Ignite Talk

Giving a voice to communities that are too often underheard – that was the approach when redesigning our services for and especially by multilingual Ghent residents. This approach focused on the strength of multilingualism, not on the problem of not speaking Dutch. The first steps were not taken by the library itself, rather non-native citizens of Ghent led the dance.

Learning to work more from the bottom up is like learning to dance: the first steps are hesitant, sometimes you are completely off the beat, and you have to improvise or change dance partners. In five dance lessons we show what we learned from our co-creative approach. 

Host

Maike Somers
Maike is the coordinator of the adult section at De Krook Library and works with a team of passionate collection specialists to create an inspiring offering for adults. Together they make the library a vibrant place where imagination and knowledge meet, fueled by curiosity and a willingness to challenge the status quo. After all, without friction, there is no shine, and without new steps, there is no new dance.