Last month, the ESCAPERS team traveled to the heart of Ireland for one of the project’s most critical milestones: the four-day Learning, Teaching, and Training Activity (LTTA). With the impeccable hospitality of our partner, the renowned Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, these days were a marathon of learning, collaboration, and, of course, play.
The Mission: From Theory to Practice
The goal of the LTTA was clear: to ensure that all partners from Greece, Ireland, Italy, and Spain share a deep, unified understanding of the ESCAPERS methodology. We had to transform the ideas from the Methodological Guide into practical skills that we could apply in our local workshops.
A Rich Program of Learning and Collaboration
During the four days, the schedule was packed with activities covering all the key pillars of our training:
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Deep Dive into Methodology: We dedicated significant time to intensive sessions, where we delved into the principles of intergenerational learning and analyzed game mastering techniques. We discussed critical questions: How do you create a safe space? How do you encourage collaboration between strangers of different ages? How do you give the right hints without spoiling the magic of the game?
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The Playtesting Lab: The heart of the meeting was, of course, the moment we tested the first versions of the escape games. The room filled with energy, laughter, and intense discussions. Watching your partners try to solve a puzzle you designed is a unique experience. The feedback was immediate and invaluable, as we identified what worked, what needed improvement, and got the first real sense of how our future players would feel.
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The Power of Creative Expression: The program was enriched with a special workshop from the Gaiety School of Acting. They taught us how to use techniques from theater and improvisation to “break the ice” and encourage creative expression. These skills are vital for facilitating our intergenerational groups.
Key Takeaways
We left Dublin not only with new knowledge but also with renewed enthusiasm. Our key findings were three:
- Nothing replaces in-person testing: The dynamics of a game are only revealed when it is played.
- The strength of the team is our multiplier: The diversity of skills and perspectives among the partners is our greatest asset.
- We are ready for the next step: We now feel confident and equipped to begin the pilot phase of the project in our respective countries.
The LTTA in Dublin was much more than just a training session. It was the moment when a group of partners transformed into a cohesive team ready to bring ESCAPERS to the communities that need it most.
