth workers and community artists in 2011 with the support of Cloyne Diocesan Youth Services (CDYS). High levels of youth unemployment in Ireland, rising from approximately 9% in 2007 to 28% in September 2013 saw many talented young people unemployed and disengaged from educational and labour market. opportunities. In 2014 ECMP made a decision to take part in an Erasmus + project.The project design involved a high level of participation from the young people in regard to decision making and content. The young participants expressed through dialogue, group work, song writing projects, group art projects and meaningful discussion that issues in regard to their mental health and well being had a real impact on their ability to progress and participate in education or the labour market. Developing greater understanding of these issues was identified as a priority for the young people involved. This information ignited the desire to create a project ('unplugged') that would use creative methodologies such as music and art to raise awareness around mental health and wellbeing and subsequently increase the skills and capacities required to enter the labour market. These objectives reaffirm the principles put forth by the Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures 2014-2020 document, Health Ireland, a framework for Improved Health and Wellbeing 2013 – 2025 and indeed Education and Training 2020 (ET2020).In line with ensuring that young people involved in the project have the opportunity to engage with lifelong learning and mobility, connections with different projects in the EU were established. A group in Sweden called ‘Yellowbox’ shared our ideology and vision in regard to using music and art as a tool to engage with young people who find themselves at a distance from the labour market.The leaders of this organization visited ECMP in 2014 when informal discussions took place between themselves and the participants which raised inter-cultural awareness. This visit cultivated the relationship and the desire to work in partnership and to proceed with the project.The objectives of our project were:*To promote positive mental health and wellbeing while building the creative skills and capacities of all young people involved,*To promote capacity raising activities that encourage personal development, self-awareness and self-confidence ,*To engage with young people with fewer opportunities at a local and European level and utilize the untapped potential of our youth,*To facilitate the learning around different aspects of Irish and Swedish culture,*To establish a Strategic European partnership,*To benchmark innovative creative methodologies for staff at ECMP and Yellowbox.The above objectives were achieved and this project went beyond all expectations. It was a transforming experience which began with a sense of trust and openness from everyone which lead to a group cohesiveness and allowed the project to flow organically with ease and lightness. The authentic leadership and systematic practice created a high level of participation and a strong desire to learn and take part in a project which invited everybody to move beyond their comfort zones. There was a sense of awe within the two groups about their differences, cultural, environmental (it was so far removed from where they were from) which participants observed and embraced. This was evident in the way they worked together to create music and art in such a short space of time. While some of the event locations didn’t have access to the internet it emerged that the young people flourished and had the freedom to be more creative and participative. This project was a truly magical experience that everyone was so proud to take part in. There were 66 participants, the majority of them would be considered with fewer opportunities, such as early school leavers, long term unemployed, involved in probation services, low levels of social and cultural capital, geographical disadvantage and economic disadvantage.The unplugged project created a support for young people who encounter these barriers and contributes to the social and economic development of European countries. A relationship was born out of the project between the two organisations and the young people which will contribute to a strategic European partnership in the future.Through informal discussions and accounts from the young people it has been recognised that all the participants now have a better awareness of their mental health and have obtained tools and techniques to cope with everyday life. Their increased levels of self-awareness and self confidence will have an impact on them reaching their personal and educational goals. The activities that we used were hugely successful in progressing the formation stage of the group (combating intercultural barrier’s which could have stifled group cohesion) and allowed the project reach all its aims.