2020 and 2021 have proven to be years of many uncertainties. Where are we headed, considering unpredictable factors like Corona, the war in Ukraine, and antidemocratic tendencies on the rise? This uncertainty currently creates a tense climate of fear and aggressive discourses, in which societies become more and more divided, be it by emotionalized discourses, by growing economical gaps or by flat-out conspiracy theories and misinformation. In this climate, we see a strong need for exchange projects which connect young people across national borders, across cultural and socio-economic groups, with the goal of developing common visions; to provide them with opportunities to challenge stereotypes concerning nationality, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, body standards – in the search for diversity-inclusive futures. Our past multilateral exchanges have proven a very high potential of deconstructing nationalist stereotypes as well as culturalisation of problems: an ideal opportunity for young people to define and connect over the spirit of active citizenship. Performing arts, and especially the melting pot of urban cultures and contemporary performing arts that you find in the international ROOTS & ROUTES network, have proven to be a great intersection between very heterogeneous groups; young people can use them as amplifiers to voice their concerns, wishes and ideas to a broad public in live performances and media. This connection between youth empowerment, non-formal education in arts and socio-political participation is a common trait of ROOTS & ROUTES projects. As in all recent RRXP projects, we didn't pre-define a topic; but rather used a participatory process involving the groups from all countries, bringing in their opinions and current concerns on the development of the European and global society, the urgent topics moving them currently. Those topics were exchanged and pooled in a moderated process using national pre-meetings, the transnational Preparatory Visit and online tools, leading to a collective decision on the theme of hybris and crossing borders, and the title “Momentum Expansion”, which gave a common umbrella to everybody’s ideas and concerns. The exchange focused on dealing with the selected topics in an intense way, using discussions, non-formal learning methods, online research and artistic approaches, to create artistic statements meaningful for all participants, including heartfelt input from everybody; and connecting it to a collective transdisciplinary topical performance which was played on a professional theatre stage to a semi-public audience in Cologne; and published as an online video. While this performance was great to give the participants a stage and audience for their collective vision, it was just as important that the participants were empowered to, and acquired new competences to, communicate their concerns, protest and demands in an artistic way, addressing their contemporaries on multiple channels rather than only via cognitive-rational discourse. Our objective of giving opportunities to challenge stereotypes concerning nationality, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, body standards – in the search for diversity-inclusive futures – has been reached. So have our development goals for the participants: They developed a better understanding of social, cultural and other forms of diversity, their connection to power structures, and increased their awareness for those power structures. They got to know analog and digital methods of researching and debating topics, formed arguments into storylines, and communicated their thoughts and ideas in a clear way. Guided by a team following a diversity-conscious approach they worked together in international culturally and socially diverse groups; learning to work together in heterogeneous groups in respectful ways towards reaching a common goal and to learn from each other. They became aware of the possible impact and power of creativity and performing arts; using performing arts to express themselves and to communicate thoughts, ideas, wishes, concerns and demands of empower. They got to know what it can be like to work in a (close to) professional artistic environment; they improved their artistic skills, trained by highly professional artists and arts educators. They improved their nonverbal and English communication skills. Both the artistic coaches and RRCGN core team followed closely the development of each individual participant during the process, giving them feedback and (as far as appropriate) advice on personal and artistic development.