How do we want to live in the future? What needs to change in our region? And how can young people create change themselves?
At the YVA Future Congress 2026, in Weißwasser on 18 June, young people from Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic will come together to discuss exactly these questions. Taking place under the motto “From Ideas to Action”, the Telux Centre will become a place of exchange, creativity, and new perspectives.
The event will feature inspiring workshops, engaging debates, creative exhibitions, and direct discussion with figures from the worlds of politics, science, and wider society. It is a fantastic opportunity for visitors to pitch new ideas, build networks, and highlight the issues that matter most to young people across the Tri-Country Region.
The congress is the culmination of the Youth Vision Action project (YVA). Over the past few months, young people have been working on their visions for the future at "future camps" and creative workshops, their work spanning everything from film and music projects to photography, art events, and design campaigns. Many of these exciting ideas will be showcased and taken further during the congress.
The YVA project is a collaborative initiative run by Hillersche Villa, the International Institute (IHI) Zittau at TU Dresden, the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz), and the Telux Sociocultural Centre in Weißwasser. The project is running from 2025 to 2027.
It is funded by the STARK grant programme – "Strengthening the Dynamics of Transformation and Renewal in Coal Mining Regions and Power Plant Sites" – an initiative by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.
