Creative Connections: Where Europe’s Young Artists Come Together

For one week, a youth hostel in Hubringen, Germany is transformed into a kind of artistic retreat, as students converge from military schools across Europe.

During Creative Connections, for one week in Germany, top creative students from European schools converge for an artistic retreat in visual or performing arts. This year, over 200 students applied for 10 workshops in the fine and performing arts. The finale is an exhibition and performance showcasing their week-long study. Creative Connections is the longest running extracurricular study having been held for about 39 years. Though some of the workshops have changed over the years, the focus remains on the fine and performing arts and the event continues to be a student favorite.

The students spend hours focusing on their chosen craft with like-minded peers, getting more exposure in a few days to the fine or performing arts than they would during weeks of regular school--it's something they can't get at their local school level, but they can take the gifts that they learn back to their schools. Dancers practice ballet and hip hop, the string orchestra swells, filmmakers create short films, artists draw, paint, and print-make, but best is the collaboration and camaraderie with like-minded creative souls. This year the program was attended by Esther L. studying Mixed Media/Printmaking, Emersyn P. and Jacob L. took photos, Jada J. recorded all the classes and performances, Quentin H. created Graphic Arts, and Lucy C. sang her heart out. The program will open again next fall 2026 to high school students!