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Limburg | January 29, 2021

Youth worker Mick Wiertz: 'Young people need new forms of expression'

The City Nomad Foundation in Maastricht is a grassroots A network of young people, skaters, entrepreneurs, and creators from all walks of life. The non-profit organization connects sports and culture by organizing all kinds of urban activities. all around skateboarding and for example Street art. Youth worker Mick Wiertz started Stadsnomade in 2018.

"Our society is changing rapidly," says Mick. "And it's primarily focused on performance and success. That creates a climate that not everyone thrives in. I'm a youth worker and I want to give all young people equal opportunities. That's why I started Stadsnomade, surrounded by an enthusiastic group of people from the very beginning. We also saw that the sports and cultural offerings in Maastricht are rather traditional, while more and more young people are looking for new forms of expression. We give them that opportunity. We don't just offer opportunities for practicing a variety of urban and street sports. We encourage independent, structured sports and exercise. Our focus is on the preventative effect of sports, youth participation, and personal and social development."

Positive impact

City Nomad literally moves through the city. The neighborhood sports and culture program De Karavaan connects with children in their own neighborhoods, the Skate Café operates in the evenings and at night, and the Skate School offers skating lessons for little ones as young as five. "Just because we don't have a permanent location doesn't mean we can't have an impact on the community," Mick has learned. "Maastricht is a small city with an international audience because of the university. Even those international students find a place with us. A permanent location does, of course, guarantee a wider reach. We're in talks with the municipality and discussing our plans, which have received support, but there's currently little funding. We want to sustainably anchor the positive impact we're making in the city."

Urban Sports Park

The dream is a new centrally located urban sports parkA connecting place where young and old can play, exercise, and connect. Urban sports and street art are hot. They offer young people perspective, connection, and personal development. That's the goal of Stadsnomade. Ultimately, society as a whole benefits from this.

Intermediary

Children and young people from low-income families can also join Stadsnomade. Mick even acts as an intermediary for the Youth Fund. "Lack of money shouldn't be a reason. If parents can't afford it, they can turn to the Youth Fund. It's so important that children and young people enjoy sports and culture while also connecting with their peers and other groups in society."

Culture@CruyffCourts Maastricht

Just like in 2020, Stadsnomade is once again involved this year as a provider in Cultuur@CruyffCourts in Maastricht. This project, through which the Youth Fund brings culture to the Cruyff Courts throughout the Netherlands, aligns perfectly with what we stand for,” says Mick. “Organizing accessible activities close to home. Many children from the neighborhood participated who otherwise wouldn't. We provided skateboards and protective equipment. There was a lot of interest in the workshops. And it's also great for us to connect with providers of other activities. Who knows, that might lead to new collaborations. It's wonderful to see something like this take hold in the city and to see the goal of getting vulnerable children involved is achieved.” Read more about Culture@CruyffCourts in Maastricht.

More information

• Become an intermediary!
• More about City nomad.