FROM FEAR OF PROTEST TO A MOVEMENT OF CREATIVE EXPRESSION: ALIN’S JOURNEY WITH MYA 

What happens when young people feel unheard, unseen, or afraid to raise their voices?  

For Alin Gramescu, a community leader from Romania, this question became the beginning of an idea that would later grow into “School of Protest”, a MYA Transformative Youth (TY) initiative helping young people from rural and underserved communities in Romania discover new ways to express themselves, advocate for their communities, and transform ideas into action through art and creativity.  

Growing up in a rural community himself, Alin understood early what it felt like to live with limited opportunities. That experience later shaped his personal mission: creating opportunities for young people whose voices are often overlooked. Through his organisation, Station Europe, he focused on empowering youth from rural and small urban communities to bring “useful ideas to life.”  

The idea for “School of Protest” came to him after observing how protests in Romania were often dominated by adults, while many young people remained silent or disconnected.  

“What surprised me was that many young people believed protest only meant standing in the streets,” Alin explains. “They didn’t realise they could express themselves through art, creativity, storytelling, or other forms of expression.”  

At the same time, fear played a major role. In smaller communities where “everyone knows everyone,” many young people were afraid of publicly speaking up or being associated with activism. This inspired Alin to create a safer, more creative, and more human-centered way for youth to express their concerns and realities.  

Through MYA, the idea finally became reality.  

Twelve young participants from eight rural and small urban communities across Romania joined a three-day bootcamp in Bucharest, where they explored how art, storytelling, and creative tools could become forms of social expression and community engagement.  

Participants later returned to their communities and created awareness campaigns around issues affecting their daily lives; from climate change and youth infrastructure to opportunities for young people in rural areas. Together, they produced more than 20 creative videos highlighting challenges and realities within their communities.  

But for Alin, the real transformation happened afterward.  

What began as hesitation slowly turned into ownership. Young participants who were initially skeptical about the project started designing artistic installations and exhibitions that they wanted to continue even after the programme officially ended.  

“They started building something they wanted to keep alive after the project,” Alin says. “For me, that was the biggest validation; not only that the method works, but that initiatives like this are truly needed.”  

One of the strongest moments for him came when a local library hosting one of the exhibitions expressed interest in continuing to collaborate with the initiative in the future. For Alin, it was proof that communities were not only accepting these conversations but also they were welcoming them.  

The experience also changed the young participants themselves. Some participants who had never imagined a future connected to art or creative expression began considering studying arts and creative disciplines after discovering new ways to communicate their ideas and emotions.  

For Alin, MYA became more than funding or implementation support, it became a space where bold and unconventional ideas could exist freely.  

“MYA might be the right home for bold ideas,” he says. “It gave me the freedom to bring an idea to life without fear or restrictions.”  

Today, Alin hopes to continue developing new initiatives using artistic expression as a tool for youth engagement and social participation, especially for young people who normally do not have access to creative spaces or opportunities.  

“If you have an idea that’s still only on paper, MYA might be the beginning that helps you bring it to life,” Alin says. “You will find the right space to develop it, grow it, and maybe even surprise yourself with what it can become.”