Your Space pursued the goal of strengthening the personal, social, and action-oriented competences of (marginalised) young people in dealing with societal challenges. At the same time, it aimed to promote social cohesion and civic engagement in local neighbourhoods. At the actor level, the project sought to improve the professional skills, institutional capacities, and networking of stakeholders in youth, cultural, and arts work. This applied to both established and emerging actors. On a systemic level, the objective was to further develop enabling framework conditions for cultural youth education Art and creativity served as connecting elements to shape the social space as a place of participation. This activated young people to explore their own topics, engage with different perspectives, and develop a stronger sense of community. Special attention was given to the creation of low-threshold offerings in cooperation with relevant local actors. In this way, the project contributed to the realisation of the goals of the Erasmus+ programme (promotion of personal development, social inclusion, and active citizenship).
The project “Your Space” was based on a well-founded needs analysis that particularly took into account the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people and the cultural sector. The restrictions caused by the pandemic led many young people to experience isolation, disorientation, and a decline in trust in society. At the same time, susceptibility to populism, disinformation, and anti-democratic tendencies increased—especially among young people living in disadvantaged circumstances. The project responded to these challenges by using cultural forms of expression as a means to promote resilience, social participation, and democratic education. In doing so, it addressed three central needs: *The need of young people for life-world-oriented activities that combine creative self-efficacy with social engagement. *The need for professional development in youth and cultural work: professionals require competencies for systematic collaboration as well as knowledge on inclusion, diversity, sustainability, and relevant political strategies in the post-COVID context. *The need for the structural development of political framework conditions for policy-makers.