Thursday, 16.11.2017 - Sheffield

"BYOB": Bring Your Own Brexit!

How can young people participate in the politics and processes of Brexit? With the objective of facilitating the discussion on Brexit, FES London and Common Vision (CoVi) hosted “BYOB”, a workshop for young people living in Brexit Britain. The event was supported by Sheffield Futures and Sheffield Youth Cabinet.

The majority of the UK’s young population voted to remain in the EU and yet, it is this generation who will live longest the consequences of Brexit. All the more important to ensure that the Brexit process represents young people. BYOB therefore provided a platform for the constructive and creative exchange of ideas and concerns felt by young people between the ages of 16 and 35 in relation to Brexit.

The workshop demonstrated that young people are anxious about the possible impact of Brexit on their lives and want to be consulted on aspects of their future, such as the possibility of taking part in EU-funded programmes like ERASMUS. In creative exercises the group developed ideas for possible social media campaigns and events that could shift the Brexit debate towards a more productive discussion that puts the concern of young people at the centre.