Moving Archives 2026

German-Togolese Youth Exchange

From 22 July to 24 August 2026

The Project

Moving Archives 2026 is an international youth exchange bringing together 26 young people from Togo and Germany around art, memory, and intercultural dialogue.

The participants collaborate in a joint artistic creation process combining dance, storytelling, and media content production. Through workshops, excursions, and encounters, they explore the shared history of Togo and Germany from a sensitive postcolonial perspective and work together to develop perspectives for the future.

Objectives

1. Promote intercultural learning and mutual understanding between young Togolese and German participants
2. Encourage artistic expression as a tool for dialogue and for telling personal and collective stories
3. Build a sustainable network of young people committed to German-Togolese cooperation projects
4. Highlight Togo’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage, particularly through visits to UNESCO World Heritage sites such as Koutammakou

Programme

The in-person phase takes place from 8 to 18 August 2026 across four locations in Togo:

• Lomé: Exploring the history of the city, dance and video workshops, and an exchange with DanceHope228
• Atakpamé: Cultural discovery and exchanges with local stakeholders
• Sokodé: Immersion in Tem traditions and the co-development of future projects
• Kara & Koutammakou: Meeting with the Batammariba community and a public presentation of the choreography and videos produced

The project is complemented by three days of online meetings before and after the in-person exchange to prepare the participants and ensure the project’s long-term continuity, on 22 July, 5 August, and 24 August.

Organisation

A project carried out in cooperation with VKII Ruhrbezirk e.V., Dortmund

In partnership with DanceHope228, Lomé
With the support of LWL-Landesjugendamt Westfalen as part of the Kinder- und Jugendförderplan 2026