Second edition of Spot-On! The Music Project

Objective

Following the success of this first edition in 2006, the P&V Foundation is launching SPOT-ON! The Music Project - A Festive Youth Happening // 2008. It is a project call to some 900 youth clubs and as many youth movements throughout Belgium, realised with the financial support of the National Lottery. The foundation challenges these youth associations to submit a proposal for a splashing youth event by 29 February 2008. From sports day to free stage, from neighbourhood party to exchange week, from a small festival to a real parade... Anything goes! As long as there is a dash of music, the proposed project contributes to the accessibility of local youth work for socially vulnerable young people and the chosen theme fits within the framework of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008!

Through this project, the Foundation P&V wants to give youth centres, youth movements and their audiences the opportunity to organise a special youth happening together with other local youth associations. In this way, the Foundation P&V wants to contribute to the accessibility of local youth work and support youth culture, including that of disadvantaged groups.

Selection

In total, the Foundation received 73 candidate files (37 French-speaking and 36 Dutch-speaking), involving more than 200 youth organisations. The proposals were carefully read by an independent jury composed of experts in youth work and representatives of the P&V Foundation and the National Lottery. In making its selection, the jury took into account originality and creativity, financial and organisational underpinnings and social added value.

Three youth centres received a cheque for €12,500 from the Foundation P&V during the official award ceremony at the Ancien Belgique. 15 other laureates each received €2,500 from the Foundation P&V to make their operation more locally accessible.

The Happiest Parade on the Planet! - 'Youth House OHK' from Ostend (5 October 2008)

In early February 2007, an 18-year-old boy was stabbed to death in Ostend. The trigger was a banal argument over a cigarette. The perpetrator was a regular visitor to the youth centre OHK. Dejection and disbelief were very high among the young people of the youth centre. Right after the incident, they held a silent march against senseless violence.

With the project "The Happiest Parade on the Planet!", they want to send a more exuberant message. Together with the Youth Advisory Centre, they are organising a colourful parade through the coastal city. "The Happiest Parade on the Planet!" aims to contribute to the positive image of and around young people.

The jury praised this project because it exudes positivism and hope, without losing the sense of reality. According to the jury, it is a project that should be given every opportunity because of its thorough approachability and participation by and for the young people themselves. With this award, the Foundation P&V wants to give a clear signal to young people who, from the bottom up, positively (re)act on a sometimes negative and hard world.

zOOm Festival 2008 - Youth House Masure 14 from Tournai (27 September 2008)

Together with the youth raard of the city of Tournai and a number of other youth houses, Masure 14 is organising the first zOOm Festival. On Saturday 27 September 2008, groups and artists will perform in the cultural centre of Tournai with all kinds of styles: ska, reggae, rock, techno, world music, street theatre,... The various genres should unite a diverse audience of young people in a celebration of tolerance.

At the festival, young people will also have the chance to get to know Tournai's associational life better. Social organisations, associations, and local departments of NGOs will be given a stand which they can creatively set up to introduce themselves to young people.

The jury praised the creativity and solid elaboration of the proposal. In particular, the bridge between youth work and other social movements and associations received high praise.

Rock is Metiss - Youth centres Le Gué and Antichambre from SintLambrechts-Woluwe (13 September 2008)

The jury chose this project because of the attention it pays to diversity. Diversity in activities, diversity in the choice of artists and diversity in target audience. Through music, Rock is Metiss hopes to bring together different groups of young people, who are sometimes distrustful of each other, and get to know each other better. The way these youth clubs involve the young people in the different aspects of the festival to be organised also particularly convinced the jury.

The jury was also delighted with the strongly developed 'to do' planning with for and by the young people of the organising youth houses.