Humour is Serious Business (HiSB) is a fully funded Erasmus+ Training Course taking place in the UNESCO village of Hollókő, Hungary, from 27 November to 3 December 2026, bringing together 36 youth workers from nine countries to turn humour from an instinct into a deliberate, ethical youth-work competence. At Youth Works Hub, we read the full infopack so you know exactly what the week involves, who can join, what is covered and how to apply before the 24 October 2026 deadline.
Delivered under the Erasmus+ Programme (project code 2026-1-HU01-KA153-YOU-000397194) and hosted by the Hungarian foundation Magammal Viszem Alapítvány (MAVISZ), HiSB is a KA153-YOU project built to improve the quality of youth work practice through the power of humour as a way to engage and empower young people more meaningfully.
Why This Course?
The central proposition of HiSB is simple: Instinct → Intention. Most youth workers already use humour by reflex; this training turns that instinctive behaviour into a structured, intentional competence.
😄 It improves individual youth work practice through humour.
🎯 It treats humour as a deliberate tool, not just a fallback when things get awkward.
🤝 It focuses on engaging and empowering young people, especially those with fewer opportunities, more effectively.
What Will You Develop?
The course is built around four objectives:
1️⃣ Engage — use humour to engage young people and youth work communities.
2️⃣ Recognise — recognise types of humour and understand when, where, why and how to apply them.
3️⃣ Reflect — explore cultural differences and your own sense of humour.
4️⃣ Create — create humour-based activities and concrete post-programme actions to bring back to your practice.
🎓 Not sure how a Training Course differs from other Erasmus+ formats? Here is a plain-language guide to what an Erasmus+ Training Course is and who it is for → https://youthworkshub.org/trainingcourse
Who Should Apply?
This is a course for youth workers aged 18 and above who want to use humour sensitively, reflect honestly and share their learning afterwards. You fit the profile if you are one (or more) of the following:
🌱 A young person (18+) identified by their organisation as someone whose participation could have real ripple effects for other young people or peers.
🚀 A young person (18+) already showing potential in youth work, who this programme would help build confidence and take on more responsibility.
⭐ A young leader (18+) already spotted by their organisation as a future leader.
🎓 A professional youth worker, qualified through a recognised institution.
❤️ A voluntary youth worker, working with young people out of genuine interest.
🧑🏫 A practitioner who isn't a youth worker by profession but has relevant expertise and already works with young people (for example a tutor, coach or mentor).
The organisers especially welcome people who want humour as a deliberate tool, who work with young people with fewer opportunities, who lead community groups, workshops or events, and who are ready to step outside their comfort zone.
💡 Wondering whether your profile and country qualify? See our overview of who can apply for Erasmus+ and ESC, and the traits coordinators look for → https://youthworkshub.org/whocanapply
The International Group
HiSB hosts 36 participants from nine countries, with four participants from each partner organisation:
🇭🇺 Hungary — Magammal Viszem Alapítvány (host)
🇵🇱 Poland — Stowarzyszenie Open Soul
🇵🇹 Portugal — Associação Liláz
🇦🇲 Armenia — KASA Gyumri Centre of KASA
🇷🇸 Serbia — NGO "KI-KA"
🇱🇻 Latvia — EA WOH
🇭🇷 Croatia — KOR
🇲🇪 Montenegro — Foundation CIRCLE
🇪🇸 Spain — Asociación Las Niñas del Tul
Welcome to Hollókő
The training is set in Hollókő, meaning "Raven Stone", a UNESCO World Heritage site tucked into the hills of Hungary, known for its cute little houses, hat-like roofs, cobblestone streets and surrounding nature.
🏡 Accommodation is at Kreatív tér, a shared living space with three floors: a ground floor with dining room, tea/coffee corner, kitchen and common toilets; a middle floor with the training room, a sunny community space and a kitchenette; and a first floor with 9 shared rooms (4-, 5- and 6-bed) with private showers and toilets.
🎨 Prefer a longer stay working directly with young people? Take a look at Youth Work and Community Activities volunteering in 🇪🇸 Spain → https://youthworkshub.org/esc-volunteering-spain-youth-work-activities
How the Programme Works
The learning journey runs across six working days, each with morning, afternoon and evening sessions:
📅 Day 1 — Get to know each other.
😀 Day 2 — Introducing different types of humour.
📚 Day 3 — Building knowledge of humour.
🛠️ Day 4 — Upskilling: using humour in your work.
🎭 Day 5 — Putting skills into practice.
🔮 Day 6 — Reflection and looking ahead.
⏰ A typical day runs in blocks: 09:30–11:00 and 11:30–13:00 in the morning, 14:30–16:00 and 16:30–18:00 in the afternoon, and an evening session from 20:00–22:00.
Your Facilitation Team
🎤 Fergal Barr — more than 30 years in full-time youth work, working internationally since 1998, with a professional qualification in Community Youth Work from Ulster University (1995).
🎭 Matthias Schrenk — international training programme trainer since 2009 and a former youth-centre manager.
🤹 Trainer 03 — to be confirmed, with expected expertise in theatre, improvisation, clowning and movement.
You Are Not Doing This Alone
Support runs throughout the week:
🧑🤝🧑 Buddy — regular personal check-ins.
💬 Reflection group — 4–5 participants meeting daily.
🎓 Trainers — available throughout the week.
🧭 Logistics + coordinator — for practical matters, travel and reimbursement questions.
Prepare Before You Arrive
There are a few pre-training tasks to get ready in advance:
🔎 Research humour in your country or culture for the "That's Just Not Funny" session.
🎬 Prepare a maximum 30-second video for the "Rude Tube / YouTube" evening.
🏪 Prepare organisation information for the Market Place session.
🎲 Prepare a maximum 5-minute icebreaker or energiser, and start thinking about Action Planning.
What to Bring
The theme is warm, ready, curious — Hollókő in late November is cold:
🧥 Warm layers, coat, hat, gloves and waterproof outdoor shoes or boots.
👟 Indoor shoes, a reusable water bottle and something representing your country or culture.
🎶 Board games or a musical instrument, if you have one.
😄 A sense of humour.
Meals: "Meat You Halfway"
To be kinder to the planet, half of the week's meals (lunches and dinners) will be meat-free. Hungarian food is tasty even without meat, and the organisers frame vegetarian eating as exploring new flavours rather than "just salads". Any special dietary needs will be arranged directly with the kitchen, so let them know in advance.
Travel, Logistics and Health Insurance
A shared bus is organised between Budapest and Hollókő on the arrival and departure days:
🚌 Arrival — 27 November at 18:00, meeting at the airport bus 200E stop, in front of the KÖKI shopping mall.
🚌 Departure — 3 December at 09:00 from Hollókő, arriving back at KÖKI around 11:00.
💶 The shared bus costs €25 per participant, deducted from the reimbursement limit.
✈️ The 200E airport bus itself takes 20–30 minutes to the airport depending on traffic, so plan your onward flight or train accordingly.
🩺 MAVISZ is not responsible for your health insurance. European citizens can use the European Health Insurance Card; otherwise, health insurance is recommended and can be included in your travel budget.
Reimbursement and Follow-Up
This is a fully funded Erasmus+ training, with travel reimbursed up to the maximum limit per country, transferred to the sending organisation. According to Youth Works Hub's review of the infopack, the maximum travel limits are:
🇭🇺 Hungary €0
🇵🇱 Poland €285 green travel / €211
🇭🇷 Croatia €285 green travel / €211
🇱🇻 Latvia €309
🇷🇸 Serbia €417 green travel / €309
🇲🇪 Montenegro €417 green travel / €309
🇵🇹 Portugal €395
🇦🇲 Armenia €395 + visa/admin support
🇪🇸 Spain €395
📑 Reimbursement requires your travel documents, plus reported colleague training and reported service-user workshops after the course.
🔁 After the training, participants deliver roughly 3–4 hours to colleagues (with a short description and photos/video if possible) and run workshops with young service users totalling at least 9 hours of contact time.
About the Organiser: MAVISZ
Magammal Viszem Alapítvány (MAVISZ) is the Hungarian host foundation running HiSB as an Erasmus+ KA153-YOU project, focused on improving youth work quality through humour. The registration form is open both to participants selected directly by a partner organisation and to independent applicants via SALTO-Youth, with final selection made by your sending or partner organisation.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Is HiSB fully funded? Yes. It is an Erasmus+ Training Course; travel is reimbursed up to the per-country limits above (with a €25 shared-bus cost deducted), and board and lodging in Hollókő are covered.
❓ What is the age requirement? Participants must be 18 or above.
❓ Do I need a sending organisation? Selection is made by your sending or partner organisation. Independent applicants can apply via SALTO-Youth, but selection still runs through a partner.
❓ Are there obligations after the course? Yes. You deliver around 3–4 hours of training to colleagues and run at least 9 hours of workshops with young people, and report both to unlock full reimbursement.
❓ How cold will it be? Late November in Hollókő is cold, so warm layers, waterproof footwear and indoor shoes are essential.
Deadline
⏳ 24 October 2026
Links
📝 Application form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6b2AsUAo875PL9KCsTiTBG4YHKo14Ut3wwIdLcfdhBKpArg/viewform?usp=dialog
📄 Info pack: https://mavisz.my.canva.site/hisb2026
📧 Questions: projects@mavisz.eu (Project coordinator: Bruno Pizzini)
For more fully funded Erasmus+ and ESC opportunities, explained in plain language, visit Youth Works Hub.
⚠️ Important Notice
Youth Works Hub is not the organiser, partner, or representative of the listed projects. This listing is shared for information only, based on details from the source. Deadlines, eligible countries, dates, and other details may change or be withdrawn at any time, and all funding, reimbursements, and allowances are set by the project coordinator or National Agency. Applications go directly to the coordinator or hosting organisation through the official link. Listings may include third-party links (ESC Portal, infopacks, forms) that Youth Works Hub does not control. Always verify the details on the official project page before applying.
