At the same time as the international symposium the youth symposium Arts for Education! will be taking place in Essen from 11 to 15 September 2010. 100 young people aged between 16 and 20 from 33 European countries will attend the symposium and discuss their wishes and expectations concerning arts education. From March on, the participating young people have formed media-supported and interlinked learning communities to explore the following specific questions in their home countries: What is culture for young people? What is their own culture? Where does culture shape young people? Where do young people encounter culture? And where does culture encounter young people? On 14 September, the youth symposium will be linked up to the international symposium. The young people will contribute the results of their own expert discussions to the international symposium and discuss these with the adult experts.

Between January and February 2010, young people from all over Europe who are culturally active, artistically motivated, socially engaged, politically interested or Europe-oriented were invited to apply via the Goethe-Institutes and -centres in their countries to take part in the symposium. The working language of the youth symposium will be German.

Travel and subsistence grants have been be made available to young people from each of the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,  France, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine.

In cooperation with the Goethe-Institute Stiftung Mercator is creating a forum to allow young experts to participate in the international education debate. Linking the youth symposium and the international Arts for Education! symposium generates the best possible framework within which to formulate a concrete basis for action in the fields of practice, science and politics in Europe – based on the requirements and ideas of the target groups.

The Goethe-Institute is the Federal Republic of Germany’s cultural institution operational worldwide. It promotes the study of German abroad and encourages international cultural exchange. It also fosters knowledge about Germany by providing information on its culture, society and politics. With its network of Goethe-Institutes, Goethe Centres, cultural societies, reading rooms and exam and language learning centres the Goethe Institute has  played a central role in the cultural and educational policies of Germany for over 50 years.