The project “Christmas Food- Being creative for Christmas” financed in the framework of the ERASMUS+ programme (Call 2018 Round 2 KA1 – Learning Mobility of Individuals KA105 – Youth mobility), is focused on the mobility of workers in the field of youth, and aims to gather young professionals in the field of hospitality, catering and creative sectors.

Two young Sicilian girls, Giacoma Manerchia and Erika Fascetto, are participating in an exchange in which they will get to know different types of Christmas gastronomic tradition and will learn about a variety of European Christmas traditions. Moreover, all the participants will learn about cultural and creative entrepreneurship linked to the Christmas festivity, since Christmas is one of the main socio-economic drivers of the year for most European cities.

The project will focus on the promotion of the Christmas traditions through non-formal education methods, where the development of innovative and creative initiatives will be encouraged in relation to the Christmas festivity. In this way, it is intended to value the Christmas potential for the development of creative and cultural activities that generate greater dynamism at social, cultural and economic level.

The project aims to achieve the following objectives:
– Develop the personal and professional growth of young workers in relation with traditional and professional gastronomy;
– Value the potential of Christmas and the relationship with creativity and economy;
– Promote multiculturalism, knowledge and respect for different European traditions and cultures;
– Promote entrepreneurship in creative and cultural sectors;
– Encourage the active participation of young people as a mechanism for their social inclusion.

In line with the objectives of the Erasmus+ Programme, the project aims to equip youth workers with entrepreneurial competencies and promote European values such as tolerance, diversity as richness, freedom and respect. These competences will be transmitted through a set of non-formal education methods such as roundtables, brainstorming and creative laboratories. Youth workers will be able to transfer these skills and methods to young people in their respective territory, after the project closure.

The project partnership is composed as follows:
Municipality of Medina de Rioseco (Lead partner, Spain)
Gruppo d’Azione Locale (GAL) Eloro Scmarl (Italy)
Learning Hub Friesland foundation (Netherlands)
“Can you” association (Bulgaria)
Fundacja Dobra Wola (Poland)
Fundatia Professional (Romania)

Giacoma and Erika are in Medina de Rioseco (Valladolid, Spain) from 23rd November and will stay until 30th November for a full immersion of training exchanges of which they are already satisfied, since these vocational training moments also represent an opportunity for personal growth in a multicultural context where the development of innovative and creative initiatives, aimed at increasing the cities’ economy in relation to the Christmas period, is really encouraged. The two Sicilian girls are actively and enthusiastically participating in all the workshops organised, bringing the cultural baggage of our traditions: good luck to both, the GAL Eloro is with you!!!