The café of Library Muntpunt will be transformed into a temporary youth hub in 2025, announced outgoing Brussels Secretary of State and Flemish Community Commission (VGC) member Ans Persoons (Vooruit), and Flemish minister for Brussels, Cieltje van Achter (N-VA).
The initiative is part of an attempt to expand youth spaces available in the capital. "In the Brussels pentagon [central Brussels], there is too little space for young people so we cannot afford to let buildings like this one stand empty. This initiative gives young people their own meeting place," Persoons said.
The project will host educational workshops from coaches and youth organisations. Beyond this, it will serve as a place for young people to meet.
"This project is all about community-building: bringing young people together, stimulating cooperation and creating connections in a warm and inclusive environment, with Dutch as the connecting and empowering factor," said van Achter (N-VA).
The initiative received a €110,000 investment from the Flemish government, Muntpunt and the VGC. The "pop-up" is planned to open in early March 2025. It will be managed by Muntpunt as part of an "exploratory year" that will investigate projects to transform café in the coming years.
"It is not always obvious for young people to find their place independently in a complex and fast changing world. With this initiative, we want to offer them a space to breathe, meet peers, find direction and take a positive next step in their lives," said the director of Muntpunt, Roel van den Sigtenhorst.
