Activities and number of children, youth and adults reached in the Netherlands

Activities
In 2007, more than 160 art projects / workshop series were organised in and around asylum seeker reception centres in the Netherlands.

• 2,400 children and adolescents participated in workshops in 33 asylum seeker reception centres. 
• Refugees and displaced persons were given a voice through artistic expression and publicity. In collaboration with external partners, 33 expositions, films and performances were organised to involve the surrounding community in the living experiences of these children. The children were given the opportunity to demonstrate their talents and develop self-confidence and trust in their surroundings. Several examples of this are: 
  • Exposition of paintings in the city hall of Den Helder addressing the theme 'Where do I stand?' produced by children and adolescents from the asylum seeker reception centre.
  • In collaboration with the 'the one minutes Jr' network, a community that gives a voice to young underprivileged people, a group of young people made 16 one-minute film clips addressing the theme 'hospitality'. The film clips, which, were presented in the cultural centre 'Nowhere Amsterdam', are available via YouTube and have been entered in the annual international competition for the One Minutes Award for film clips that are exactly one minute long.
• Theatre performances with self-made decors and costumes in public places in Drachten.

These activities reached a total of 17,250 people. An even greater audience was reached through publicity in the regional and national press and media.

• Exchanges took place between asylum seeker reception centres and the art world through collaboration with partners from the fields of music, theatre and expressive art. This year, the emphasis was on musical encounters with various orchestras and ensembles and in mobile 'minority museums' in which artists and children from six asylum seeker reception centres composed an exposition with the themes 'Meeting Point' and 'This is where I stand'. These were shown in various public libraries and museums. 
• Ten artists with a refugee background were trained to organise art projects with children and adolescents from asylum seeker reception centres and their communities. 
• A manual was developed for company projects involving refugees and asylum seekers. 
• A method was developed for working with adolescents and on projects 'for girls only'. 
• A youth community was developed for adolescents in asylum seeker reception centres. A large group of youth from throughout the Netherlands will participate in projects involving events and company participation. These youth form a link between the asylum seeker reception centres and society.