What drives my work is a deep belief in the power of encounter, creativity, and shared experience. For many years, I’ve been fortunate to build and lead arts-based youth exchange projects with young people and emerging artists—many of whom come from precarious backgrounds and life stories that have not always been easy. I do this work because I truly believe in it. I believe in creating experiences that stay with people for a lifetime.

Together, we have traveled to New York City with more than 20 delegations and hundreds of young participants, while welcoming 10 delegations of NYC youth to Berlin. Our exchange projects have connected young people across Nairobi, Johannesburg, Paris, Marseille, Barcelona, London, Chicago, and Detroit with Berlin—and the work continues to grow.

In a world that can feel increasingly closed and unwelcoming, bringing young people together across borders is both an act of resistance and hope.

We can’t stop—and we won’t stop.

© Olad Aden