YO!Fest line up brings together music stars and policy makers

Brussels, 28 April 2015 // The programme for this year’s YO!Fest, taking place on 6th May, as part of the European Youth Week, has been announced and on the agenda are debates, talks, activities and music all in the heart of the European institutions!

YO!Fest, organised by the European Youth Forum, is a free political festival organised by and for young people. This year, in its 6th edition, the theme of the event is 'Grow Together !' highlighting growth and sustainable development at different levels; from the personal and local, through to development at home and abroad.

Highlights from the day’s programme include the first of a series of “YO!Talks” (from 10am), examining the topic of youth participation, which will bring together five exceptional young people who have bucked the trend and become engaged with politics and hear their stories and recommendations for change. They will be joined by the Youth Forum’s president Johanna Nyman and young MEP Brando Benifei.

A “YO!Debate” (12–1pm) will bring together experts and policy makers to discuss “Quality jobs & development: how far can quality jobs drive economic development?”. There will be a high level debate “Youth and the city” (4-6pm) exploring how in the context of crisis, young people across Europe are reimagining how they interact with their cities. This debate will bring together mayors of past and future European Youth Capitals.

YO!Fest, a truly unique mix of political, cultural and music will also see the YO!Village coming back to the espalanade of the European Parliament where youth organisations and other partners have the chance to illustrate their work and its impact.

The day draws to a close with an unmissable concert with Massilia Sound System, a band from Marseille, headlining this year’s YO!Fest. They will be supported by Swedish band Movits! and before that by the two winners of YO!Fest’s Emerging Bands Contest, Belgian bands Ides Moon and Man on Fire & The Soul Soldiers.

Johanna Nyman, President of the European Youth Forum, said:

“We’re really excited about bringing our members and partners to the heart of the EU to show policy makers and young people alike what they are doing to help young people grow together! Development is not only something that is happening in other countries in far away continents; it happens every day, in our communities and youth organisations are at the heart of developing young people and society. We hope, as well as some key policy debates and discussions, that this year’s YO!Fest will build bridges and interconnect people, and this is what the European Youth Forum members, youth organisations, are achieving every day!”

Highlights of the YO!Fest 2015 programme:

10.00am – 11:30 am

YO!Talks: YouthUP

This YO!Talk will examine the topic of youth participation and will invite five exceptional young people who have bucked the trend and become engaged with politics and hear their stories and recommendations for change.

12:00 am – 1:00 pm

YO!Debate: Roundtable on quality jobs & development: How far can quality jobs drive economic development?

The economic and financial crisis demonstrated that our traditional model of society and growth had to be reviewed. It is now time to discuss what kind of economic development, based on quality jobs, young people would like to promote.

4:00pm – 6:00pm

High Level Debate: "Youth and the City"

In the context of crisis, young people across Europe are reimagining how they interact with their cities. What can be done at the local level to tackle issues concerning employment, education, housing and the environment. This debate will focus on youth participation, examining how young people can be empowered to actively shape their cities.

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Notes to the editor:

About the YO!Fest

YO!Fest is a free event and is open to all. This year it is being held together with the Millennium Youth Project, an initiative of the Commune of Ixelles. More information about the YO!Fest: www.yofest.eu.

About the European Youth Forum

The European Youth Forum is the platform of youth organisations in Europe. Independent, democratic, youth-led, it represents 99 National Youth Councils and international youth organisations from across the continent. The Forum works to empower young people to participate actively in society to improve their own lives, by representing and advocating their needs and interests and those of their organisations towards the European Union, the Council of Europe and the United Nations. For more information, visit www.youthforum.org