EUROPEAN YOUTH MEETING - PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

Linking artistic practice and educational reflection to the local context

Overview

The excursions form an essential connective element of the project.
They link artistic workshops and culture-theoretical learning with specific places, landscapes, and social realities in the region of Eastern Poland.

Excursions are not conceived as sightseeing activities. They are learning spaces, where physical presence, historical context, and lived experience intersect. Participants engage with borders, urban transformation, and regional development in a way that complements and deepens the artistic and educational workshops.

Through guided encounters with places and people, abstract concepts such as borders, identity, security, and solidarity become tangible and emotionally accessible.

D1 — Excursion to the EU–Belarus Border

Experiencing borders as physical and symbolic realities

Concept

An excursion to the border region between Poland and Belarus — as close as legally and ethically possible — allows participants to physically encounter the concept of the border.

The border is approached both:

• symbolically, as a line of separation, exclusion, and projection
• practically, as a real space shaped by political decisions, security practices, and humanitarian consequences

Participants are invited to reflect on how borders operate not only between states, but also between people, narratives, and identities.

The excursion takes place in a protected and carefully facilitated environment, respecting legal constraints and participants’ safety at all times.

D1.1 — Poetry Reading as On-Site Activity

At a selected location near the border, participants engage in a collective poetry reading.

Texts may include:

• poems by repressed, exiled, or murdered authors
• contemporary texts addressing borders, displacement, and resistance

The readings create a quiet, reflective counterpoint to the heavily politicised and securitised environment of the border area.

Objective:
To connect place, language, and memory, and to experience poetry as a form of resistance and remembrance.

D1.2 — Guerrilla-Style Action: “Protest Procession”

(Reference to A1.4)

In connection with the creative workshop on political art, participants may carry out a symbolic, non-violent performative action.

This may include:

• walking together along selected paths near the border
• carrying self-designed flags or symbols
• expressing personal and political positions related to asylum, freedom of movement, and human rights

The action is framed as artistic expression, not political demonstration, and is conducted with full awareness of legal boundaries.

Objective:
To experience collective presence and embodied expression in relation to contested spaces.

D1.3 — Dialogue with Border Guards and Refugee Aid Activists

(Reference to B1)

Where possible, participants engage in moderated discussions with:

• representatives of the Polish border guard
• activists or members of refugee aid organisations

The aim is to expose participants to diverging perspectives on border security, humanitarian responsibility, and asylum law.

The discussion is intentionally open and may include controversial viewpoints, allowing participants to practice respectful dialogue in politically sensitive contexts.

Objective:
To understand how “invisible” borders manifest through policy, practice, and personal experience.

Learning Goal of D1

Participants gain:

• a concrete understanding of borders as lived spaces
• insight into conflicting narratives around security and human rights
• material for artistic and reflective follow-up work

D2 — Supraśl and Białystok
Regional and urban development contexts
Concept
Excursions to Supraśl and Białystok connect artistic workshops with regional development, urban transformation, and youth participation.
Participants explore how cultural initiatives can contribute to the revitalisation of rural and urban spaces — particularly in regions located at the periphery of Europe.

D2.1 — Art Roundabouts & Youth Tourism Route
(Reference to A4.1)
Participants explore potential locations for art-roundabout installations along the Białystok–Supraśl cycle path.
Activities include:
• identifying suitable sites
• discussing visibility, accessibility, and symbolism
• developing initial artistic concepts
The idea is to create a youth-oriented cultural route, linking art, movement, and landscape.
Objective:
To explore how art can shape regional identity and attract youth engagement without commercialisation.

D2.2 — Urban Development: Lost Places in Białystok
(Reference to A4.2)
During excursions in Białystok, participants identify neglected or underused urban locations.
These “lost places” are examined with regard to:
• their social history
• current usage or neglect
• potential as meeting points for youth and minority communities, including the Belarusian diaspora
Participants develop ideas for transforming such locations into temporary safe spaces through artistic and cultural use.
Objective:
To understand urban space as a field of responsibility and possibility for youth-led cultural action.

Educational & Reflective Dimension
All excursions are accompanied by:
• preparatory sessions
• contextual information
• post-excursion reflection rounds
Participants are encouraged to connect observations from excursions with:
• artistic workshop themes
• theoretical discussions
• personal experiences
Excursions thus function as bridges between learning, art, and lived reality.

Outcomes & Long-Term Impact
For participants:
• deeper understanding of borders, regions, and urban transformation
• embodied learning experiences
• inspiration for artistic work
For the project:
• strong contextual grounding
• meaningful integration of local realities
For European youth exchange:
• increased awareness of peripheral regions
• strengthened sense of shared responsibility across borders