In June 2026, youth workers, educators, and facilitators from different countries came together in Croatia for the Erasmus+ training course “Connect and Flow” or Co-Flow, an experiential learning journey exploring how movement, creativity, trust, and collaboration can strengthen personal development and youth work practice.
The training course combined two powerful methodologies: Acro Yoga and Theater Improvisation. While Acro Yoga invited participants to build trust, communication, and body awareness through partner-based movement, Theater Improvisation offered tools for spontaneity, creativity, active listening, adaptability, and co-creation. Together, these approaches created a unique learning environment where participants could step outside their comfort zones, embrace uncertainty, and discover new ways of connecting with themselves and others.
Zarika Association was proud to be a partner organization and send four amazing participants to this project, hosted by Outward Bound Croatia and co-funded by the EU. Zarika’s co-founder, Bistra Yakimova, was part of the international training team, facilitating the Theater Improvisation component of the course and contributing to the development of the educational materials used throughout the mobility.
One of the key outcomes of the project is the Co-Flow Acro Yoga & Theater Improv Handbook, a practical resource designed for youth workers, trainers, educators, and facilitators who would like to integrate these methods into their own learning activities. The handbook combines an introduction to the foundations of Acro Yoga, including safety principles, partner roles, and beginner poses, with a collection of Theater Improvisation sessions and exercises focused on listening, acceptance, spontaneity, risk-taking, adaptability, partnership, and co-creation.
The publication offers ready-to-use activities such as improvisation games, reflection questions, group exercises, and creative workshops that can be adapted to different educational contexts. It aims to support practitioners in creating engaging, participatory, and experiential learning environments where participants can develop confidence, communication skills, creativity, and collaboration.
For Zarika, the Co-Flow project reflects our ongoing commitment to experiential education and innovative non-formal learning methods. We believe that both movement-based and arts-based approaches have enormous potential to foster personal growth, active participation, and meaningful human connection.
We are happy to share the Co-Flow Handbook as an open educational resource and hope it will inspire educators, youth workers, and facilitators to bring more playfulness, creativity, trust, and co-creation into their work.
You can download the Co-Flow Handbook here.
