With CHARYSMA, we aimed to empower young people in rural areas of Austria and Slovenia to actively engage with cultural heritage and to develop skills that would support them in shaping their futures. Our goal was to transform cultural heritage from something young people simply inherit into something they can co-create. We wanted to give them the tools, confidence and spaces to work digitally, think creatively and participate more strongly in European programmes and decision-making processes. At the same time, the project aimed to strengthen cooperation between youth organisations, municipalities and cultural institutions by offering a practical model for cross-border youth participation. Through workshops, digital heritage work, archaeological field activities and two international CHARYSMA camps, we set out to foster European identity, curiosity, critical thinking and intercultural understanding among young people. Ultimately, we wanted young participants not only to learn about their cultural roots, but also to experience that their voices matter — locally, nationally and within Europe.
We applied for CHARYSMA because we noticed that many young people growing up in rural municipalities in Austria and Slovenia have fewer opportunities to connect with Europe, to learn digital skills, or to actively shape cultural life in their communities. In small villages, cultural heritage is often present everywhere — in old farmhouses, archaeological sites, local traditions — but young people rarely have the chance to explore it in a way that feels relevant to them. Many had never worked with digital media to reinterpret heritage, never joined an international youth activity, and often felt that “Europe is far away” from their daily lives. At the same time, local authorities and youth organisations told us that they lacked concrete methods to involve young people in cultural decision-making or to make heritage attractive for a younger generation. CHARYSMA was designed to close this gap. Through workshops, digital media, archaeology-based activities and youth camps, we wanted to give rural youth new spaces to participate, experiment and take ownership. The project addressed the need for inclusion, visibility and skills — helping young people discover that their heritage has European value, and that their voice is important.