If you are in Meißen at the station, you will quickly see: For many young people, it has long been a meeting place. At the same time, there is a lack of freely accessible spaces in the city where they can spend their time sensibly, express and explore or find support. This is where the youth station comes in.
The video accompanies the project of the Arche Meißen in a place that is deliberately chosen: In the rooms of a former station restaurant, an open point of contact for 13- to 21-year-olds is being created – low-threshold, without barriers to access and close to the everyday life of young people. The video shows how a place where young people are often only ‘tolerated’ becomes a space that they are actively shaping.
Integrating young people
The focus is on the young people themselves: They use open meetings, develop ideas for spaces and activities, take part in workshops or simply come to spend time together. At the same time, it becomes clear that the youth station is more than a leisure offer. Pedagogical specialists assist with questions about career choices, support in difficult life situations and pick up on conflicts before they solidify. This creates a reliable point of contact for disadvantaged young people in particular.
Demand and concept are closely related: Around 1 800 young people in Meißen, but only limited offers that really reach their everyday lives. The youth station resembles an approach that takes participation seriously.
Targeted funding
This project can be implemented due to targeted funding: The Youth Railway Station will be financed from 2025 to 2027 by means of the European Social Fund Plus as well as by the city of Meißen and donations. The videoshows what this funding means on the ground – not abstract programmes, but a concrete space, concrete relationships and concrete development opportunities.
This creates a differentiated picture: from a project that closes gaps, reuses existing places and gives young people in the middle of the city a place they can shape themselves. The film invites you to take a close look at this process.
