‘Stop: Now we are speaking!’ A creative and dissident approach of empowering disadvantaged young people

Abstract

This article presents the aims, process and achievements of the project ‘Stop: Now We are Speaking!’ Taking a creative and dissident approach the project set out to improve the situation of disadvantaged young people by strengthening their capabilities to manage their own lives and raise awareness for the necessary policy changes. Applying extended participatory theatre methods and a collective process of developing policy recommendations, the project succeeded in improving the participants’ lives, bridging the policy gap between decision-makers and the concrete realities of disadvantaged young people and highlighting the key systemic and concrete policy changes that are needed.