Politics, arts, culture, climate change, and the future of the EU will fuse in a major online festival - EYE on the Edge - based in Galway, and taking place this weekend, which has been created by and for young people.
EYE on the Edge takes place tomorrow, Friday April 23, and continues on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25. It is aimed at those aged between 16 and 30, and will seek to create dialogue, share ideas, and respond to the most pressing challenges facing Europe, and the wider world.
The festival will hear young people discuss and debate what the future of the EU should be; the challenge of climate change; activism in a time of pandemic; the arts; sustainable fashion; and multilingualism in the EU. There will also be workshops and performances with Róisn Dubh Comedy, Livefeed online, Galway Theatre Festival, and the Atmos Collective.
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EYE on the Edge is a local version of the European Youth Event, which takes place in Strasbourg and brings together thousands of young people from across the EU to share their ideas on the future of union.
Originally planned as a two-day festival in Galway, as part of the Capital of Culture in September 2020, EYE on the Edge has been reimagined to adapt to the Covid-19 restrictions. It will now take place virtually at locations in Galway, Ireland, Europe, and beyond.
‘The power of young people’
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Cameron Keighron.
EYE on the Edge was created by a group of young people in Galway, who will also curate the weekend’s events, among them are Cameron Keighron, Lalie Crowley, and Jakub Kostanski.
“I am really passionate about the power of young people and how to create opportunities for us to have our voices heard,” says 26-year-old Cameron Keighron, the current chair of AMACH LGBT+, who is also a PhD student in electrophysiology at NUI Galway, researching Parkinson’s related dementia. “This seemed like a great way to be able to empower the voices of young people on the global challenges we face in an interesting way.”
Cameron has some experience of collaborating across borders with European colleagues. They have the distinction of being first student president of the ENLIGHT Student network, a consortium of nine European universities working on issues such as sustainability and equality.
“I am excited to be able to bring a bit of the European Parliament to Galway through events with MEPs and folks in Brussels in the parliament,” they said. “Mostly I am excited to have a platform to share the incredible things young people are doing and provide a creative outlet for people across Europe.”
Multilingual
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Lalie Crowley.
Lalie Crowley, a 20-year-old studying film in GMIT, has been heavily involved in the preparations and promotions for the festival.
“I am in charge of regularly posting on our social media, designing posters and visuals for the brand, and liaising with a media production company who is creating video content for us,” she says. “Personally I am most excited for the multilingualism panel discussion as I speak three languages, and also for the musical performances from the Irish platform ‘Frosted’.”
‘Taking our minds off this pandemic’
For 19-year-old Jakub Kostanski, the festival will be a great opportunity for young people to “get their minds off this pandemic and enjoy some music, comedy shows, and much, much, more.”
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Jakub Kostanski.
Jakub, who lives in Galway, but is originally from Poland, is among the many who have been directly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and its attendant restrictions. “I am a first year college student in AIT studying social care level 8. I currently don't work due to the pandemic, but I am really active in the community by volunteering in the Order of Malta and Youth Work Ireland Galway.”
Jakub became involved in EYE as he believes the festival will allow young people to “raise their voices” on key global and political issues.
“By being part of the EYE on the Edge, I am able to advocate for young people to create a programme to help them develop skills that will help them throughout life,” he says, and he has hit the ground running. In advance of the festival, Jakub conducted an Instagram live discussion with MEP Maria Walsh about politics and young people, and another such event with youth activist Caillum Heddeeman. “I really can’t wait for the festival to start on Friday,” he says.
EYE on the Edge is in collaboration with the European Parliament and Galway 2020. Registration is now open for all events via www.eote.ie For the full programme, go to https://galway2020.ie/en/event/eote/. For social media see EYEGalway2021.
