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The Night Club Academy X Embassy Lab New Cohort

It can be frustrating when the nightclub bouncers don’t let you in, especially if you’ve been waiting in line for hours. But might this also be good for something? In the Embassy Lab New Cohort we are developing new perspectives in view of the disruptive behaviour and criminalisation of young people in the Doornakkers district in Eindhoven. In the Embassy of Safety we provide an interim update on our research process. And we are curious: when were you denied entry?

Young people as bouncers at the entrance of their own experience

In the Doornakkers district in Eindhoven, officers recognise that they need to better connect with young people and how they experience their lives. In the Night Club Academy we are learning by doing. In September, this led to a moment of discomfort: it was evening, on a square in the middle of the district, municipal officials stood in among a crowd of young people, surrounded by the sounds of mopeds, laughter and screams. The young people kept to themselves and the officials experienced what it is like not to be admitted. Little information was ‘gathered’. Had the night been a failure? In the Night Club Academy, a night like this is very fruitful. We learned that the process of being granted access is in itself worth examining. Which patterns emerge, and what unexpected expertise can be brought into play? How and why do young people protect their worlds from outside intrusions? Who is given access and why? The design team applies these fresh perspectives to examine the problems revolving around this new cohort of young people.

The Night Club Academy

In the Night Club Academy, four teams of officers, youth workers and designers from different neighbourhoods across the Netherlands develop new perspectives and approaches to create safer and nicer neighbourhoods. We experiment in creating spaces — often in the evening and night — to help break the perpetuation of existing habits and subsequent problems. Sleep Twice In addition to the permanent exhibition in Embassy of Safety, experiments and presentations take place in a Makerspace. De Nacht Club is also organizing a special experiment under the name Sleep Twice. In this experiment we investigate different themes from the Night Club Academy such as access, encounter and trust. Curious about what happens when you keep problems in the dark? During the experimental DDW2022 sessions you experience a bit of night in the day, between two sleeps. You can sign up for this experiment. It lasts 1.5 hours and takes place on Monday October 24 and Saturday October 29. Vonk Rotterdam is the facilitator of Sleep Twice. Book your ticket: https://forms.gle/QN6JdwefQYEPYYrZ9