Led by international mentors Arnis Aleinikovas (theatre), Conny Beißler (media) and Susannah Iheme (movement), the Academy combined 60 hours of workshops with 60+ hours of individual coaching practice.
Participants explored inclusive artistic practices, public speaking, emotional intelligence, and workshop facilitation. They developed and tested their own workshop ideas, learned conflict moderation, and even completed a first aid course.
An essential part of the program was developing independent workshop ideas. Participants designed and piloted their own workshops, applying what they had learned in practice and receiving constructive feedback from both mentors and peers
By the end of the program, participants not only strengthened their artistic and leadership skills but also built lasting international connections. Graduates received the ROOTS & ROUTES Peer Coach 2.0 Certificate, co-signed by Vytautas Magnus University Education Academy.
The Academy empowered young artists to grow as coaches, mentors and community leaders - ready to inspire others through creativity, empathy, and confidence.
RRPCA 2.0 is implemented by a consortium of organisations from the ROOTS & ROUTES network, committed to training a new generation of socially engaged artists and youth workers.
The project is led by ROOTS & ROUTES Cologne e.V. in partnership with Synergy of Music Theatre (Larissa, Greece), Streetdance Center (Salzburg, Austria), Kaunas Cultural Centre of Various Nations (Kaunas, Lithuania), Subjective Values Foundation (Budapest, Hungary), Empreinte (Lille, France), and Centro di Creazione e Cultura (Florence, Italy).
Funded by Erasmus+
National co-funding in Germany by the DOHLE Foundation
From July 22–31, 2025, Kaunas hosted the Peer Art Coach Academy Lithuania, a training and mentorship program for young dancers, actors, and media artists aged 18–35.