"Art Connects Us: Exploring Diversity Through Creativity" is an Erasmus+ Youth Exchange in Spain, from 13 to 20 November 2026, organised by Youth Power Germany for young people from Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Poland. It uses art as a research tool to perceive how societies work and as a creative tool to imagine how they could become more inclusive. Applications close on 17 October 2026. At Youth Works Hub, we reviewed the organiser's page, the infopack, the agenda and the live application form so you know exactly what you are signing up for.
Accommodation and food (3 meals and 2 coffee breaks) are covered, and travel is reimbursed according to the Erasmus+ distance calculator. The exchange is guided by one open question: can art change the world?
Why Art, and Why Inclusion
European societies are becoming more diverse, yet many young people experience growing polarisation, discrimination and feelings of not belonging. Young people with fewer opportunities, whether because of disability, migration background, socioeconomic situation, gender identity, sexual orientation or where they live, are often the least visible in public debate. At the same time, young people frequently find it difficult to talk about these topics directly, especially across languages and cultures.
Art offers a different way in. It lets people express experiences they may not have words for, see familiar realities from new angles and imagine alternatives together. Throughout history, artists have used their work to question injustice and propose new ways of living together.
The central question of the week is "Can art change the world?" Three supporting questions shape the days around it:
🔍 How do we perceive our societies, and who is visible or invisible in them?
🚧 What barriers to inclusion do young people experience today?
🎨 What can art do to make our communities more inclusive, and what are its limits?
Aims and Objectives
The overall aim is to empower young people to use art as a tool to understand, question and improve inclusion in their societies. The infopack lists five objectives:
🪞 To explore participants' own identities, perspectives and biases, and how these shape the way they perceive others and their societies.
📢 To raise awareness of different forms of exclusion and discrimination that young people face in Europe today, such as racism, disability, migration, gender and socioeconomic barriers.
🧰 To equip participants with a range of artistic methods they can use to observe, express and communicate social issues, regardless of previous artistic experience.
🤝 To foster intercultural dialogue, empathy and cooperation by creating collective artworks in diverse, mixed groups.
🌱 To empower young people to imagine more inclusive communities and take action locally, sharing their artworks and ideas with the wider public.
Rooted in Youth Goal #3: Inclusive Societies
The activity is rooted in Youth Goal #3, Inclusive Societies. According to the infopack, it contributes to two targets: enabling and ensuring the inclusion of all young people in society, and providing more spaces, opportunities, resources and programmes to foster dialogue and social cohesion and to face discrimination and segregation.
The Four Phases of the Week
The exchange follows non-formal education principles and uses an arts-based, experiential research approach. Participants act as researchers of their own societies: they observe, collect impressions, test ideas through art and reflect on what they discover.
👁️ Perceive. Participants look at themselves and at the society around them. Who am I, how do others see me, and what do I notice (or overlook) in public space? Tools include identity collages, photo walks, observation exercises and mapping the local environment for accessibility and visibility.
🧩 Understand. Participants dig into the experiences and barriers behind what they have seen, including racism, disability, migration, gender and LGBTQ+ inclusion, social class, rural and urban divides, digital exclusion and hate speech. Tools include storytelling, a human library, street interviews and Theatre of the Oppressed, where scenes of exclusion are acted out and the audience steps in to change the outcome.
🖌️ Imagine and create. Working in mixed groups, participants develop artworks that respond to what they have learned and propose alternatives. Possible art labs include visual arts and collage, murals or street art, spoken word and poetry, photography and participatory video, and movement or dance. The infopack also lists music and rhythm.
📣 Share and act. The artworks come together in a public exhibition or performance, and participants reflect on the central question together. A collective statement or manifesto for inclusive societies could close the week, alongside personal and group action plans for bringing the methods home.
Daily reflection groups and a personal research journal keep the learning visible and support the Youthpass process. The journal asks three questions: what did I create, what did I notice, and what changed in me or in others.
The Agenda, Day by Day
The agenda from the organisers shows a rhythm of breakfast (7:30 to 9:30), a morning session (10:00 to 11:30), a coffee break (11:30 to 11:45), a second session (11:45 to 13:00), lunch (13:00 to 14:00), an afternoon session (14:30 to 16:00), daily reflection (16:00 to 16:30) and dinner (19:00 to 20:00).
🛬 Day 1, 13 November: arrival, with a welcome circle from 20:00 to 21:00.
🤝 Day 2, 14 November: an outdoor activity to get to know each other; warm-up, agreements, and an introduction to the topic and the artistic approach; group interaction with interviews and a collective portrait.
🌳 Day 3, 15 November: an outdoor movement session introducing Youth Goal #3 and inclusive societies; an Art as Dialogue workshop introducing theatre and visual art as tools for inclusion; a session on what an inclusive society is, with country realities; an intercultural evening from 20:00.
🎭 Day 4, 16 November: a creative workshop with theatre and movement improvisation to create visual metaphors; exploring diversity, identity and belonging through games and interviews; an introduction to artistic pathways, where participants choose the artistic team and tools.
🏙️ Day 5, 17 November: urban exploration, a field visit in the city to observe public space, representation, accessibility and diversity; a group discussion on "Whose stories are told? Whose stories are missing?"; outdoor and individual research.
🖼️ Day 6, 18 November: Art Lab I, a mural on making the invisible visible with a manifesto; Art Lab II, first drafts of scenes, visuals and video storyboards; Art Lab 3, artistic development, with the group working on the art exhibition.
🏛️ Day 7, 19 November: final touches and last adjustments to the artworks and the exhibition set-up; the immersive Inclusive Societies exhibition; the Youthpass ceremony and final evaluation session, with reflection on learning and feedback.
🛫 Day 8, 20 November: departure.
What You Take Home
The organiser's page lists the expected outcomes: participants gain competences in cultural awareness and expression, social and civic engagement, communication in foreign languages, and learning to learn, all of which connect directly to the Youthpass key competences.
Tangible results would include a public exhibition or performance, a collection of artworks, a digital gallery or short documentary of the process, a zine or booklet of methods other youth workers can reuse, and local follow-up actions in each partner country.
Who Can Apply
The organiser's page states that eligibility is limited to applicants from Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Poland. It gives the eligible age as 16 to 30 years old and adds a note for youth leaders over 30 years old. Our guide to Erasmus+ age limits explains how age rules differ by activity.
Participants are expected to attend the full duration of the Youth Exchange. The application form asks you to confirm that you will be able to take part from the afternoon of 13 November 2026 until the morning of 20 November 2026. One objective of the project is to equip participants with artistic methods they can use regardless of previous artistic experience.
Arrival, Timing and Departure
🕔 Arrival: the organisers expect you on 13 November 2026 in the afternoon, between 17:00 and 19:00. The start of the welcome programme is arranged with the facilitators based on the arrival time of the participants.
🍽️ Dinner: served between 19:00 and 20:00.
🛫 Departure: envisioned for the morning of 20 November 2026, after breakfast.
The Venue: Xanascat Hostel in Barcelona
All participants are accommodated at Xanascat Hostel, at Passeig de la Mare de Déu del Coll, 41, 51, Gràcia, Barcelona, Spain. The Youth Exchange is held at the residence, and breakfast, lunch and dinner are served there daily.
🌳 Location: the hostel is in the El Coll area, close to Parque Güell, and very well connected to the city centre by public transport: metro and buses.
🛏️ Rooms: 4/5-bed rooms (bunk beds) with shared bathrooms.
🧺 Bed sheets and towels: bed sheets are included, but you should bring your own towels.
📶 Wi-Fi: available in the whole building.
🧳 Check-in: from 14:00, and it is possible to leave luggage in a storage room.
The hostel's own website describes the building as modernist in design with neo-moorish styling, and the neighbourhood as one of the quietest areas of Barcelona, between Gràcia and Horta.
Travel and Reimbursement
All questions about booking tickets and coming to Barcelona go to Veronica Bracaccini, who is in charge of project logistics, through the official project e-mail in the Links section. Please do not buy your tickets before the organisers approve them.
According to Youth Works Hub's review of the infopack, travel expenses are covered by the organisers 100% up to the maximum unit cost shown by the distance calculator for your distance and means of travel. This includes bank transfer and other appropriate fees, and applies to original tickets for plane, bus, train, ferry and carpooling, but not taxi. Travel costs are reimbursed only for the cheapest way of transport and for the return tickets. Our guide to what Erasmus+ coversbreaks down these costs.
The organisers ask you to choose ecologically and economically friendly means of transport if possible. They define sustainable travel (green travel) as travel that uses low-emission means of transport for the main part of the journey, such as bus, train or carpooling, and our guide to green travel in Erasmus+ explains how it works.
For distances of less than 500 km one way, land transport such as train or bus is preferable. If another means, for example an aeroplane, is chosen for such trips, 60% of the airfare is reimbursed, in line with the principle of environmental awareness and protection. When you plan your trip, and before you buy tickets, especially if your itinerary differs from 13 to 20 November 2026, inform the organisers in advance so they can approve your tickets and travel costs.
Travel Budgets by Distance
The travel budget is calculated from the distance between your starting point and the venue, using the official Erasmus+ distance calculator. The amounts per participant are (the second figure is the green option):
🚆 10 to 99 km: 28 EUR / 56 EUR.
🚌 100 to 499 km: 211 EUR / 285 EUR.
✈️ 500 to 1,999 km: 309 EUR / 417 EUR.
🌍 2,000 to 2,999 km: 395 EUR / 535 EUR.
🧭 3,000 to 3,999 km: 580 EUR / 785 EUR.
🗺️ 4,000 to 7,999 km: 1,188 EUR.
🌏 8,000 km or more: 1,735 EUR.
Our guide to Erasmus+ travel reimbursement and distance bands explains how these bands work.
How and When You Get Reimbursed
The travel reimbursement is paid by bank transfer only, after you return home and send the organisers the original boarding passes and tickets, and after you submit the filled-in evaluation forms of the training course. Keep all travel documents (tickets, travel agency invoices and boarding passes), because the organisers can make any reimbursement only on the basis of the documents presented. A detailed guide to reimbursement will be provided. When you buy a travel ticket, ask for the invoice.
📌 Only the cheapest tickets: tickets that deviate from the direct route (A to B to A), and extra unnecessary stops and layovers, are not covered unless needed to reach the destination. Seat reservation fees, leisure plus tickets, flexible tariff tickets, extra travel insurances, boarding fees, local bus baggage, handwritten tickets and bianco nota bills are not covered.
🧳 Luggage: extra hand luggage can be covered if it is within budget. Send a plan before purchasing, because some airlines apply extra fees.
🧾 Agencies: travel agency fees are not covered, and travel agency invoices for the tickets are not accepted for reimbursement.
🚕 Taxis: taxis cannot be reimbursed. Only public transport and carpooling are covered.
📅 Extra days: you can arrive a maximum of 1 day before the activity or depart a maximum of 1 day after if you want to spend more time in Barcelona. In that case, travel expenses must stay within the agreed budget, and accommodation on the extra days is not covered. For green travel, participants can have up to 4 additional travel days, which are meant to be used to reach the destination. The team must approve extra days.
The Team and Partners
Youth Power Germany organises the exchange as a Youth Exchange by Youth Power, co-funded by the European Union. The infopack names four partners:
🤝 Asociación Euro Mirada.
🤝 EMiT Feltrinelli.
🤝 LOGOS Polska.
🤝 Youth OPO.
Veronica Bracaccini is the logistics coordinator. The infopack asks you to contact the project team through the project e-mail when planning your travel, and in case of any problem during your travel or if you need further information. The organisers say you should not hesitate to contact them.
Youth Power Germany's website says the organisation works to boost community-focused structures that address specific challenges with young people at the centre of the revitalisation of their cities, to engage, connect and empower young people to play a more active role in their local community, and to ensure the inclusion of underrepresented groups.
What the Application Form Asks
Before applying, the organiser suggests you read the infopack and make sure you are familiar with its information. For help with the written answers, see our tips for preparing a strong Erasmus+ application. The form asks for:
👤 Your first name, family name, gender (female, male or diverse), country of residence and city of residence.
📱 Your age, your mobile phone number (WhatsApp) and your e-mail address.
🛂 Whether you need a visa to enter Spain.
✍️ Something about yourself, and your motivation and experience in the cultural and art field.
🌐 Whether you are part of the European Solidarity Corps Programme (volunteering, practicum and so on), and whether you are involved in any NGOs, foundations or other organisations.
🎒 Your experience of taking part in youth work events and activities, and of organising and implementing projects focused on cultural exchange.
📣 How you plan to contribute to the dissemination of the project results after the exchange: organising or supporting a local activity, creating social media posts, or writing an article or blog post.
🚆 Your estimated travel costs, your way of transport, and your expected arrival and departure times.
🔒 Your confirmation that your personal data may be used on the participants list, that the organisers can take photos, videos and quotes of you for the promotion, reporting and documentation of the project, and that you can take part in the whole duration of the Youth Exchange.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply to Art Connects Us?
Applicants from Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Poland. The organiser's page gives the eligible age as 16 to 30 years old, with a note for youth leaders over 30 years old.
What is the application deadline?
17 October 2026. The infopack and the organiser's page both give this date.
Do I need artistic experience?
The infopack sets no artistic experience requirement. One objective of the project is to equip participants with artistic methods they can use regardless of previous artistic experience.
What is covered?
Accommodation and food (3 meals and 2 coffee breaks), according to the organiser's page. Travel is reimbursed up to the maximum set by the Erasmus+ distance calculator.
Can I take a taxi and be reimbursed?
No. Taxis cannot be reimbursed. Only public transport and carpooling are covered.
When can I buy my tickets?
Only after the organisers approve them. The infopack asks you not to buy tickets before approval and to inform the organisers in advance if your itinerary differs from 13 to 20 November 2026.
What happens if I choose a plane for a short trip?
For distances under 500 km one way, land transport is preferable. If you choose another means such as a plane, 60% of the airfare is reimbursed.
Can I arrive a day early or leave a day late?
Yes, a maximum of 1 day before or after, if travel expenses stay within the agreed budget. Accommodation on the extra days is not covered, and the team must approve the extra days.
What are the rooms like?
4/5-bed rooms with bunk beds and shared bathrooms. Bed sheets are included, so you only need to bring your own towels.
When do I arrive and when do I leave?
Arrive on 13 November 2026 between 17:00 and 19:00. Departure is in the morning of 20 November 2026, after breakfast.
Will I receive a certificate?
The agenda includes a Youthpass ceremony and final evaluation session on 19 November, and the daily reflection groups and personal research journal support the Youthpass process.
How and when is travel paid back?
By bank transfer only, after you return home and send the original boarding passes and tickets and the filled-in evaluation forms.
Project Snapshot
📌 Type: Erasmus+ Youth Exchange
📍 Location: Xanascat Hostel, Barcelona, Spain
🗓️ Activity Dates: 13–20 November 2026 (arrival 13 November between 17:00 and 19:00, departure 20 November after breakfast)
🌍 Countries: Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain
🎂 Age: 16–30 (youth leaders over 30 years old)
Deadline
⏳ 17 October 2026
Applications close on 17 October 2026. Find more Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges on Youth Works Hub.
Links
🔗 Application form: https://forms.gle/YWwyXfUQpmypKct8A
📄 Infopack: https://ysd.yp-de.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/YE-A14-26-YE-Infopack_compressed.pdf
🗓️ Agenda: https://ysd.yp-de.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/A14-Agenda-.pdf
🌐 Organiser's page: https://ysd.yp-de.org/2026/09/30/can-art-change-the-world/
📏 Erasmus+ distance calculator: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/resources-and-tools/distance-calculator
🏨 Xanascat Hostel (official site): https://xanascat.gencat.cat/en/hostels/hostels/Barcelona-Xanascat
☎️ Hostel contact: +34 932 10 51 51, barcelona.xanascat@gencat.cat
📧 Project e-mail (travel planning and questions, Veronica Bracaccini): project14@yp-de.org
