Since October 2025, Arts of the Working Class (AWC) and Refuge Worldwide in Berlin, together with Energie Alter-native in Palermo, have been building SPY STORY, an ERASMUS+-supported project that invites young adults (18 -35 yo) to push back against disinformation through the art of storytelling.
The project starts from a set of questions that feel more urgent by the day, as fake news, propaganda, and AI-generated content spread further into our lives: What narratives keep getting co-opted, twisted, or turned into tools of manipulation? What do we already know, in ourselves, in our communities, that could be used instead to tell stories that are honest and caring? And what tools, what allies, do we need to bring that knowledge into the light?
Since meeting in Berlin and Palermo, the three partners have been shaping an open-source toolkit built around three methodologies, each rooted in a guiding question: What matters locally? What connects to a wider European conversation? And what can actually be verified, dug into, and told with depth? Out of that groundwork, each city is now opening its doors, inviting 30 people per partner to take part in a five-day course in podcast-making, zine-making, or both, depending on the city.
In Berlin, Refuge Worldwide, a community radio, will guide participants through podcasting from 7 to 11 September. Arts of the Working Class will lead the zine-making strand, from 9 to 13 September 2026, drawing on its roots as a print and digital newspaper. In Palermo, the cultural association Energie Alter-native will open both formats to participants, with the event running in October 2026, with dates to be confirmed.
The courses are free to join, though full attendance across all five days is required to take part. Refuge Worldwide will host the workshop at its venue in the Neukölln district of Berlin; Arts of the Working Class will hold the workshop at Haus der Visionäre as part of the Soft Power Festival, a special program during Berlin Art Week. Energie Alter-native in a dedicated location in Palermo. Stay tuned for more info. Workshops will be conducted by Arts of the Working Class in English and German, Refuge Worldwide in English and German, and Energie Alternative in Italian.
This call is for people who see themselves, or their communities, reflected in the distortions of media disinformation and propaganda, and who don't just want to name that experience, but to take the pen (or mic) and tell it differently. If that's you, and you work in art, music, communication, or journalism, this is an open invitation to apply.
Apply to the Arts of the Working Class workshop (Sept 9-13, Berlin) by filling out this FORM.
Visit our partners' websites to enroll in theirs.
Deadline to apply: August 20
Selection process: Shortlisted applicants will be contacted by email by August 25. If you are not selected, we will let you know regardless.
Questions? Reach out to Dalia Maini: dm@artsoftheworkingclass.org
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Von der Europäischen Union finanziert. Die geäußerten Ansichten und Meinungen entsprechen jedoch ausschließlich denen des Autors bzw. der Autoren und spiegeln nicht zwingend die der Europäischen Union oder der Europäischen Exekutivagentur für Bildung und Kultur (EACEA) wider. Weder die Europäische Union noch die EACEA können dafür verantwortlich gemacht werden.
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.
Finanziato dall'Unione europea. Le opinioni espresse appartengono, tuttavia, al solo o ai soli autori e non riflettono necessariamente le opinioni dell'Unione europea o dell’Agenzia esecutiva europea per l’istruzione e la cultura (EACEA). Né l'Unione europea né l'EACEA possono esserne ritenute responsabili.
