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Drukpunt festival

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Drukpunt Festival 2024

I was one of the organisers of the Drukpunt festival, an architecture festival/project week.

A collaboration between
KU Leuven and Ghent University.

DRUKPUNT, That is the title of the Joker... Project Week 2024. During this week, we will shed a different light on how young people move around the city. We will debunk the negative image of young people in the city and replace it with the wonderful things that young people do bring about. Young people are not only the recipients of pressure, but also exert
acupuncture-like pressure on their environment.

A first attempt to find solid ground led us to subcultures. We delved into history and, through discussions, formed a basis for this week's theme. Groups of people, mainly young people, form around certain ideas/characteristics/beliefs and in this way set themselves apart from the dominant culture. For many people, it was and still is a way to be themselves. Questions were soon raised: What is a subculture? What role do young people play within subcultures? Is it a concept that can mainly be attributed to young people? What changes have subcultures brought about? What is the purpose of subcultures? How do subcultures move through the urban fabric?

Our role as future architects extends beyond simply designing buildings; we are 'bridge builders'. But to have a real impact, we need to step out of our comfort zone and engage with the urban fabric. The idea or stereotype of the 'too much coffee drinking' architecture student certainly exists, one on his mountain in the plateau, the other to be found in a monastery near the Coupure. The world of architecture is often seen as an ivory tower, closed off and far removed from everyday life. Perhaps it is time to take a critical look at this. We must listen to the needs and desires of the communities we ourselves are part of. We must work together to find solutions that really work for everyone.

Throughout the entire week, radio broadcasts were made, with a panel discussions every afternoon (Martha Delagrange Bert Villa, Annekatrien Verdickt, Sebastien Darchen) interviews, musicians, and more.

Every day, lectures were organized the speakers discussing their experiences with subcultures.(Anne Querrien, Ben De Smet, Lutz Leichsenring, Simon Sterck... )