Implementation
The Youth Exchange of the DiGiSC project was successfully implemented in Pissouri, Cyprus, bringing together young people from different countries in a unique learning experience that combined digital storytelling, intercultural dialogue, and social awareness.
Over several intensive and creative days, participants engaged in a carefully designed programme based on non-formal education, where learning was driven by experience, interaction, and reflection. From the very first day, the atmosphere was shaped by openness, collaboration, and mutual respect, allowing participants to feel safe, express themselves freely, and actively contribute.
The implementation followed a progressive learning journey, starting with team-building and identity exploration, moving into deeper discussions on stereotypes, discrimination, and storytelling, and culminating in the creation of impactful short films addressing social issues. Through activities such as theatre, debates, creative workshops, and field exploration, participants developed both personal and professional competences, including communication, teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking.
A key highlight of the exchange was the strong intercultural dimension, where participants shared traditions, stories, and perspectives, building meaningful connections and fostering European values such as inclusion, solidarity, and respect for diversity.
The Youth Exchange concluded with reflection, evaluation, and the Youthpass certification ceremony, recognizing the learning outcomes achieved throughout the project and marking the successful completion of an inspiring and transformative experience.
Full detailed daily implementation
Day 1 - Saturday 28 of March, 2026.
Written by the facilitators team 🇪🇺
The first day of the project, focusing on a bunch of icebreakers, name games, and getting to know about all the other participants in the project. After Nikolas' introduction to the rules of the accommodations, participants were introduced to the two facilitators of the project, Boghos (Bobbie) Avetikian and Gita Vaskelyte. Bobbie is an Armenian Cypriot from Nicosia (much to the delight to the Armenian team) and Gita is from Lithuania who has recently moved to Cyprus.
The activities began outside in the sunny weather and we started with the hangman name game, where each participant got a piece of duct tape, placed it on themselves and then made lines according to the letters of their name. For example, for Gita it would be _ _ _ _ and she would be going around looking for the letters G I T and A. We fished for letters from each other, we could only get one and give only one resulting in a name tag.
After this we had a portrait drawing game, where we passed around a paper with the shape of our face, and every time the music stopped, we filled in a different part of the body, such as one eye, an ear or the mouth! This was then posted on the wall, along with an envelope, where participants can drop gifts and more to other participants.
Afterwards , we also took part in a group speed dating game in mixed groups. For this, we had a central topic such as "gyros vs pizza" which we used to discuss and meet each other
After coffee break we focused on rules and responsibilities of the project, which were
1 - The journal team - responsible for writing exactly what you are reading now
2 - photos team - where the photos you see in this page come from
3 - energizers - where participants play a short game before main activities.
4 - helpers team - who assist the facilitators if major changes are needed in the activity room
This was followed by the contributions, expectations and challenges backpack. We thought and wrote down what we brought to our project, what we expect from it, and challenges we may face.
Right before lunch, we played a game called Youthpass passport islands. Once again in mixed groups, we had to solve mini challenges for each competency. For example, for mathematical competency, we had to solve an equation, while for the multilingual one, we had to learn greetings in different languages.
The afternoon took place in the square of Pissouri, the village we are being hosted in for a treasure hunt. In mixed groups, we were given a task list, and explored Pissouri, talked to people to find answers.
Check out the full list of tasks along with the results here!
https://digisc2.webnode.page/tasks-in-pissouri/
At night we had a traditional and icebreaking dinner in Pissouri at the restaurant "Το σπιτικό της Γιώτας".
Day 2 - Sunday 29 of March, 2026
Written by the Armenian team 🇦🇲
The second day of the project started with an energizer prepared by the Lithuanian team at 9:30 in the morning. We began the day with dancing and movement, which helped everyone wake up, feel more active, and set a positive tone for the rest of the day. In fact, you can check out a highlight reel of multiple energizers in this project here!
This was followed by our last icebreaking activity from the facilitators, who organized an Erasmus-themed bingo game. Participants had to find people who matched different statements, such as someone who is joining Erasmus for the first time. This activity encouraged us to interact with each other and created a lively and engaging atmosphere.
Afterwards, we moved inside where Bobbie introduced us to the topic of digital storytelling. He explained how movies and media influence audiences and how global events can shape the way stories are told and perceived over time.
Following this, we took part in a self-reflection activity focused on identity. We were asked to imagine a flower with eight petals and write down what defines our identity. Then, we removed one value ourselves and asked someone we didn't know well to remove two more. This helped us reflect on how we see ourselves and how others may perceive us.
After a short coffee break, participants were divided into national teams and given the task to prepare a short theatrical performance about stereotypes related to their country. The challenge was to present it without using many words, relying mostly on body language, facial expressions, and creativity. All teams delivered engaging and expressive performances.
In the afternoon, we participated in an NGO Market activity. Each national team represented their NGO and had to present it creatively. Using simple materials like paper and markers, teams designed posters and came up with unique ideas to showcase their organizations. The results were very creative and diverse.
As for the last activity of the day, we presented our homework tasks, based on the realities of our countries.
After some rest and dinner, we prepared for the cultural evening, which is one of the highlights of the project. This time, three countries presented their cultures: Armenia, Lithuania, and North Macedonia.
The Armenian team opened the evening by showing how guests are welcomed in their culture, followed by a video presentation about the country. They also included a live musical performance featuring the traditional Armenian instrument, the duduk. Afterwards, they engaged participants with interactive language games.
The Lithuanian team continued by presenting interesting facts about their country, including festivals, cities, and cultural highlights. They also included a quiz that involved all participants.
Finally, the North Macedonian team presented their country through a video and an entertaining, humorous quiz that kept everyone engaged.
After the presentations, each team invited participants to explore their national food tables. The tables were filled with traditional dishes and sweets, each representing the unique culture of the country. This created a warm and interactive environment where everyone could learn more about each other through food and conversation.
To end the evening, the teams taught traditional dances to the rest of the participants. It was a fun and energetic way to experience different cultures and brought everyone together in a joyful atmosphere.
Day 3 - Monday 30 of March, 2026
Written by the Cypriot team 🇨🇾
In the morning we started off with energizers by playing a small mini game called "follow the leader dance". The rules were: One person had to guess who the leader was. The guesser stood in the middle of the circle and was searching who the leader was while everyone had to follow the leader's dance moves.
After with our small mini game we began with an activity called World Café. We were divided into 6 different teams. Led by each leader, with different prompts, each leader led their sessions differently than others. Participants were switching stations every 10 or so minutes.The prompts here -
- "What transforms a story from interesting into something that actually inspires people to act or think differently?".
- "Which emotions are most powerful in driving social change and how can we use them responsibly in storytelling?"
- "How does the choice of medium influence the impact at a story on society?"
- "How can storytelling actively challenge stereotypes instead of unintentionally reinforcing them?
- "Which stories are often heard and which ones are often missing or ignored? Why?"
Based on the brainstorming, idea forming and giving our own experiences of each table, we presented the results to the other teams.
After coffee break we took part in an activity called "Movie Pantomime"
With two opposing teams, one selected participant had to guess the movie title, appearing on the project behind them with only using pantomime-based movements.
As still photos doesn't do this activity justice, check out a small clip with the highlights of this activity!
In the afternoon, we took part in a large-scale Theatre of the Oppressed.
Each group received a note describing a form of discrimination, such as racism, classism, ageism and more. Our task was to prepare a short performance that reflected the specific type of discrimination we were given. After presenting our scenes, the audience was invited to step in and change the course of the performance to find possible solutions and overcome the discrimination shown. The way it works is the central victim or oppressor cannot be replaced, but any other character can. New characters could also be added.
Everyone got involved as much as possible, and together we explored different ways to challenge and defeat discrimination. After each performance, we discussed the issues that had been presented. Everyone was very creative and engaged. This also taught us about they bystander effect, a social psychological phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are present, as the probability of intervention decreases as group size increases, simply because the group expects someone else will take care of it before them.
Day 4 - Tuesday 31 of March, 2026
Written by Belgian team 🤍❤️🤍
Dear Diary,
The Belgian team has a lot to share today — a day woven from personal stories, trust, and a touch of mythology, somewhere between memory and the sea foam from which Aphrodite once emerged.
We began the morning with quiet reflection, with an activity called The Arc of our lives, or My life timeline. Each of us translated fragments of our lives onto paper associations, symbols, moments that shaped who we are. This was done in a film-reel type way, where participants were tasked to draw events that made them who they are.
Then came an exercise in trust. One of us would guide, the other would walk blindly, relying only on a voice, on presence. It was simple, yet deeply revealing, because of the involvement of the storytelling aspects. In pairs, one participant was blindfolded while the other had vision, with the goal of the responsible person to ensure that the blindfolded participant almost forgets they were blindfolded. This activity is about both responsibility AND accessibility.
In the afternoon, we had our cultural trip. We visited Petra tou Romiou, we stood by the sea where, according to legend, Aphrodite was born. Next stop was the House of Dyoniseus, where ancient mosaics told stories that have survived centuries.
Participants had some free time to explore the city of Paphos, to be inspired by the upcoming movies they were set to work on Day 5.
The day reminded us that being in communication is not just words it's a life in these moments of openness, trust, cultural exchange and the willingness to listen!
And if we had to describe this day in one word:
- North Macedonia — calm
- Lithuania — recharging
- Cyprus — spectacular
- Armenia — holiday
- Hungary - shopping
And perhaps for all of us together recharged!
Day 5 - Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Hungarian team 🇭🇺
Dear Diary
The Hungarian team has a plate full of experiences and moments to share with you. We thank you for reading this. The day started with a melodious game from the Cypriot team, mantili. Participants had to catch the handkerchief without any physical contact, if there was physical contact then the one who got contacted would lose a point. For the first activity, it was a competitive game, based on storytelling using photography, and just as importantly, interpretation.
Divided into 6 teams, participants, had to create photographs based on 4 prompts. These were
- love
- Codependency
- Boundaries
- Identity
Here's the twist. The competition was that each team starting with 20 points and would lose points if the other teams guessed which photo is which. This focused on the idea that all types of art, regardless of its intention, is by definition, interpretative. Team 4 emerged as the winner of this little but wonderfully crafted competition.
After the coffee break we came back and had an interaction with two guest facilitators, Richard and Nicole who interacted with us about their new to be launch bags until lunch. These were pouches, with NFC tags that host stories of Armenian refugees, a product set to launch in Armenia. The activity highlighted how tech, aside from video and photography can be used for storytelling.
To exercise our speech, a skill useful for the movie making process the day after, we hosted a speed-debate activity. 9 teams two members for and two against. Undoubtedly the discord of words was a great event. The debate questions focused on both digital and social aspects with no real answer, with a trio of judges voting for clear winners.
The list of questions were as follows –
- Personal stories vs Data-driven facts, which creates more impact?
- Social media empowers marginalized voices vs Exploits them
- Happy endings vs Realistic endings.
- Simplifying stories for reach vs keeping complexity for accuracy
- Algorithms help discovery vs Algorithms create bias (e.g Tiktok/Insta)
- Stereotypes help storytelling (does more good) vs Stereotypes harm society
- Social media connects people vs social media isolates people
- Living in the moment vs Planning for the future
- Technology simplifies life vs Technology complicates life
We followed with a discussion on the type of movies we will have to make for the project. The tips and tricks of filmmaking along with the background score, lights and other movie making backgrounds.
As for cultural night, the stars of the show were Bel[gium], Cyprus and last but not the least Hungary! Bel[gium] created a wonderful presentation followed by a Kahoot presentation. Then came Magyarország, Hungary, who presented about Hungarian Culture, Facts, Language, Gastronomy and Scholarships. Cyprus the graceful hosts, followed the last suit with a wonderful skit displaying a traditional Cypriot wedding along with Traditional Cypriot dances. All 3 teams prepared delicious delicacies
Day 6 – Thursday April 2, 2026
Written by Lithuanian 🇱🇹
Today, on April 2nd, the day started off with an energizer, as always. It was led by the Belgians, where we had to walk around chairs in a circle and sit down when the music stopped playing - there was one winner out of three groups. It really helped wake us up after a sleepless night!
After that, we had half an hour of Super Pro Bobbie tips: we listened to advice on how to make a great and meaningful film, and then we got to work. Yesterday, we had already been divided into six groups, and we continued working on the script (which was not easy to write). Most of us already had an idea, which was based on a wide topic - social change and discrimination.
To make an impact and present our message more clearly, the groups walked around the whole hotel area, recording in the cafeteria, lobby, apartments, the beach, and many more places. The task was quite tiring and difficult, requiring a lot of focus and productivity, but what made it really special was that we had full freedom of choice, what to do, when to take breaks and where to go. So, if we got too tired, we could always take a break whenever we wanted. The task focused on group work, away from people who were not in your team, and it really helped bring out our creative sides. Almost all of the Lithuanians were in different filmmaking groups, so each of us had a very different experience, but we all liked it a lot. The day was really different from the others, which is what made it unique and unforgettable.
Below you may find all of the 6 movies created on this day!
Mini-Movie 1 – Unwritten Rules
Mini-Movie 2 – Christian Dior Once Said
Mini-Movie 3 – Best Mistake
Mini-Movie 4 – A Day in a Woman's Life
Mini-Movie 5 – Not Only Hot Girls' Problems
Mini-Movie 6 – The Weight of Silence
Day 7 - Friday April 3, 2026
Written by the North Macedonian team 🇲🇰
Showtime, and end of film!
After an Hungarian energizer, it was the moment we were all waiting for, to watch all 6 movies written, produced, recorded and edited in the previous day, a sort of watch party. Watching them was entertaining, thought provoking and extremely interesting.
This was followed by Bobbie going through every single aspect of Erasmus+, including all types of opportunities available to both youth as well as youth workers. This includes Youth Exchanges, Training Courses, ESC, Erasmus semester and Mundus, the Youth Card, DiscoveryEU. And as such, the activities were over, but not the project!
We spent some time writing goodbye messages to each other, and hid them in our envelopes, to be read on our flights home.
The afternoon began with follow-ups by Mr Nikolas Nikolaou, to see how we will dissemination the project further, so the knowledge does not simply stay in this youth exchange, but goes further in our local realities in the 6 different countries involved in the project. We also took part in evaluations.
And ultimately, along with gifts from the Pissouri Council, the ultimate end to the project. The Youthpass ceremony!
