LAC Doctoral Student Laura Brutāne to Co-organise International Training Programme on Youth Participation
In autumn 2025, the Polytechnic Institute of Santarém (Instituto Politécnico de Santarém) in Portugal will host the international short-term training programme “Youth in Action: Young People as Agents of Change in Rural Communities.” The programme has been developed within the framework of the ACE²-EU European University Alliance in cooperation with the Polytechnic Institute of Santarém, the “Constantin Brâncuși” University of Târgu Jiu, and the Latvian Academy of Culture (LAC).
From LAC, the organisational work will be coordinated by Laura Brutāne, Research Assistant at the LAC Institute of Arts and Culture and a student in the academic doctoral study programme "Art". Her doctoral research on authentic youth participation and the role of cultural practices in fostering it directly aligns with the programme’s main theme.
“In recent years, while studying youth participation activities, I have observed what I consider to be paradoxical situations – adults are often surprised by the low level of youth interest in joining certain events, yet these activities are frequently designed based on the interests of a completely different age group, making them hardly relevant to the intended audience. This highlights a key issue – we tend to talk about young people rather than with them. In my view, the planned training programme will not only encourage young people to express their views more openly on issues and values that matter to them, but will also give us – educators and researchers in formal education – an opportunity to truly listen to their experiences and perspectives,” emphasises Laura.
Together with international partners, Laura will lead both in-person and online lectures and workshops, focusing on opportunities, challenges, and forms of youth participation. The content will be based on her ongoing doctoral thesis “Cultural Practices as an Environment for the Development of Authentic Youth Participation.” Her research addresses the problem that, although statistics indicate youth engagement in various activities – attending events, participating in sports, joining hobby groups or clubs, volunteering, etc. – such involvement is often short-term and one-off. This raises concerns about the sustainability of youth participation. At the same time, the role of the cultural environment in strengthening youth engagement is gaining increasing attention. Laura’s research seeks to understand how cultural practices and experiences can foster authentic participation – that is, involvement grounded in young people’s genuine needs.
The programme aims to empower young people to become active agents of change by providing them with the skills, knowledge, and tools to voice their opinions and co-create solutions rooted in their experiences and aspirations. It will adopt a youth-centred approach, making young people the key actors in identifying real-life challenges and designing solutions that address their needs and expectations. Special emphasis will be placed on building connections between youth, higher education institutions, and stakeholders, enabling the joint development of community-based project proposals and fostering experiential learning. The programme will also promote social inclusion by actively involving young people in democratic problem analysis and solution-building processes, while encouraging higher education institutions and stakeholders to act as catalysts for inclusive community development.
The training programme “Youth in Action: Young People as Agents of Change in Rural Communities” will run over one month in both online and in-person formats:
•29 September – 3 October (online)
•6–10 October (online)
•13–17 October (in-person)
•27–31 October (online)
Registration is open until 15 September via the online form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdRh5IdBhuSUcyuK9S5qzDnD6x0guQ3Y-qpytQ-9OeIzXiRUA/viewform
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For more information about the ACE²-EU Alliance and planned activities, visit: https://www.ace2eu.eu/
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. Project 101177596.
The ACE²-EUproject is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.
