Art is not only a cultural expression; it is a social language through which societies negotiate identity, belonging and power. Within the framework of CANVAS - "Youth Creating Art Against Discrimination", art is understood broadly: performing arts, music, dance, visual arts, digital storytelling, community heritage and participatory creative practices. Artistic expression creates shared spaces where young people can question stereotypes, express lived experiences and challenge exclusion. Beyond enjoyment and creativity, participation in the arts fosters empathy, civic awareness and social cohesion. Recent European data confirms both the value of cultural participation and the inequalities surrounding it. According to the Eurobarometer on Culture (European Commission, 2025), while 79% of young Europeans consider culture and artistic expression important for democracy and social inclusion, participation remains uneven. Eurostat’s 2025 update on cultural participation shows that young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are significantly less likely to engage in organised cultural or artistic activities compared to their more advantaged peers. Furthermore, the EU Youth Report 2025 highlights that experiences of discrimination remain widespread among young people with migrant backgrounds, Roma youth, and those living in rural or economically disadvantaged regions. The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA, 2025) also reports that Roma communities across Europe continue to face structural discrimination, particularly in education, employment and public representation. These findings reveal a double gap: young people who are most affected by discrimination are also those least likely to access safe and empowering cultural spaces. Barriers include limited local opportunities, lack of information, financial constraints, and fear of stigma. The 2025 European Youth Forum study on Youth Participation and Inclusion identifies “lack of accessible creative platforms” and “absence of representation” as key obstacles preventing marginalised youth from engaging in public life. CANVAS addresses these needs by bringing together 45 young people aged 18-30, including 5 group leades, from Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Bulgaria and Germany, the project aims to transform artistic expression into a structured tool for combating stereotypes and social exclusion. The word "canvas" in Greek can be translated as «καμβάς», meaning the surface where art takes shape. Symbolically, it represents a shared space where young people can express themselves freely, challenge stereotypes, and re-shape social narratives through creativity. The Cypriot youth group recognized within youth work that discrimination among youth often operates subtly, through stereotypes, invisibility, and exclusion from decision-making spaces. Creating a shared “canvas,” both literal and symbolic, participants will critically examine how narratives about “the other” are formed and reproduced. Artistic methods such as collaborative a artistic outputs creation, movement-based storytelling, digital photo-voice techniques and intercultural performance will be used to deconstruct prejudice and reconstruct inclusive narratives. Core objectives of CANVAS are to: -use participatory art as a practical tool to challenge stereotypes and discriminatory attitudes among young people -strengthen intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding among youth from diverse social, ethnic and economic backgrounds -empower young people with fewer opportunities to express their identities and experiences in safe creative spaces -develop critical thinking skills by analysing how media, history and community narratives shape perceptions of difference -promote EU values of equality, human dignity and solidarity through experiential non-formal education -encourage community-level awareness actions that address discrimination at local, national and European levels -build a sustainable international youth network using creative methodologies for social inclusion The project ensures strong inclusiveness by requiring each partner to involve three participants with fewer opportunities, securing balanced representation and equal participation across all countries. At a deeper level, CANVAS seeks to address the urgent need for young Europeans to see diversity not as a threat but as a shared human condition. Rising polarisation, online hate speech and socio-economic inequalities continue to affect youth communities across Europe in 2025. The project therefore focuses on strengthening empathy, responsibility and collective identity through creativity. Positioning art as a means of civic participation rather than passive consumption, CANVAS supports young people in becoming authors of their own narratives. In doing so, it contributes to a Europe where inclusion is not an abstract principle but a lived experience shaped by youth voices.