From Ljubljana to Vienna, one message: Sit down. Listen. Act.
SIT DOWN is an international initiative that gives young people a voice and a space to speak about the world they live in and the future they want to create. This year, the Summer Orchestral Camp of the Slovenian Youth Orchestra took place under its framework, bringing together for the first time an international ensemble of 210 young artists from 22 nationalities. In ten days they created the Peace Child musical, debated global challenges and presented their ideas directly to decision-makers.
After the events in Slovenia we can say that SIT DOWN stands at the crossroads of culture, economy and diplomacy, three forces that young people believe must act together to secure a better future.
Summer Orchestra Camp (POK)
POK is a project of the Slovenian Youth Orchestra, designed for children and young people enrolled in music education who wish to gain orchestral experience. This year the camp was international for the first time and took place as part of SIT DOWN.
At Brdo pri Kranju, artists came together, including the young singers of the Amwaj Choir from Palestine, members of the SUPERAR BiH choir from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ukrainian musicians from the Music for the Future project, led by the Slovenian Youth Orchestra. At the sold-out stage of Ljubljana Festival’s Križanke, 170 young performers – orchestra, choir and narrators, stood together as one powerful whole.
The Peace Child musical
The musical Peace Child was originally created in the 1980s by David Gordon and David Woollcombe, and in 2025 it was reimagined in a new form, co-created by young participants together with their mentors.
The story does not speak of a distant future, but of the present. Through music and narration, young people address the wars in Palestine and Ukraine, climate change, safe migration, artificial intelligence, solidarity and love. Their message is clear: the future is in their hands, but to achieve change they need leaders to listen – and to act.
SIT DOWN Panel at Brdo pri Kranju
The central dialogue of the camp was the SIT DOWN Panel, held on 22 August at Brdo pri Kranju, attended by Slovenia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, who also serves as the honorary patron of the entire SIT DOWN initiative.
More than 170 young creators engaged in discussions with diplomats, ambassadors and experts on global challenges, international peace, safe migration, sustainability policies and inclusive societies. Their message was clear:
SPIRIT Business Forum
The Slovenian premiere of the musical was also accompanied by the SPIRIT Slovenia Business Forum, which highlighted the importance of linking art and the economy for sustainable development and international cooperation.
From Brdo to Vienna
The Slovenian chapter of SIT DOWN culminated with the sold-out premiere of Peace Child in Ljubljana’s Križanke. The next stop is the Wiener Konzerthaus on 23 October 2025, where the voices of youth will resonate on an international stage.
