INTERNATIONAL YOUTH EXCHANGE
June 6th to 9th, 2025, in Leuven, Belgium.
Young Gifted Black
Introduction.
Young Gifted Black Europe Youth Exchange 2025 is a unique project bringing together Black youth from across Europe. This year’s exchange took place from June 6th to 9th, 2025, in Leuven, Belgium, at the Youth Hostel De Blauwput.
This Youth Exchange project offers a space for young Black people to connect, network, and empower each other through meaningful conversations, workshops, and activities. It is an opportunity to build community, strengthen solidarity, and create a collective voice for Black youth in Europe. As an organisation, KAMM, we were proud to be one of the partner groups for this year’s project.
About: Young Gifted Black Europe.
Young Gifted Black Europe is an initiative driven by young Black people who have been organising regular youth gatherings in Germany since 2017. Their events bring together Black youth from various parts of Europe to share experiences, foster connections, and create empowering spaces. Through interactive workshops, discussions, and networking opportunities, aiming to nurture a sense of community and collective strength.
The Project Aim.
The Young Gifted Black Europe Youth Exchange was designed for young people aged 15 to 27 who identify as Black.
The project aimed to:
Provide a platform for exchange and discussion about our experiences, aspirations, and inspirations.
Strengthen Black youth networks across Europe.
Offer opportunities for young Black individuals to be actively involved in workshop development, event planning, and funding applications.
Foster leadership skills and encourage active participation within the Black community.
Target Audience
The target audience for this project was young people aged 15 to 27 who identify as Black, African, or Afro-diasporic. This includes individuals from across Europe who are looking for a space to connect, network, and empower one another. The project was designed for those interested in community building, leadership, and conversations on shared experiences related to Black identity in Europe.
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Reflective Overview: Young Gifted Black Europe Youth Exchange 2025.
From 6th to 9th June 2025, the city of Leuven, Belgium, became a vibrant and transformative gathering space for over 100 Black youths from across 10 European countries. The Young Gifted Black Europe Youth Exchange was more than just a project—it was a living, breathing movement of healing, creativity, resistance, and unity.
This exchange brought together young people who share a common experience of navigating Black identity within a European context, often in spaces where their voices are silenced or misunderstood. Over four days, we created our own space—a space where being unapologetically Black was not only accepted but celebrated. A space for joy and reflection. For softness and strength. For art, dialogue, movement, and memory.
Every morning began with a plenary session, grounding us in community, intention, and purpose. What followed each day was a powerful flow of workshops and creative sessions, covering everything from Afropean identity and language to Black love, queerness, gender, African history, and healing through dance, poetry, and martial arts.
"We are not just part of history—
We are legacy in motion”
The Young Gifted Black Europe Youth Exchange 2025 was not just a project—it was a vital space for affirmation, healing, and empowerment. In a European context where many Black youth grow up feeling invisible, misrepresented, or disconnected from their roots, projects like this are essential. They provide an environment where Black identity is not only welcomed but celebrated in all its diversity—from cultural heritage and gender expression to language, history, and creative voice. For many participants, it was the first time they had been in a room full of people who looked like them, understood their experiences, and encouraged them to lead, speak, and express themselves without fear. The exchange fostered a deep sense of diaspora solidarity, reminding us that though our countries and languages may differ, our struggles and hopes are shared. Through workshops in poetry, dance, political consciousness, identity, and African history, participants were able to explore who they are, where they come from, and how they want to shape the future. This kind of project is a powerful act of resistance to erasure — it nurtures leadership, strengthens community, and leaves a lasting legacy in the hearts of those involved. When we create spaces where Black youth are seen, heard, and uplifted, we’re not just creating change—we’re shaping the future.
Our participants
At KAMM Artistic Europe, we’re proud of our 12 young participants, including our chairperson, Kelvin Akpaloo, who represented Spain at the Young Gifted Black Europe Youth Exchange 2025. Seven came from Pamplona through our collaboration with Black Power, and four from Madrid. Their energy, voices, and presence truly reflected the strength and diversity of Afropean youth in Spain.
Here are some of the amazing moments that were captured.
Youth Hostel De Blauwput.
Youth Hostel De Blauwput.
Project venue and location.
Leuven, Belgium, at the Youth Hostel De Blauwput
Youth Hostel De Blauwput in Leuven is a great place for the exchange, just a short walk from the train station. It had big meeting rooms, cosy spaces to relax, and even a bar with local Belgian drinks. Leuven is a lively city with a mix of history, student life, and culture, so there was plenty to see and do, from exploring old streets to enjoying cafés and breweries.
Enjoy the view.
The videos below showcase the beauty of the previous YGB project and this year’s location, Leuven, Belgium, where the project will take place.