The hub in New-Ghent was created after we performed a neighbourhood analysis which indicated the need for a space where young people could connect with the neighbourhood. This was combined with the need for a place where young people could develop as entrepreneurs. The result is a small local hub, where the main activity is to organise a place where the young people can watch and make films together.
Together with many other organisations, we strive to increase the resilience and opportunities of young people from the 'problem neighbourhood' of Nieuw-Gent and give their future a positive turn. We talk to young people, encourage them to take initiative, set up businesses and achieve something positive, for themselves and for the other inhabitants of the neighbourhood.
"We create opportunities to do business together, draw strength and inspiration from role models and delve into artistic work to inspire."
SPEED-You-UP coach Nieuw-Gent
Collaboration is a crucial part in this hub. The Hub is widely known to all social and urban intermediaries in the district.
The cooperation consists of support for the organisation of the cinema (providing a licence to show the film, the layout, etc.), but also of a cooperation with neighbourhood organisations that are working out the possibility of embedding it in the new culture hub.
In the hub, there is a coach on site who works with the young people. The coach offers a range of SYU modules to young people so that the activities suit the young people involved. This has included creating new modules that address their emerging mental health issues – such as anxiety, dealing with covid-10 issues.
In the day-to-day work in the hub, we see that it is difficult to mix boys and girls. We are trying to find out how we can deal with this. This is not only about the programming in the cinema, where we clearly see a taste preference, but also about living habits and mixing groups of girls with boys and how the neighbourhood looks at that.
Neighbourhood cinema
