How can we discuss environmental issues with young people without causing concern about climate change? By focusing on hope, creativity and real-life experience. Jointly initiated by GaiaLux asbl and Kehsia asbl, ‘IDEE en Action’ transformed the touring exhibition on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into a genuine educational platform. Somatic movement, eco-poetry, storytelling and active reflection circles took centre stage, sparking enthusiasm among students aged 12 to 18 and teachers who accompanied them.

This enthusiasm quickly spread beyond the pilot schools, the European School Luxembourg I and the Solina Youth Centre. Driven by growing interest from teaching staff and institutions, the project forged new partnerships with other secondary schools, whilst demand to host the exhibition and associated educational activities continued to grow. From a series of workshops, IDEE en Action has thus evolved into a genuine community initiative, taking the form of exhibitions, festivals and public events, from Eurostat to the Lët’z Refashion Concept Store, via LUGA and the On Stéitsch festival, driven by a growing number of young volunteers who chose to commit to the project beyond their initial involvement.

The project came to a close in June 2026 with a community celebration in Mamerhaff, bringing together local residents and partners to view the works created over the course of the year.

From October 2025 to July 2026, 17 students from class S5L2 at the École Internationale de Differdange, guided by the director and actor Serge Wolfsperger, delved into their own family histories of exile and migration. Drawing on personal objects, photographs and home films, they wrote autobiographical stories in their mother tongue, which were translated into French, before developing them further through theatre and film work inspired by Laurent Gaudé’s play ‘Caillasses‘. From writing to staging, via filming and commenting on their own footage, the students became narrators and spokespeople for family stories that had often remained hidden.

These intimate narratives, developed through a series of discussions, took shape in the exhibition ‘Objets Migrateurs’, which run for several months at the Centre de Documentation sur les Migrations Humaines (CDMH) in Dudelange, from the opening on 4 July until the closing at the end of October 2026.

Public speaking, debating, persuading: these are just some of the skills that the Eloquentia programme helps Luxembourg secondary school students develop each year. For this second edition, held from 17 to 21 November 2025, ten groups from six secondary schools across the country came together for five days, guided by trainers from the Eloquentia association, to practise public speaking techniques. The novelty of this edition lay in its central theme: fair trade textiles. By partnering with the ‘Rethink Your Clothes’ campaign run by the NGO Fairtrade Lëtzebuerg, the competition, renamed for the occasion ‘I wear, therefore I think’, invited students to transform their questions about fashion and consumption into committed speeches. One hundred secondary school students learned how to deliver a message close to their hearts in front of an audience, culminating in the grand final organised on 8 December 2025 at Neimënster by the Institut français du Luxembourg, in front of 120 spectators.

Beyond the public speaking itself, a sense of group dynamic took hold: the students supported and encouraged one another throughout the workshops, with each participant gaining confidence as the others became more comfortable speaking. Supported by the Fondation Sommer since its first edition in 2023, alongside the Institut français du Luxembourg and the Association Victor Hugo, the project has been further enriched this year by a new partnership with Fairtrade Lëtzebuerg, a sign that the programme continues to evolve with each successive edition.

“Zempia, pile ou face”, an Afro-contemporary choreographic and musical production, brought together professional dancers and students from the EIMAB (Anne Beffort International School) and EIDE (International School of Differdange and Esch-sur-Alzette) high schools. Through educational workshops and five performances, the students explored the theme of resilience through dance and music. The project, organized by the asbl AlterCadence primarily addressed injustice, trauma, and the transformation of negative emotions into positive strength. It was a unique collective experience that gave the students the confidence to transition from participants to performers on stage.

“Whatever It Takes” is the result of an intercultural, youth-led creative journey, created in partnership with Luxembourgish artist Matthew Philip De Cae.

Young people aged 12 to 26, from diverse cultural backgrounds, took the lead in designing, directing, and performing the official video. The song — written and performed in 110 languages — celebrates self-confidence, identity, and perseverance. This project gave young talents the chance to drive the full creative process, expressing themselves through music, movement, and video. More than a video, it’s a celebration of collaboration across cultures and a testament to the power of creativity, unity, and resilience: http://bit.ly/3Q8YXjU

The project “Paths to Perception”, led by the associations Antropical asbl and Our Common Future asbl, is inspired by bibliotherapy. It offers young people seeking answers to specific questions cultural resources aimed at improving their well-being and developing their skills. The goal is to encourage young people’s engagement with various forms of art while providing them with a space for reflection, discussion, and creation.

Through workshops organized in cultural centers or schools, a theme, chosen in advance by a team of artists, is proposed for discussion. For this, a selection of diverse works – such as short films, short stories, poems, paintings, photographs, songs, as well as excerpts from longer works – is presented and discussed with the participants. The chosen works aim to provide rich, diverse, and thought-provoking perspectives. Questions and activities will be prepared to stimulate reflection, and the discussion will be moderated to foster genuine interaction.

The goals of the project are to encourage engagement with and the appreciation of various forms of art among young people, to propose an innovative model of cultural and artistic education, and to strengthen the involvement of artists. “Paths to Perception” offers artists the opportunity to reflect on how their work can address real-world issues and contribute to the personal development of participants.

The “Songs of Praise – Celebrate Diversity” project by ACAT Luxembourg, in partnership with INECC, offered a unique intercultural and intergenerational experience. By bringing young people together through song, it celebrated the richness of Luxembourg’s cultural diversity. Beyond simple rehearsals and a concert, this project provided a true immersion in the country’s cultural plurality.

Furthermore, the production of a youth podcast in collaboration with Radio ARA gave young people the opportunity to express themselves and reflect on issues of identity, diversity, and human rights through music. This project opened a space for personal reflection, building connections, and intercultural dialogue where young people learned to publicly express their views.

“Wat mëss de?” is a project run by Jugendtreff Norden (Elisabeth jeunesse/Anne asbl) and Hariko Ettelbrück that promotes living together in youth centers. Aimed at young people aged 12 to 26, the project involved creative workshops focusing on visual arts such as photography, collage and stop-motion video. In small groups, participants were able to express their views on everyday life and social relationships, while deconstructing the clichés and stereotypes associated with youth facilities.

The highlight of the project was an interactive, mobile exhibition, designed with the help of professional artists and intended to travel between different municipalities and cultural institutions.

Accompanied by rapper Nicool, the young residents of the boarding school explored themes related to democracy through hip-hop workshops and a visit to the interactive exhibition Den DemokratieLabo at the Trifolion in Echternach. Drawing inspiration from topics such as participation, inequality, and prejudice, they collaboratively wrote the song “Jugéier net”, which addresses poverty and discrimination based on their personal observations.