Irma van der Sloot is an alderwoman in Kampen and is responsible for culture, among other things. Kampen is one of 14 cities that launched Cultuur@CruyffCourts in 2019. This collaboration between the Youth Fund for Sport & Culture and the Johan Cruyff Foundation organizes cultural and creative activities on Cruyff Courts in underprivileged neighborhoods. What was the added value of Cultuur@CruyffCourts for her?

"Culture@CruyffCourts definitely added value," says Irma van der Sloot. "A lot of people came, and it introduced them to art and culture in an accessible way. Many amateur arts groups were involved through our local arts education center, Quintus, and everyone was incredibly enthusiastic. Both the groups and the participants. It really lowered the barrier to entry into culture."

People come into contact with each other

"It's important that these kinds of things happen in the neighborhood," says the alderman. "People connect with each other and with different cultural forms. Normally, the Cruyff Courts are primarily sports events, but now the focus is on culture, which naturally created a good mix of sports and culture. There's always a certain atmosphere surrounding art and culture. But art can be very accessible; it's for everyone. The Cultuur@CruyffCourts project proves that."

Prevention is better than cure

Irma van der Sloot: “Everyone should be able to participate in culture. This is also true within the framework of social policy. Prevention is better than cure. Sports and culture provide prevention and keep people engaged. Kampen has a significant group of low-income families. It's especially important for this group that their children can still participate. We strongly encourage this. That's why I'm so pleased with a project like Cultuur@CruyffCourts.”

More about Cultuur@CruyffCourts

www.cultuurcruyffcourts.nl

Also read:
Jenneke Bos (JOGG): 'Culture@CruyffCourts is more than just fun activities'

Social workers Michel and Juliëtte: 'A seed has been planted'

The Municipality of Kampen gave Welzijn Kampen the opportunity to organize Cultuur@CruyffCourts. Welfare workers Michel van Olst and Juliette van Ommen worked tirelessly to make it a success. And they did! "We made many children happy."

"You ideally want to reach those children who aren't yet active in club life," says Michel. "Ideally, children are introduced to an activity at the Cruyff Court and then move on to lessons. Of the 600 children we reached, a large proportion were already active. But you can see that they were introduced to a wide variety of activities. The children all took something away from it, literally and figuratively. And everyone was so happy. That gave the clinic providers a lot of satisfaction, even though it was eight weeks of hard work."

Short but very powerful

It wasn't just about giving children fun clinics. Michel: "Our goal is to find out what children like, what's on their minds. So, besides organizing the activities, you're also involved in that. All in all, it was short but very powerful." Juliette: "After each clinic, we consulted with the teacher. It's great that you can offer so much in a short time, but you have to make sure you can sustain it. The creative activities were particularly popular. Painting was the most popular, but so were making dream catchers and hand lettering. One lesson learned is that next time we need to be more critical about what we offer at once. Three activities at a time, three times a week, is a lot."

Close cooperation

A Cruyff Court usually only hosts sporting activities. Michel: “The fact that it was about culture was one of the benefits. We now also have contact and close collaboration with cultural activity providers. That's so valuable, also for the future. Even though we're not sure if children will continue afterward, a seed has been planted.”

More visible in the neighborhood

Cultuur@CruyffCourts was valuable not only for the children, but also for Welzijn Kampen. "We were visible for eight weeks," says Michel. "That way, we built name recognition and trust. I think parents now find us easier if their child can't join a club for financial reasons. It lowers the barrier. It also strengthens contact with the school. The teachers now have a better understanding of who we are and what we offer. It's now important for us to maintain continuity. But if you give me the chance again, we'll do it again!"

More about Cultuur@CruyffCourts

www.cultuurcruyffcourts.nl

Also read:
Jenneke Bos (JOGG): 'Culture@CruyffCourts is more than just fun activities'

Councillor Irma van der Sloot: 'Sports and culture ensure prevention'