We’re happy to share an important cultural and awareness-raising event taking place in Palermo on Thursday, March 13, entirely curated by Libreria Dudi and Le Onde ETS, two long-standing pillars of our city’s social and educational landscape.

From March 19 to 21, 2025, the staff and learners of Close in the Distance took part in a training mobility in Amsterdam as part of our Erasmus+ project Pitch Perfect. The experience was hosted by Stichting Art.1, our project partner and, above all, a Dutch organization that has been working for over ten years on human rights, queer culture, and non-formal education.

Over the three days, the group participated in working sessions focused on the current phase of the project. Discussions revolved around the educational handbook under revision, the illustrated playing cards designed for professionals working with LGBTIQA+ individuals, and strategies to improve the project’s communication and dissemination efforts. These sessions offered a valuable opportunity to review materials, share ideas, and plan the next steps together.

Alongside the project work, the program included several on-site visits. The group visited Supernova Cinema, an alternative venue dedicated to cinema, activism, and inclusion, and explored Nieuwe Vide, a cultural center based in Haarlem that uses art as a tool for civic participation and community engagement. Both visits provided inspiring insights on how to meaningfully connect culture, education, and grassroots work.

The delegation also had the chance to attend Roze Filmdagen, the Netherlands’ most prominent LGBTIQA+ film festival. It was an opportunity to engage with stories, perspectives, and creative languages that challenge norms and open new ways of thinking.

The mobility ended with a shared moment of reflection, including a civic-themed urban walk and open discussions on how to bring these ideas and insights back into local practices. This experience in Amsterdam not only strengthened the relationship between project partners, but also offered a fresh look at how to approach inclusion, lifelong learning, and adult education through creative tools and participatory methods.