By María Carracedo (Fundación INTRAS)
In November 2019, ACTitude project started with a kick off meeting in Valladolid. In two days of intensive work we build a solid team work and bring into life our project. At that time we did not know (in fact nobody knew) that in few months a virus was going to extend over the world and that our reality was going to change drastically….as everyone we had to stayed at home, and we used that time to create the training units. Fortunately we had already identify the case scenarios talking face to face in our own organisations with people with mental illness suffering about the verbal violence situations they face, and with the professionals who work with them.
With 12 case scenarios, we met online almost every week to create the ACT IT OUT training course. Those meetings and the work in the project helped us (or at least me) to survive at home.
Later we started going out home, in Spain, in Greece, in Germany and in Slovenia…but just a little, and we could not meet with many people. It was the beginning of the restrictions era. Limits of forum, many places closed, masks on the faces, hydro alcohol, disinfection of everything all the time, no touching allowed, keeping distance with others, temperature control at the entrance of public buildings, forbidden to share a simple pencil …A nightmare that changed every two weeks. And in that moment we had to test our training course!!!
Those difficulties, together with some other problems, obliged to our German partners to leave the project at the end of 2020. In Greece, they managed to implement the course to professionals on line, and later face to face with users. In Spain, we decided to do it face to face, quickly, with less people in few weeks, but taking advantage of a moment in which we could be 10 people together in a classroom. We did not know how was going to be situation later on.
2021 started with the search of new partners. We found them in Ireland. We had to ask for an extension in the project duration to give them time to organise the pilot and the events, and everything else.
In October we could meet again in Dublin. Great moment!! But the final meeting was also a challenge. Some of us could not travel due to new mobility restrictions, some others couldn’t because they got coronavirus at that moment…so we meet partially online.
And now we are at the very end of it. I lived ACTitude as a continuous fight against difficulties, but with enthusiasm, because I loved it, and also with the feeling of being supported and accompanied by a great team. We could do it because we did it together.
Thanks for your exceptional ACTitude!!
See you at the theatre!
