"Up To YOU(th)" Festival 2023 by Youth Board of Cyprus

2023

"Up To YOU(th)" Festival 2023 by Youth Board of Cyprus

The "Up To YOU(th)" Festival returned for the 7th time on Saturday, 23 September at 17:00, at the Acropolis Park in Nicosia, Cyprus.

With the same strong pulse and the motto "Up to You(th)", the 7th edition of the Youth Festival by the Youth Board of Cyprus invited the public to a celebration of youth, with young people themselves as the protagonists, sending a strong message that today and tomorrow are in the hands of the younger generation, which dares to dream and hopes for a better tomorrow.

The NGO Fair, co-organised with the NGO Support Centre and the Cyprus Youth Council, with the dynamic participation of 70+ Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and other organisations and institutions, was present once again this year an ideal opportunity for young people who are interested in getting actively involved in issues that concern them, such as the environment, human rights, culture, volunteering and more.

At the Festival, young people had the opportunity to attend the Tech Fair, an exhibition of technology from educational institutions and other organisations, where they had the opportunity to take part in interactive technology applications enjoy robots on special routes, competitions, virtual reality and programming. In contrast, the "Sci-Co Cyprus" organisation ran a very interesting science experiment in which anyone interested could participate.

For anyone who wished to get to know and learn more about pop culture, the Geek Mania exhibition was this year's Festival, enriching the event with exhibits of retro games and comics from collectors in the field, thus displaying this unique culture.

Those with a particular interest in the arts or, more specifically, in illustration had the opportunity to meet Cypriot artist Anna Miltiadou, aka BRAINFKR, who created an illustration live inspired by contemporary Cypriot culture.

In addition, the young audience participates in social events through a different library, the Human Library. They had the opportunity to meet people who tell their stories and enter a creative dialogue with the reader!

This year's Festival created a dynamic and rich programme for the audience, who enjoyed, among other things, live music, watch screenings of short films by Cypriot filmmakers in collaboration with "GeekOtopos" and the Cyprus International Short Film Festival, as well as impressive constructions by the Scout Corps. The already exciting programme was enhanced by the Cyprus Astronomy Organisation, allowing the public to observe the starry sky with its stars and planets through the telescopes set up in the area.

In addition, Geekotopos turned the park's caves into a recording studio, where they recorded live with the audience's participation. Three different podcasts: "Geekout", dedicated to reviews and analysis of movies, series and video games, "SheSpeaks" which promotes the participation of women in STEAM; and "HistoriKon/HistoriCon", the Cypriot podcast with the most downloads on Spotify.

Those who attended also had the opportunity to participate in open discussions on youth issues, workshops and various social activities, such as watching the Basketball Match with the participation of the Hope Team consisting of political refugees, promoting the message that sports can contribute to social inclusion and integration.

The festival stage is filled with rhythms and melodies for every taste, with concerts by the bands Davini Music (Hip Hop, Soul, RnB), On Tour (Art, Rock) and Tease (Rock, Pop).

Simba Animal Aid and the Cyprus School of Dog Training were with us, with dogs for adoption, but also with valuable tips for better communication with our pets.

For the younger visitors, a children's corner was created with interesting activities for the environment, original board games, face painting and shadow theatre performances.

The 7th "Up To YOU(th)" Festival was part of the Youth Board's aim to inspire more and more young people to participate and actively engage in the community. The Youth Board, with its multifaceted action, continues its course and its work for the well-being of young people in all aspects of their lives, declaring its support for the right of young people to achieve their dreams and ambitions.