🇩🇪 Erasmus+ Youth Exchange in Germany 🎨 ARTivism LAB — Democratic Voices Through Visual Art, Performance & Digital Storytelling 🎬

Your creativity is a democratic act. That is the idea this exchange is built on. Not lectures. Not PowerPoints. Paint, movement, cameras, and the kind of honest conversation that only happens when you make something together — in Berlin, with young people from five countries who showed up for the same reason you did.

Youth Power Germany is organising ARTivism LAB — an Erasmus+ Youth Exchange taking place in Berlin from 15 to 22 June 2026. The project brings together young people aged 18 to 30 from Germany, Romania, Poland, Czech Republic, and Norway to co-create democratic voices through visual art, performance, and digital storytelling.

The activity is rooted in Youth Goal #1: Connecting EU with Youth — contributing to meaningful youth involvement in democratic decision-making and building young people's trust in the EU project.

What Is This Exchange About?

The distance between young people and EU institutions is not about apathy — it is about language. The language of politics rarely sounds like the language of real life. Art does. When you turn your perspective into a mural, a performance, or a short film, suddenly people listen. ARTivism LAB is the space where that happens.

What Each Art Form Opens

🎨 Visual art gives shape to the things that are hard to put into words — your values, your frustrations, your vision

🎭 Performance gives you the courage to take up space, be seen, and make people feel what you feel

🎥 Digital storytelling puts you behind the camera — so you get to decide whose story gets told, and how

⚠️ No artistic experience needed. No wrong answers.

Objectives

🌍 Create a safe, inclusive, and inspiring space where young people from diverse European backgrounds explore the connection between artistic expression and democratic citizenship

🛠️ Introduce ARTivist methodologies — visual art, performance, and digital storytelling — as accessible tools for civic self-expression

🤝 Foster intercultural dialogue and transnational solidarity by co-creating shared artistic and civic narratives across borders

📁 Produce a collective ARTivist portfolio — a real, shareable body of work that makes young people's perspectives on European democracy visible and public

🎓 Equip participants with transferable ARTivist tools, non-formal education methods, and Youthpass recognition

By the End of the Week, You Will Have

🖼️ Co-created a collective ARTivist portfolio showing what European democracy looks like from where you actually stand

🎓 A Youthpass recognising your learning

🔧 The tools to keep making your voice heard when you get home

The Venue — JH International, Berlin

📍 Kluckstraße 3, 10785 Berlin, Germany — Potsdamer Platz area, with shopping areas, green spaces, and excellent public transport connections

🛏️ Shared 3 to 4-bed bunk bed rooms with shared bathrooms — bed sheets included

🧴 Bring your own towels

🍽️ Breakfast, lunch, and dinner served daily at the residence

💻 WiFi throughout the building

📅 Arrival: 15 June between 17:00 and 19:00 — welcome programme and dinner from 19:00

📅 Departure: Morning of 22 June after breakfast

Travel & Reimbursement

⚠️ Do NOT purchase tickets before receiving approval from the project team.

📧 Contact logistics coordinator Veronica Bracaccini: project16@yp-de.org

🌿 Green travel strongly encouraged — for distances under 500 km, land transport is preferred. Flights for distances under 500 km reimbursed at 60% only.

📍 10–99 km: €28 / €56 (green)

📍 100–499 km: €211 / €285 (green)

📍 500–1,999 km: €309 / €417 (green)

📍 2,000–2,999 km: €395 / €535 (green)

📍 3,000–3,999 km: €580 / €785 (green)

⚠️ Only cheapest tickets reimbursed. No taxis, travel agency fees, seat reservations, or flexible tariffs. Extra hand luggage may be covered within budget — confirm before purchasing.

⚠️ Participants may arrive 1 day early or depart 1 day late at own accommodation expense. Green travel participants may have up to 4 additional travel days.

⚠️ Reimbursement by bank transfer after returning home, upon submission of original boarding passes, tickets, and completed evaluation forms.

💬 Curious about how Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges are planned and what actually happens behind the scenes? This guide takes you inside the full process: https://youthworkshub.org/15107/