On May 11, 2026, we had the privilege of experiencing a very special evening: We attended Olivia Dean’s amazing concert at Cologne’s Lanxess Arena!

This was made possible by a generous invitation from the CAA agency, who asked us to share the tickets with young, artistically active people from our network. So we put out the word, organized a giveaway, gathered people from various local RRCGN projects, and our friends from Kölnchella, and headed over!

And it was a complete success! For some of our younger participants, it was even their very first visit to the LANXESS Arena, which made the evening even more unforgettable. The energy in the arena was fantastic, and attending the concert together became a deeply inspiring and unifying experience for many of us.

The reactions from our group after the show spoke for themselves. To quote some of the feedback: The concert was magical from start to finish and full of inspiring synergy. For many, the tour’s motto, “The Art of Loving,” was literally in the air—a message of love for oneself that ensured everyone went home with a deeply satisfied smile. We danced and laughed together, and tears of emotion also flowed. In particular, the electrifying atmosphere in the arena, Olivia Dean’s infectious joy on stage, and the visual highlights—from the shadow play at the beginning to the outfits and the colorful confetti—left a lasting impression on all of us. Sharing this experience with people from our network made the evening absolutely perfect.

Especially in these times, when severe budget cuts are being made in cultural and youth work and issues of diversity and the arts often don’t receive the necessary political priority, we sometimes feel like we have to fight harder for our values every day. That’s exactly why this completely unexpected invitation was such an incredible boost of motivation for us. It showed us: Our work is seen, recognized, and appreciated! Beyond the wonderful concert experience itself, it is above all this empowering feeling that we will carry with us for a long time to come.

A huge thank you to CAA and, of course, to Olivia Dean for this wonderful gift! Thank you for giving us the chance to experience art together and bring so much joy to our participants.