The project produced 3 mini documentaries of civic actors in each location, showcasing their path towards engagement and the projects they have been part of with the aim to inspire younger civic actors. In Sweden, we featured:
‍
Sadia Sharmin, a young architect active in guerilla placemaking in a challenged neighbourhood in Gothenburg.
Samira Rahman, the co-founder of "We Listen In", an orgnisation that supports young woman experiencing bicultural stress
Diana Monsberger, working at Frihamnstorget and Blivande on place activiation through participatory methods

The three features civic actors are:

Merle, a mother and climate activist who moved her focus from physical activism to organising meetings for different societal actors to increase impact
Afrah Najm, a law student, activist and stand-up comedian originally from Syria who was inspired by other people's kindness when arriving in Europe after fleeing war and is now socially active in womans rights
Inbal Volpo, an artist and initiator of the project "Standing Together Vienna" sharing her story of understanding the gap between her patriotic socialisation and reality growing up in Israel

‍

‍

‍

The first Civic Action Tales Fair  took place on 14 September 2024 as a lively, first-of-its-kind gathering for Sweden’s smaller, independent civic-society groups. The fair brought together grassroots organizations and interested citizens to mingle, meet initiatives, and join workshops on civic action, all set against a backdrop of music and art. Six short documentaries—spotlighting civic actors in Sweden and Austria—were screened to show the varied routes people take toward participation and active citizenship.

CAT Fair 2024 was a great first event and included:

* organizations showcasing their work
* drop-in screenings running all afternoon, presenting documentaries that followed the six Austrian and Swedish civic actors
* a speed-dating–style networking session for civic actors connected new people with each other
* three afternoon workshops tackling different topics: mental health and activism, playful placemaking for youth, and LEGO SERIOUS PLAY future prototyping
* a collaborative art gallery showcasing art works on the topic of hope, care and future
* and an artistic program filled the space poetry and sustainable fashion

We can't wait to do this again in 2025!

‍

‍

Disclaimer: The project “Civic Storytelling for Youth Empowerment”, is co-funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ Programme as a Small Scale Partnership (Project Number: Project Number 2023-3-AT01-KA210-YOU-000170337). However, the views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the OeAD-GmbH. Neither the European Union nor the OeAD-GmbH can be held responsible.