On May 23, 2024, the Cultural Literacies’ Value in Europe (CLiViE) project held its first Peer-to-Peer Meeting in Leiden, focusing on ‘Listening to Young People and Their Voices.’
 

This significant event featured presentations from five prominent non-academic organizations that shared their expertise and innovative approaches to engaging with young people:

1. Karolina Sajniak - Drzyzga, Julian Cochran Foundation: "Breaking the Spell Around Classical Music – Giving a Voice to the Young Generation," which explored novel methods to make classical music more accessible and engaging for the youth.

2. Milda Laužikaitė and Saulė Norkutė, Kūrybinės jungtys: "Creative Partnerships for Deep Learning and Community Dialogue," which highlighted the transformative power of creative collaborations in promoting deep learning and community engagement.

3. Sharon Detrick, Defence for Children International Nederland: "A Children’s Rights Perspective on Listening to Young People and Children," emphasizing the importance of incorporating children's rights into our dialogue and engagement practices.

4. Jyrki Erakorpi, Helsingen Nuorten Miesten Kristillinen Yhdistys: Shared insights from his extensive experience in youth engagement and community work.

5. De Kleine Ambassade @De Kleine Ambassade: Presented their innovative methods for engaging young people, followed by an insightful Q&A session.
    

Key takeaways from the event include:

• The critical role that young people play in shaping our collective future.

• The strong desire of young people to express their sensitivity and to be genuinely heard.

• The most effective way to discover what young people truly want and need is to ask them directly.

• Young people’s ideas are often surprising, fresh, and remarkably creative.
   

The CLiViE project is an ambitious initiative aimed at redefining the value of cultural literacy through arts-based education, thereby enhancing social cohesion across Europe. This project is poised to foster a more inclusive and culturally rich society.