Our main objective was to position art as a language of peace and a tool for social transformation for young people, and to promote community-based art practices at both local and international levels. During the transnational mobilities held in Poland, Lithuania, and Germany, each partner presented good practices from their country and demonstrated the transformative power of art in local contexts. Young participants and youth workers experienced cultural empathy, dialogue, and collaboration through co-creation processes. Local workshops, field visits, and community art projects encouraged social participation and enabled young people to express themselves through art. Youth workers improved their knowledge and skills, and sustainable outputs such as guidebooks and modular training content were developed. Our long-term goal was to build a strong and sustainable network to support art-based peace-building across Europe.
The main reason we applied for this project was our desire to offer an art-based and inclusive solution to the increasing polarization, exclusion, and lack of intercultural understanding among young people across Europe. The project was designed with a strong and complementary partnership: Art4Work (PL) contributed with its expertise in creative production, JUBUK (DE) with its experience in intercultural youth work, and Balturka (LT) with its strong local engagement through cultural activities. This multi-actor and interdisciplinary structure, involving expert organizations JUBUK, Balturka and ART4WORK, allowed for rich experience-sharing in both the fields of art and youth work. The project aimed to develop a holistic approach to shared challenges such as building trust between young refugees, migrants, and local communities, strengthening social cohesion, and supporting cultural integration. We believed that community-based art practices could serve as a powerful tool for young people to express themselves and contribute to peacebuilding. Moreover, we identified the need to enhance the capacities of youth workers, disseminate good practices, and create a sustainable impact aligned with European values.