The PulseZ Community Festival in Brussels: a celebration of youth voices in media
After a year of the PulseZ community growing larger and stronger, offering young people a platform for learning, sharing their communities’ stories, and developing their skills in journalism and media, one hundred young media creators from across Europe gathered in Brussels to celebrate the power of youth voices.
Together, they demonstrated the impact that emerges when young people speak up collectively and engage in shaping narratives for a more inclusive and participatory Europe.
The PulseZ Community Festival took place in the heart of Europe, between 4 and 6 November, serving as a dynamic amplifier of youth participation in media creation.
Creativity and dialogue took center stage as youth from more than 10 YMCAs, alongside representatives of other organizations, collaborated to produce content, exchange perspectives, showcase innovative practices, and engage with European stakeholders from institutional and business sectors on the role of youth in today’s media landscape.
Yet, the festival in Brussels was not an isolated moment. It represented the culmination of a months-long journey that started at the grassroots level.
Throughout 2025, more than 20 PulseZ local events (organised by the YMCA and Junior Achievement) empowered over one thousand young people in cities and towns across the continent to tell the stories of their own communities.
Whether addressing social inclusion, environmental challenges, or local heritage, participants learned to transform local realities into digital narratives that could reach European audiences.
These community stories gradually built a bridge from local YMCAs and youth centers to the European stage.
By the time young creators met in Brussels, they carried with them hundreds of stories shaped in their own neighborhoods, stories that collectively gave visibility to youth experiences across Europe.
The PulseZ community turned these diverse local voices into a common conversation, connecting grassroots creativity with institutional dialogue.
The festival became a space where young people shaping narratives on the ground proved that authentic change often begins with a story shared at the community level.
