The current political and social crises are a challenge for Europe and its neighboring countries and threaten the democratic developments and opportunities of young and freshly formed initiatives. Art has always responded to political and social conditions, has influenced and changed. Even today there is no difference, on the contrary: "A stunning drive into the Political captured large parts of contemporary art" the art critic Hanno Rauterberg writes, "... when new political conflicts arise all over the world, art must not stay behind" and on the occasion of the exhibition "global aCtIVISm" at the ZKM in Karlsruhe, Peter Weibel speaks about "performative Democracy".ARTivism Drives Democracy wants to unite the heterogeneous and diverse facets of art movements with social responsibility, combine art with political action in public space and merge young, socially committed artists with democratic movements.With the mission to initiate democratic design processes and to keep them permanently and dynamically, 10 partner organizations have come together from a total of 8 countries. With art as rousing tool, the network ARTivism Drives Democracy offers a wide range of participatory creative methods, practices and strategies and by this explores new ways of democratic and horizontal participation:In the "Society Laboratory" of the Grandhotel Cosmopolis the coexistence of refugees and other guests from around the world is tried with creative, unconventional methods, the "Theater of Democracy" promotes and provides active audience participation, "Street Art" serves as a mouthpiece for the wishes, demands, complaints and dreams of the citizens on the Maidan or in Tunisia, "Migration Theater" in public space presents itself in Eindhoven, effective new forms of non-violent democratic movements of CANVAS in Serbia are being tested and used, lively and participatory design processes towards the reclamation of urban habitat are developed with the help of the inherent creativity of artistic practices in Italy or Greece.ARTivism Drives Democracy wants young people to disclose their potentials and opportunities for democratic and active participation in a lively, colorful and playful manner and takes action. It is to create a network that exchanges about the possibilities of art in the political sphere and provides a wealth of methods for young professionals to strengthen the involvement of art in the new ways to a far-reaching participatory Democracy of the future.