For the first production of the second YVA-cycle, young people from Poland, Czechia and Germany came together to engage intensively with their region, their personal wishes, and their visions for the future. The aim was to contribute their own ideas to the planning of the Future Congress and at the same time to try their hand at art.

As part of the production program, the group visited the campus Görlitz of Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences on Friday morning. Together with social work students, they enjoyed a varied and successful morning there. The young people then returned to the Begegnungszentrum Großhennersdorf, where they used biographical methods to explore the question of their own identity in the region.

Saturday was initially dominated by questions: What am I missing in my place of residence or in my region? And what major investment would I make here? The answers ranged from a lack of meeting places and like-minded people to issues such as climate change, environmental protection, and social cohesion. In addition to establishing more meeting places, ideas such as the creation of a climate-neutral village were also presented.

At the same time the Future Congress took center stage. A preliminary basic concept and various format ideas were presented, discussed and further developed. The young people contributed their own ideas, wishes and suggestions for the event and provided important impetus and inspiration.

On Sunday the first production came to an end with a joint brunch and agreements on how to proceed. Over the coming months the young people will work with other young people from the region to prepare for the Future Congress, where they will discuss their wishes for the region and exchange views on overarching topics.