Youth+ Workshop Update: May–October 2025

Since May 2025, Youth+ has run two monthly personal development workshops for young people: Emotions in Motion and Everyday Heroes. They offer two different but complementary paths to self-discovery, one through movement and one through storytelling, and both have become regular places where young people grow, gain confidence and connect.

Emotions in Motion

Held every first Saturday since May, the sessions explore emotions through guided movement rather than words. Youth workers and somatic educators use warm-ups, creative exercises and non-verbal group activities to help participants reconnect with their bodies and express what often goes unsaid. Each session ends with a reflection circle. The focus is on awareness, presence and trust, not on performance or dance technique.

Everyday Heroes

Launched in June and held every second Saturday, this workshop uses personal storytelling as a form of empowerment. With writing prompts, guided reflection and optional sharing, young people explore their life stories and shape them into narratives they can own. The goal is to recognise the strength and value of their own experiences.

Six months in numbers

• More than 60 young people took part in at least one session, many of them regularly.
• Between 10 and 16 participants per session.
• Mostly aged 15 to 24, from different social, cultural and educational backgrounds.

What participants say

In Emotions in Motion, participants said they felt calmer, more grounded and more connected to their emotions; for some it was the first time they used movement to process feelings. In Everyday Heroes, many described growing confidence and how powerful it felt to be heard without judgement.

“Sharing my story was scary at first, but now I feel more confident and proud of who I am.” – participant, 19

“I never thought movement could help me understand my feelings like this. I feel calmer and stronger after each session.” – participant, 17

Next steps

Both workshops continue until the end of the year. We are looking at peer-led parts of the sessions, cooperation with schools and community centres, and a participant evaluation in December.