ComicYouth Exchange

“Comics as a tool to discover cultural diversity and enhance creativity”

Berlin, 9-16 October 2009

The multilateral youth exchange “ComicYouth! Comics as a tool to discover cultural diversity and enhance creativity” took place in Berlin, Germany, from the 9th till the 16th of October 2009. For eight days 31 young people from Germany, Greece, Poland, Portugal and Romania grasped the opportunity to have a unique international experience.

In this artistic project the ComicYouth!-participants shared their ideas and worked as a team. The topic we focused on was comics. Comics are literature and art, a visualized story. Everybody is familiar with comics, regardless of cultural background and age. And this familiarity combined with the ComicYouth!-participants` own interest in comics was the initial point for the exchange.

Exhibitions of the comic artwork were realized by participants as follow up activities in Poland and Portugal.

Download a PDF sample of the booklet!!!

In vivid presentations and discussion sessions we gained insights into the current state and the development of comic scenes in Germany, Greece, Poland, Portugal and Romania. Examples of fanzines, street art, famous national comic artists, reflections of national history in comics and the comics-subculture; examples of the power to criticize, stereotype, support or discover something through comics were given in these sessions. In their presentations the participants created a colorful European mosaic discovering the common points in our lifestyle, history and the situation of the young generation.

Everybody in the exchange programme longed for the moment when we started to create our own comics. Strong ideas, yellow pencils and white rubbers, blank paper and lots of enthusiasm as well as laughter and hands, which are more or less used to draw, started the journey. The goal was to create our own comics in small groups of mixed nationalities. Meanwhile, friends where made and the intercultural dialog became alive.

The outcome of the eight-days-exchange was proudly presented in a booklet. Fantastic comic stories of a rooster, aliens, a USB-stick, a taxi driver and more protagonists were mixed with historic situations, the challenges of intercultural communication, a psychedelic journey, wonderful drawing and painting techniques and some surprising insights. We all experienced the power of imagination; discovering hidden talents for inventing a storyline, drawing together with other young people to create an extraordinary comic-artwork that speaks the language of intercultural dialogue, understanding, respect and friendship.


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Contact us!
comics-office [at] citizens - of - europe . eu