The 4-day Italian piloting sessions envisaged by the Erasmus Plus KA2 project “Fake it Till you Make it” and carried out from the 12th to the 15th of February 2019 aimed at testing a new training methodology to encourage the development of personal and transversal skills needed for a successful working life. The piloting methodological approach was based on the techniques and strategies defined in the Facilitator’s Guide developed by the project and integrated by the Swedish “Spot on! Methodology” (UNG SCEN NORR) and the MIT methodology combined with the theatre techniques by the “Albero Company”. The piloting demonstrated the power of theatre as an effective training, teaching and motivational tool and the 4 sessions of 6 hours each included productive lunch breaks providing opportunities to share feedback and opinions. The workshop was held at “T3 Innovation” venue in the University of Basilicata. T3 is a regional project promoting business strategic, innovative and management consulting services for companies. Although “Fake-it” project strategy is to introduce theatre as a teaching tool, the choice of a “non-theatre” location for the piloting training and workshops has proved to be an added value for the project itself demonstrating that theatre teaching method go beyond its own boundaries to meet and contaminate the working life.
During the first day, participants were involved in activities stimulating a deeper understanding of themselves and their expectations, teaching how to introduce themselves, to promptly become aware of their own strengths and weaknesses and to build teams.
The second day focused on training actions promoting relationships with others, the knowledge and recognition of group dynamics, listening abilities and deeper understanding of themselves also through others’ point of view.
During the third day, the piloting focused on actions more related to working life and in particular on how to achieve successful job positions. There was the participation of guests who shared their experiences on how they reinvented themselves and established cultural and creative businesses by working together. In the same day, the Spot On methodology was delivered alongside the test for multiple intelligences, which contributed to stimulate a deeper personal knowledge of the participants and of others, to support the teamwork and to identify opportunities to access the labour market.
The fourth day focused on effective strategies to strengthen self-confidence, with a specific focus on career guidance and on the participants’ feedbacks on their experience.
Many participants stated that this piloting was a unique learning opportunity offered by this European project. By experimenting and recognising the potential of Fake It Till You Make It methodology to implement life and soft skills, they all agreed that this potential shall be released and exploited on different educational levels and contexts, from public and private institutions to educational and career guidance agencies.
