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SKILLS FOR FREEDOM – Artistic paths to develop the professional skills of prisoners
Start date: Sep 1, 2015, End date: Aug 31, 2018 PROJECT  FINISHED 

Today, in the 28 countries of the EU there are about 650,000 inmates. Only 1 out of 5 of them is involved in any activity, and the 3% is working for external companies or entities (even outside the prison). The non-occupation, the lack of training paths for every individual and the loss of identity and sense of belonging to the civil community are the main causes, which determine a still too high level of recidivism of the youngest and the most unprivileged individuals. The project grew out of the consolidated experience of the partners in activities related to theatre and arts inside the prisons, with proven value and efficiency compared to the specific needs of: • The inmates, who need to regain confidence and self-esteem through the art and theatre: this is the starting point to discover one's basic and transversal competences, key factor for the social reintegration; • The inmates, who need to maintain or better acquire professional competences through practice with the recognition of the potentially certifiable training; • The arts organisations inside the prisons, which would have their actions widely recognized in the EU, increasing the relations with the training paths of the inmates and with the existing education system; • The prison system, which will be able to increase the quality and the quantity of the employment opportunities for the ex-detainees and to reduce the recidiveness. The project aims to the following specific goals: 1. Definition of the competences framework: transversal and specific for a profession, formal and non-formal. These can be obtained with theatrical and artistic projects tailored for inmates; 2. Development of specific models for validating the competences and artistic projects inside prisons, applicable for the European mobility of the ex-detainees. 3. Definition of new practices with institutions, employer organisations and private social sector organisations, in order to facilitate the re-employment of the inmates and the substantial recognition of the competences acquired with the artistic activities; 4. Definition of standards in terms of internal preparation and organisation of the artistic/theatre companies and of the prisons, in order to facilitate the implementation and the replication of the operations with inmates all over Europe. The project is in line with: 1) Europe 2020 strategy: inclusive growth, support for adults who will acquire new competences and will adapt to the evolving job market. 2) ET 2020 priorities: 1st strategic goal: openness towards the formal and non-formal learning and a better recognition of the related results, 2nd: promotion of equity, social cohesion and active citizenship, 3rd: support to creativity and innovation [...] at every step of education and training. Through the methodology of Action research and the support of a dedicated virtual platform, thanks to a training course and to the experimentation, verified directly with the operational partner entities of the prisons for the re-employment of the unprivileged individuals, the project aims to develop 3 innovative tools: a) A European framework of the transversal and specific Competences for inmates involved in artistic and theatrical activities and of the applicable certification systems; b) Operational Guide Lines for prison and social administration and for artistic/theatre companies in order to develop projects for the promotion of the competences that can be gained by inmates; c) A European Database allowing to match job offers and professional profiles of the ex-detainees, especially in the field of arts. For a period of 36 months, the project will involve seamlessly 30 professionals of the partners, and hundreds of people from 7 partner Countries, including approximately 200 inmates. Everyone will have access to and use the produced tools, available in the main languages of the involved Countries, free over the Internet up to 24 months after the completion of the project. During the 36 months, 13,000 individuals will take advantage of the project, these including public, social and artistic actors, volunteers, and of course inmates representing different situations in at least 5 EU Countries, plus Turkey. On a long-term basis, the project will support: 1) Promotion and increase of the artistic/theatre paths inside the prisons through the professionalization of every involved actor; 2) Employability of the ex-detainees, promoting the competences, which may be spent in the local and European market; 3) New models based on synergies among security, training and placement systems.
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