With the project "What matters" we used the method "circus" to bring youth and young people together. The result is a circus family with artists from Tallinn, Brno and Stuttgart. The name of this circus troupe is CIRLINK. The circus is the epitome of an intercultural project. Artists are well-travelled, international and open. In the circus, life takes place where everyone is celebrated with their special abilities and talents, in their uniqueness - diversity in action! Everyone can join the circus, everyone finds a task, be it in front of or behind the scenes, in the organisation, the music, the stage design or the costumes. There are no limits. Everyone is invited to enter the realm of imagination, learn new things, experience themselves and express themselves creatively. The content and theme was to become aware of one's own values, to exchange ideas with other young people and to develop a show on the theme "What matters". We found out what matters, which values are important and what young people want to stand up for. In times of populism, this is an important experience for everyone involved. The young people for whom democracy and freedom are important are not alone! A 1: Brno in the Czech Republic First, the young people from Tallinn and Stuttgart travelled to Brno, which is Stuttgart's twin city. Here, a circus troupe was put together with the young people aged 18 to 24 for one week. The 36 participants immersed themselves in the circus world and developed a story in intercultural groups and dealt with the question, "What counts!". This project took place in a public square. Thus, a lively, international hustle and bustle took place here, which was also followed intensively by the local population. We had more spectators at the show than expected. As in the other cities, we were able to make Europe visible through the public performance and also to do public relations work for the "Erasmus" programme. A2: Tallinn in Estonia Almost the same participants who took part in the first activity went to Tallinn. The groups were again mixed internationally: musically, with circus disciplines, internationally. We noticed that the bias and insecurity that was felt at the first meeting was blown away. Some of the acts in the show were beyond the level of amateurs - an indication of very good cooperation and a sense of community. A3: Stuttgart in Germany was the high point and conclusion of the project. Again, almost the same participants were able to greet each other and deepen relationships and friendships. International circus life In all three projects, the participants were able to get a taste of circus life and immerse themselves in a new world. They learned about circus disciplines and were part of a circus family. In any case, it was an incomparable experience for the young people. The project was noticed locally, the project leaders will also present this project in the world of circus educators and international encounters and motivate them to imitate it. Becoming creative together and being on stage For the young people it was a formative experience to stand on stage together. It was surprising to see the high level and team spirit with which they rehearsed for the shows, how the processes were shaped by the participants in such a way that really everyone found a place in their "circus company". And the effort paid off: the international shows were celebrated by the audience. We have absolutely achieved our goal of founding a European circus group based on common values. Intensive processes of debate and discussion took place. As in a "real" company, conflicts had to be fought out, intercultural differences had to be dealt with until all participants found their own place. It was an intensive process, also dictated by the demand to make the project as participatory as possible. But once again we experienced that it is precisely these projects that create relationships and a network that is sustainable. This was also a good experience for us at the organisational level. Through this project we were able to get to know colleagues with whom we will continue to work internationally.