The JANUS project aims to develop a response to the growing need for support for vulnerable young people (VYP) facing mental health issues. JANUS seeks to promote Autobiographical Theatre (AT) as a therapeutic methodology, developed by the Director and drama therapist Domingo Ferrandis, SOLIS SRLS staff, specifically targeting young people with mental health backgrounds to help them develop resilience and socialization skills in response to the crises they face.
JANUS project will focus on the mental health backgrounds of young people to assist them in developing resilience and socialization skills in reaction to the adolescent crisis. JANUS, a two-faced, being of changes and transformations symbolizes the evolution of life, with its uncertainty about what is to come and what is gone. A gaze in opposite directions, towards the past or the future. Janus represents the positive, as the right decision, and the other, the error, as the wrong one. This icon reflects our pro-European social conscience as a paradox, a pendulum with opposing forces that make us unpredictable in the face of difference, hatred, or respect, capable of destroying or creating together, being both selfish and selfless, driven by the law of inertia. Young people are not far from that duality. JANUSÂ aims to provide vulnerable young people (VYP)Â the option to look towards a welcoming environment with opportunities instead of turning away from a cold and elitist society far from their needs. The project intends to address these priorities from a salutogenic approach. This type of approach allows individuals, even in situations of severe adversity, to make informed health decisions using resources (internal and external), thereby increasing their resilience and proactive capacity.
The JANUS project brings together diverse and complementary partners, each contributing unique competencies and skills aligned with the project's central focus on tools, resources, and methodologies for supporting young people in vulnerable conditions. In the short term, the project involves direct engagement of young individuals in various stages, adapting good practices and tools. Looking ahead, the project places trust in the quality of methodologies and tools to enhance the participation of vulnerable young people in European policies. The partners include UNIVERSITATEA DE ARTE DIN TARGU MURES, a higher education institution with expertise in intercultural learning; FUNDATIA PROFESSIONAL, a non-profit foundation promoting youth education and human rights; SOLIS SRLS, a research-based consultancy firm specializing in Autobiographical Theatre methodology; and SHIPCON LIMASSOL, a dynamic company focusing on vocational and education training. Together, these partners aim to improve their work with specific target groups and contribute to the social inclusion of those facing adversity.
The activities envisaged by Janus are:
Autobiographical Theatre: Training of trainers;
Adaptation of AT methodology in Romania and Cyprus;
Co-creation of JANUS methodology;
Implementation of Janus methodology in Romania and Cyprus;
Local Testing workshops in Italy, Romania and Cyprus;
2 Autobiographical theatre performances in Romania;
1 Autobiographical theatre performance in Cyprus;
Digital platform;
1 e-booklet;
Set of videos;
1 Janus Festival of Autobiographical Theatre in Romania
Janus Project will create resources to help young people learn how to build and rebuild their health balance and quality of life, enabling them to move from unhealthy situations. Young people will create autobiographical performances to tell about mental illness, challenging stereotypes, helping them to reduce stigma, and decreasing the sense of isolation. They will be actors of their own stories, proving that they have something to tell and that they deserve to be heard