One weekend, several hundred visitors, all in the spirit of Europe and democracy – these are the cornerstones of the EuropaCamps organised by the Zeit Stiftung Bucerius, where we have had the exciting task of enriching the programme with interactive workshops for several years now.

The EuropaCamp brings together people from a wide variety of backgrounds and age groups – from retired ambassadors and experts on EU politics to seventh-graders who want to learn more about the EU – the mix is as diverse as our society. This is precisely where the challenge lies: how do you get such different people to discuss things together on an equal footing? And how do you ensure that everyone enjoys themselves and is neither over- nor underchallenged?

We seem to be quite successful in this – at least the workshops are popular and the discussions are very lively. A central aspect of our recipe for success is our favourite discipline: the political simulation game. With precise role materials, we bring all participants up to the level of knowledge they need for the simulation game and then let them make their own decisions. This is not only fun, but also gives our participants the chance to represent very different interests and delve deeper into political discourse. But we also use other formats: from pub quizzes and situation rooms to the ‘red thread method’ for exploring the shared and parallel histories of the EU and Ukraine.

The second part of our concept is participation. Everyone has an opinion, even if it may still need to be discovered, explored or cultivated. The best way to do this is to absorb a few bite-sized pieces of knowledge conveyed in a playful way and then talk to other people about what should change. This explains the basic recipe for our participation formats, in which a wide variety of people come together to develop demands, ideas and controversial theses on a given topic. And whether the topic is Europe's role in the world or climate policy, everyone can contribute something valuable to the discussion.

We also find the interactive panels we have designed particularly exciting, where we bring participants and panel guests together on an equal footing to engage in conversation. On topics such as ‘Climate neutral by 2050 – can we do it?’, the 2024 European elections, or after the 2025 Hamburg state elections, we used different approaches to narrow the gap between visitors and panel guests. They were placed on stage in small circles of chairs and first engaged in conversation with each other. They initially exchanged views on what they had heard and considered questions and comments.

Our impression was that the format worked very well. It meant that the participants were much more active than they might otherwise have been, and that questions and ideas came from people in both large and small groups who might not normally have spoken up at such an event. According to their feedback afterwards, it was an exciting new experience for the panellists and the moderator, with a higher quality of interaction with the participants.

Update: Since 2025, the event has broadened its scope – Europacamp has become the Democracy Festival. This was another very successful event, and we look forward to the next round in 2026! #StayTuned