Culture for everyone

Jul 2

Who: KFUK-KFUM Norge / Kirkens Bymisjon

What: A free cultural offer for children and youth at the Change House Loddefjord

Where: Bergen

Project period: 2024

About the organization:

Forandringshuset is a major investment in preventive child and youth work under YMCA (KFUK-KFUM Norge), in partnership with Fryshuset. The mission is to create open and safe communities, where children and young people can be themselves and live and develop as whole people. Forandringshuset provides space for children and young people's lives and involvement, and works particularly to include those of us who for various reasons experience being outsiders. Forandringshuset is a national offer, with a total of 12 houses in various locations in Norway. Forandringshuset Loddefjord is located at Elvetun Ungdomshus, an active meeting place for young people locally in the district. We have established a partnership and work closely with Fyllingsdalen and Laksevåg Kulturkontor, which runs the house. Together with Fyllingsdalen and Laksevåg Kulturkontor, we have the opportunity to keep Elvetun Ungdomshus open 4 days a week. The building has a great hall, kitchen, gaming, music room, studio, FIFA corner and art workshop. The space also has an outdoor area available with a skate court, basketball court, playground and barbecue. Our aim is to use these resources as much as possible to arrange activities and events. The wish is to help contribute to the community in Loddefjord and to strengthen the participants to feel belonging and pride in their local environment.

About the project:

In this project, Forandringshuset Loddefjord wants to help engage more children and young people in cultural activities and in close dialogue with the target group we will aim to create a good community center for free, cultural activities in music, gaming and dance. We experience that a free cultural offer has great value in a local environment where the proportion of children and young people who grow up in low-income families is high. In addition, culture also has an important function in the work to build social communities and good arenas for coping and creative expression. The primary target group for the project is young people aged 13-19. Forandringshuset Loddefjord will be open to everyone, but with a particular focus on reaching those of us who are affected by various forms of alienation. The project will consist of: Weekly cultural activities in music, gaming and dance, including workshops Cultural events every semester Recruit and train volunteers to assist with the implementation of activities. Cultural activities are expensive to participate in, both as an audience at various events and as a participant in courses and workshops. Many of the people we meet in the target group are passionate about music and dance, but have nowhere to practice this. Through this project, we want to make cultural offerings more accessible to children and young people. By buying in the necessary equipment, we want to create an arena where young people with different backgrounds and abilities get a community through music, gaming and dance.