UKH House of possibilities EVALUATION OF UKH YOUTH CULTURE HOUSE 2014-2017

Page 7 MAIN CONCLUSIONS OF THE EVALUATION Page 26 UKH AS A SPRINGBOARD Page 31 HOME FROM HOME FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

ART | CULTURE | DEVELOPMENT | INFLUENCE | COMMUNITY

"I hope it will continue to be a house of possibilities, that it won't become a house for just one group, and that it continues to be open for all kinds of projects and individuals." JESPER STOUBY STISEN, AGED 26

HOUSE OF POSSIBILITIES EVALUATION OF UKH YOUTH CULTURE HOUSE 2014-2017 1st edition, 1st issue, August 2017 Print run: 300

Prepared by Urban Goods for the Department of Culture, City of Aarhus

EDITOR, TEXT AND DATA COLLECTION: Urban Goods LAYOUT AND ILLUSTRATIONS: KRIMS PHOTO PROCESSING: THORA FOTOGRAFI

PHOTOS: • Bilal Bax Aqtash (front page, pp 4+5, p 13 no. 5, p 17 bottom, pp 18+19, p 26, pp 28-30, p 31 bottom, p 32, p 37, p 38 nos. 1+2, p 39, p 44, p 52 bottom, p 55 top, p 57) • Children and Youth City Council (p 8 bottom) • Henriette Mølgaard (p 24, pp 42+43) • Henrik Hass (p 9 top, p 13 no. 3, p 21 bottom left, p 25 top, p 38 bottom) • Johan Adrian Buus (p 6, p 46) • Kio Jørgensen Ng (p 13 nos. 1+2, p 16, p 17 top, p 21 top, p 25 bottom right, p 27, p 49, p 53, p 54 top, p 56) • Momen Momo Machlah (p 54 bottom) • Niclas Davidsen (p 31 top) • René Thorup Kristensen (p 3, p 22, p 40, p 47, p 59) • Simon Falkentorp (p 9 bottom, p 13 no. 4, p 15 top, p 21 bottom right, p 25 bottom left) • Urban Goods (p 7, p 8 top, pp 34+35, p 41, p 45, p 48, p 52 top, p 55 bottom) • Veronica Moreno (p 15 bottom)

THANKS TO EVERYBODY who has contributed to the magazine – in particular André Thelin Nielsen, Astrid Avalin Sørensen, Bilal Bax Aqtash, Bue Grønlund, David Skadhede, Didde Maria Larsen, Eivind Ranjbar, Hannibal Krabbe Keblovszki, Helene Cherie Hornsleth, Jardel Pereira da Silva, Jesper Stouby Stisen, Kathrine Thrysøe Jespersen, Kio Jørgensen Ng, Lea Emilie Hansen, Linnea Borgkvist, Liva Bajda Østergaard, Maria Lange Madsen, Matilde Brix Lajer, Mohamed Abdikarim, Mohamed Ali, Momen Momo Machlah, Niclas Davidsen, Olak Alexandovic Sallingovskij, Ruth Morell, Sara Karim-Madsen, Stefan Steiner Jørgensen, Søren Verdoner and Trine Kold Schmidt for agreeing to be interviewed, and Christina Veng, Hanne Staahlnacke, Henrik Hass, Lone Jensen, Malene Farup and Pernille Refstrup for supplying background data.

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CONTENTS

YOUR GUIDE TO THE MAGAZINE ...... 4 UKH YOUTH CULTURE HOUSE – A LABORATORY FOR YOUTH AND CULTURE ...... 5 TIMELINE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF UKH YOUTH CULTURE HOUSE ...... 6 MAIN CONCLUSIONS ...... 7 A DAY AT UKH ...... 11 ORGANISATION OF THE PLACE ...... 13 IN IT TOGETHER FOR UKH ...... 16 UKH STYLE ...... 18 DO’S AND DON’TS FOR EMPLOYEES ...... 19 UKH IN NUMBERS ...... 20 EXAMPLES OF USER TYPES AT UKH ...... 22 VOX POP ...... 23 UKH AS A SPRINGBOARD ...... 26 SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE ...... 28 FROM HOBBY TO WORK PLACEMENT ...... 29 ADVICE ON HOW TO GET YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED ...... 31 HOME FROM HOME ...... 31 ACTIVITY CATEGORIES AT UKH ...... 32 VOX POP ...... 33 CROSS-GROUP COLLABORATION ...... 37 VOX POP ...... 38 NETWORK OF PARTNERS ...... 41 LEARNING FOR LIFE ...... 43 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE...... 46 BEHIND THE MAGAZINE ...... 47

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Your guide to the magazine

Depending on your interest in UKH Youth Culture House, you can dip into different perspectives of the project.

AS A POLITICIAN you might benefit from reading...

MAIN CONCLUSIONS ...... 7 ORGANISATION OF THE PLACE ...... 13 UKH IN NUMBERS ...... 20 NETWORK OF PARTNERS ...... 41 LEARNING FOR LIFE ...... 43 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE ...... 46

AS A YOUNG PERSON you might be particularly interested in...

A DAY AT UKH ...... 11 UKH STYLE ...... 18 VOX POP ...... 23 VOX POP ...... 33 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE ...... 46

AS A PROFESSIONAL we recommend that you take a look at...

IN IT TOGETHER FOR UKH ...... 16 DO’S AND DON’TS FOR EMPLOYEES ...... 19 EXAMPLES OF USER TYPES AT UKH ...... 22 UKH AS A SPRINGBOARD ...... 26 ADVICE ON HOW TO GET YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED ...... 31 LEARNING FOR LIFE ...... 43

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UKH Youth Culture House – a laboratory for youth and culture

The Youth Culture House – or UKH as it is commonly known (by its Danish acronym) – is in continual flux. Over the last three years, UKH has been an attempt at developing a prototype for a culture house for young people with the purpose of examining and testing ideas for activities, environment and organisation.

The Youth Culture House is the brainchild of young people in the City of Aarhus, and it was helped along by the three city departments: Children & Young People, Culture & Citizens' Services, and Social Affairs & Employment. A whole string of players has backed the initiative, contributing to the project in terms of competent feedback, activities and partnerships, among other things.

The foundation of the project has been a co-creative approach where users and employees, young people and the City, internal players and external partners have helped define the Youth Culture House together.

The project was launched for real in March 2017, when the Youth Culture House was temporarily housed in some pavilions next to The Freight Yard at the heart of Aarhus. Since then, the project has changed location several times, and facilities, activities and organisation have changed over time. The users have also been replaced to a great extent – new settings have attracted different users, young people have grown older and may have gone elsewhere, while new year groups have come along.

The Youth Culture House continues to develop in leaps and bounds. This is both a quality and a necessity if you want to accommodate the different generations and types of young people who are associated with the place for a while.

The Youth Culture House was primarily set up to create value for young people. In this evaluation of the Youth Culture House, we have therefore focused on the young people's experience of the place.

The evaluation is presented as a magazine where you can dip into a series of articles with different perspectives about the Youth Culture House. Among other things, we ask: What is everyday life like at UKH? How is the place organised? Who uses it? What is the place used for? And what do young people gain from using UKH? What value does the place create for its partners? And what are the users' thoughts about the future of the place?

You can also get a quick overview of the many different perspectives by reading the main conclusions of the evaluation on page 7. HAPPY READING!

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Timeline for the development of UKH Youth Culture House

2010 MARCH 2010 The Children and Youth City Council in the City of Aarhus recommends to the City Council that a multipurpose house should be established in the centre of Aarhus. The house is to have creative workshops and a youth section where young people have the chance to meet and 'hang out' and set up a café to be run by volunteers.

2013 APRIL 2013 The Children and Youth City Council in the City of Aarhus recommends to the City Council that a youth café should be established in the centre of Aarhus. The café is to be a temporary measure until a multipurpose house is established.

AUGUST 2013 In the City Council's culture agreement for 2014-2016 it is decided to allocate DKK 350,000 every year from 2014 to 2016 to make a culture house for young people a reality.

SEPTEMBER 2013 In connection with the budget agreement for 2014-2017, Aarhus City Council decides to allocate DKK 0.5 million per year to a 'Youth House' located centrally in Aarhus. It is also decided that the City's departments of Children & Young People and Social Affairs & Employment are to allocate DKK 350,000 each per year in 2014-2016.

NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 2013 The first workshops about the development of the Youth Culture House are held. 26 young people participate in the event called '12 for pizza'.

2014 MARCH 2014 – JULY 2015 A temporary Youth Culture House is set up in pavilions by The Freight Yard.

OCTOBER – NOVEMBER 2014 A one-month youth culture laboratory is held in the Raw Hall at The Freight Yard.

DECEMBER 2014 Ung i Aarhus (Young in Aarhus) arrange a Youth Conference focusing on, among other things, input about the content at the Youth Culture House.

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2015 JULY 2015 – JULY 2017 The Youth Culture House moves to Hjortensgade 23, the former location of Børnenes Hus (the Children's House).

2016 SEPTEMBER 2016 In the budget agreement in 2016, it is decided to extend the trial with an additional appropriation of DKK 1 million in 2017.

2017 FEBRUARY 2017 The Children and Youth City Council in the City of Aarhus recommends to the City Council that the Youth Culture House should be made permanent.

JULY 2017 – DECEMBER 2017 UKH Youth Culture House moves into Knudrisgade 5.

2018 JANUARY 2018 ???

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Main conclusions

In the following, you can get an overview of the main conclusions in the evaluation. Below, we summarise the general points and analyses from the evaluation magazine. Due to the experimental and investigative approach of the project, no fixed objectives or indicators were defined for the success of the Youth Culture House from the beginning of the project.

In connection with the evaluation, seven evaluation parameters have therefore been selected, which have been fundamental premisses for the Youth Culture House from the project's beginning. The seven evaluation parameters are: cross-group collaboration, inclusion, temporary use, mastering life, entrepreneurship, democracy, and artistic/cultural communities.

Cross-group collaboration

The cross-group collaboration about UKH is particularly important in order to guarantee the diversity of the place and reaching a great range of different users. It also helps guarantee a multi-dimensional range of options for young people. It is a collaborative model that contributes to making the place stand out from, for instance, other youth club work, and it is a form of organisation that helps generate more users for the different activities than there would have been if each activity had been kept separate. The Youth Culture House represents both a cross-departmental youth initiative and collaboration across municipal institutions, voluntary associations and educational programmes etc. In addition to this, the place is organised in co-creation between young people and employees, with a keen eye on the delicate balance between too little and too much 'adult' involvement. Finally, this is a collaborative effort across youth generations. The affiliation of older young people as teachers of youth school classes is a chance to develop their communication skills. It is also an opportunity to keep contact with and retain the experience of the more seasoned users of UKH.

Inclusion

The cross-group collaboration helps guarantee great diversity in the user group, and it therefore supports inclusion – of people with different ethnic and educational backgrounds and from different subcultures. It also gathers young people across geographical affiliations. The fact that this is a free option increases the accessibility for many different young people.

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Temporary use

Both the staff and the young users have a very clear wish for UKH to find a more permanent residence. This is not only out of consideration for the users, but also for the partners' commitment to the place – they are motivated by helping build something, and demotivated by the uncertainty that is connected with moving from place to place. But it is also with a view to increasing awareness of the place among other young people, as it takes time to build a culture about meeting in a specific place, and establishing a brand that is linked to the place as a 'venue'. The place and the facilities also contribute to defining what interests can be accommodated, and thereby which users can be drawn in.

Mastering life

At the Youth Culture House, work focuses on supporting young people's mastering of life at several levels. This happens by providing the space and a setting for their activities, and by offering counselling, feedback and challenges from professional 'adults'. But it also happens through young person-to-person learning, whether this is organised under the auspices of the youth school, or more informally, for instance when young refugees share a meal with young ethnic Danes at the Food Mecca event. In more specific terms, a counselling form that is an option for the young people to seek out, and which meets the young people where they are – also quite literally. This is in order to deinstitutionalise the counselling form and break with the clientification. The focus is on a holistic approach to the young people, which opens a door for young people to set the agenda for counselling, through which they gain input on everything from personal finances to partnership, and from choice of education to job applications.

Entrepreneurship

The Youth Culture House supports young people's entrepreneurial initiatives in various ways, in terms of their ability to create something that is of value to others. The work focuses to a lesser degree on entrepreneurship in terms of starting your own business. It is, to a greater extent, a general strengthening of young people's creative powers, primarily through 'learning by doing' or alternative competence courses, such as masterclasses and youth school workshops. The young people practice competences such as interpersonal skills, project coordination, organisational skills, communication and finances. This happens in connection with the general organisation of the house in co-creation with the young people, and in connection with cultural event-making when organising events and festivals. But it also happens on a smaller scale when young people are given the responsibility for weekly shopping, for instance when buying food for communal meals.

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Democracy

The Youth Culture House offers young people a place where they can practice democratic behaviour. UKH accommodates both more traditional organisation forms, such as associations with regulations and annual general meetings, for instance the Operations Committee, joint meetings, and more network-based organisations such as Aarhus Parkour. This means that there are several angles of approach to UKH and several opportunities for the young users to take part in UKH and develop their democratic and organisational involvement. Typically, young people's first encounter UKH as participants in an event, but due to the open and relatively flat structure, they can quickly develop into initiators and organisers. A place like UKH gives us insight into how the present youth generation utilises different organisation forms as alternatives to traditional association and club structures.

Artistic and cultural communities

Young people are particularly drawn by the facilities that encourage artistic and creative activities. This allows young people to engage in an interest that cannot be practised within the limited space of their bedroom at home or in their student digs. This is why it is important to have space for experiments and settings that allow young people to express themselves within a variety of art forms, for instance by means of a sound studio, an artists' studio, a dance hall etc. For several young people, this is a springboard for perfecting their skills within a creative field or acquiring new skills. The young users do not consider the place to be reserved for creative or artistic youth. To them, it is a youth house, but they understand that this is a place where they have the chance to practice their interests. The place is used to find and develop communities of interests, seek apprenticeship under other practitioners, and to be inspired to have a go at other creative activities.

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A day at UKH

It is Monday afternoon, and I'm on my way to UKH Youth Culture House in Hjortensgade 23 to do an interview with one of the users, Sara Karim-Madsen from DFUNK (Danish Refugee Council Youth). I turn into what looks like a self-made path at the corner of Hjortensgade and Saltholmsgade. The path leads me to the Youth Culture House, which lies slightly secretly and secluded, away from the street, well shielded by shrubbery. The first thing to greet me as I enter via this unauthorised main entrance is a poster announcing an exhibition opening at the Youth Culture House. It appears that the picture team from the artistic workshop initiative Opgang 2 Ungdomsspor are holding the opening under the title: The Day after the Snails Mated.

Inside the building's café environment, which is the heart of the house, a group of people in running gear is gathering, and I can hear people clattering about in the kitchen. The door to the office is open, as always, and inside the office, I find a couple of young people who are working. I ask for Sara. "She's just popped out," they say, and I go back to the area called the Café and wait.

More people in running gear arrive. This is a running community called 'Mo's Friends'. It consists of young people across nationalities and cultures who meet at the Youth Culture House to run together every Monday and Friday. One of them asks whether I would like to join in, and soon I'm standing in a 'love circle', as they call it, my arms around the shoulders of my new running mates, and I'm 'checking in', which means that I'm introducing myself, as the others do, giving my name and the name of my role model. Obama, Pippi Longstocking, Mohamed (one of the other running mates) are the names of the role models that are mentioned.

Mo's Friends run off, and I find Sara who has now returned. We go to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. In the kitchen, a couple of people are preparing food for Food Mecca – a weekly communal eating event organised by DFUNK for young refugees and anybody else who is interested.

Sara tells me that she herself escaped from Iraq and came to Denmark at the end of 2001. Today, she is about to complete her BA in Comparative Religion and Rhetoric at Aarhus University; she is also a project officer at DFUNK.

"It's our impression that our young people gain an awful lot from being together at UKH. It creates a greater network, and it's cool that they also meet other types of young people." SARA KARIM-MADSEN, DFUNK

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DFUNK – the Danish Refugee Council Youth – is a nationwide organisation that creates networks and communicates knowledge among young people aged 15 to 30 with and without a refugee background. Sara explains that in Aarhus, DFUNK organises a series of different activities; in addition to Food Mecca there are evening events with specific themes for newly arrived refugees, dance classes and summer camps. All events are free, and you don't need to be a member to participate.

DFUNK has an office at UKH and holds several of their events here, Sara says. "We moved here in January 2016, and we will be moving along to the new place, as it makes sense to be together. It's our impression that our young people gain an awful lot from being together at UKH. It creates a greater network, and it's cool that they also meet other types of young people. – And at the same time, the young people at the Youth Culture House have the chance to meet our young people," she says.

Sara explains about the young refugees. "Many of them are in Denmark on their own, so this is a great platform for them to meet others who are like them, but also to meet others who do not look like them, who they can be inspired by, or who can make them think of something else rather than all that they have been through. They get to speak Danish, and just to chat socially. Many of them want to make friends because they feel alone. This is why it's important that we have events like Food Mecca, or just UKH in general, where they can come and stay."

The radio is running in the background while we talk, and the kitchen is a hive of chopping, talking and laughter, while someone is tinkling about on a piano somewhere. Out in the hall, about 5-10 young boys and men are busy practising parkour.

Sara shows me the office where Sine, Yusuf and Houzan are planning another DFUNK activity, 'Habibi – Syrian street food', which will be at Ingerslev Market on Sunday. The idea is to use a good meal as an occasion to build bridges between different population groups, she says. Last time they did this, everything sold out much too fast, because the food was so popular, so this time some serious planning is necessary.

A buzz can be heard from the Café, which is now filling up with hungry, chatty young people. The runners from Mo's Friends are returning from their run. The food is just about ready in the kitchen. Every Monday, Food Mecca attracts some 30-40 young people, Sara tells me. 27-year-old Mohamed Abdikarim is one of the people who have been out running with Mo's Friends. He explains that both the running club and the parkour guys often eat together. "We eat with them when we've finished running. The runners usually do the dishes, and the others cook the food, so we help each other," he says.

The activity level is not always like this at UKH – and yet, this is just an ordinary Monday evening at UKH in Hjortensgade 23.

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Organisation of the place

On 28 November and 11 December 2013, the first workshop sessions were held on the development of the Youth Culture House under the heading '12 for pizza'. A total of 26 young people contributed their wishes and dreams for the place. Several of the original ideas are now evident in the design of the Youth Culture House.

Wishes for the Youth Culture The Youth Culture House today House in 2013 We should employ young people as a part Young people aged 18 or above are of the process. employed as teachers through the youth school Young in Aarhus. The average age of the teachers is 23 years.

The age limit must be flexible and maybe it The target group for UKH is now defined should rather be defined as a 'mentality as 15-25-year-olds. DFUNK (Danish limit'. Refugee Council Youth), which also use UKH for their activities, define their target group as 15-30-year-olds. The young people we have spoken with in connection with the evaluation magazine are aged between 16 and 33 years.

The facilities must be geared to suit the At UKH it is possible to leave your mark on target group. the interior design and the facilities. For instance, a group of young people have built a sound studio.

Both young people and adults must be At present, an Operations Committee has involved in the operation – this can be in been appointed, which is made up of four the form of both jobs and voluntary young users. In addition, an adult project functions. manager has been employed, as has a caretaker and two assistants who handle day-to-day operation. Furthermore, young people have been hired to clean the place.

Adults can be part of the place, for An adult assistant has been employed who instance in counselling functions. provides counselling 15 hours per week.

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This must be a place where people can The house is open to all. As a young user, enter freely. you don't need to be a member, and you don't have to register to use the house. As a user of the house, you can have a key if you pay a deposit of DKK 225. Access to UKH is free of charge – and several users indicate that this is important in relation to guaranteeing access for all.

Many things exist already. A culture house Today, the Youth Culture House should bring something new into play – accommodates a number of different maybe the new will be something that players across municipal options, gathers people. voluntary associations, networks, NGOs and educational programmes, gathering young people from different interest groupings.

Adult organisation

ROOTED IN THE CITY: The responsibility for the Youth Culture House rests with the Department of Culture, which has contributed staff and funding along with the Departments of Children & Young People and Social Affairs & Employment.

STAFF: The employed staff at the Youth Culture House are: A project manager (20 hours per week); two assistants with a pedagogical background (1 full-time, 1 part-time, i.e. 25 hours per week); a counsellor (15 hours per week); a youth school coordinator (10 hours per week); a caretaker in flexible employment (8 hours per week), and young people who handle cleaning.

FINANCES: The Youth Culture House has had a total budget of between DKK 1.55 million and 1.75 million per year from 2014 to 2016 – a part of which has been by way of staff resources. In addition, youth school activities have been funded via Young in Aarhus and grants for masterclasses via FO-Aarhus. In 2017, the total budget has been DKK 2 million plus a 25- hour position for a social educator funded via Young in Aarhus. From 2018, DKK 0.5 million has been allocated from Aarhus City Council for the present.

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Youth organisation

The organisation model among the young people has developed in step with the place being used by different young people, but the recurring thought has been that the young people are to help decide and help power the development of the place.

The young people have now set up an association for UKH and appointed an Operations Committee made up of four young people who are to help handle operation of the place. For a while, house meetings were held every two weeks in connection with communal dinners. The meetings have been open to anyone interested, and they are the Operations Committee's chance to inform about decisions and participate in dialogues with other users of the house.

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In it together for UKH

UKH has been organised in co-creation between young people and employed adults. The organisation model and the interaction between young people and employed adults has developed in step with the place being used by different young people. The recurring thought has been that the young people are to help decide and help power the development of the place.

Co-creation is crucial to the success of the place, if you ask the young people. "If it didn't have an adult touch about it, I would be up to my neck in voluntary work. I also have exams. I have all sorts of other stuff to deal with. So, it could be a bit too much voluntary work, and that will give you stress," says Liva Bajda Østergaard, aged 16, mentioning the natural challenges that may occur because users are often involved in other time- consuming things, such as education or work. Besides, many young people are also attracted by the opportunities to be creative within a creative field, and may not necessarily be interested in the operational part of the place. Linnea Borgkvist, aged 22, has previous experience from self-organised youth houses, such as the anarchist book café in the Trøjborg district. She says: "There are things that are a real bummer when you run a place yourself: How can we afford rent? Now this thing has broken, and this looks like shit. It's just brilliant that you don't have to think of that here, but that you can just have your own creative haven. I think that really means a lot."

However, the association with the municipality and the support from the staff can also be a challenge: "This thing about it all being under the municipality, I thought that was all about control. But it's not like that at all. That's just my prejudice kicking in," says Linnea. The interaction between staff and users is a delicate balance that requires the right amount of support and the right amount of freedom. 23-year-old Olak Alexandovic Sallingovskij – also called Alex – another user of the place who is a member of the Operations Committee, compares UKH to the Youth House in Fredericia where he used to go before he moved to Aarhus. "Here, there are just a few employees, and they are really just here to support the young people, whereas in Fredericia, it's much more of a social educator house. They have five or six people at work every day. You get the feeling that the young people are sort of pacified because there's such a lot of pedagogical activity, and it's not like that here. Here, there's exactly the amount that needs to be here. You sense that this is much more a house that's being created by the young people, and not just for the young people."

Even so, there's still room for improvement in relation to collaboration across the many different users of UKH, Alex explains: "Early on, there were some committees for the different areas, and they would work together at the house meeting, for instance. I think we should get back to that instead of having the Operations Committee, which handles everything. Now, me and two others from the studio have been sitting there, thinking:

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How can we decide on behalf of the parkour and skater dudes? We don't know anything about that. So we agree to have a chat with them, but that won't do. We need another structure. This will also make the young people feel that they have more of a say and a sense of identity about the place so that they feel they help run it. The fewer people who sit together and decide, the more tasks you get, and the less you get done."

It is a fundamental premise for the Youth Culture House that the commitment is mainly powered by the young people's voluntary approach. This can create challenges in relation to making organisation and collaboration work, but it is also a huge quality for the Youth Culture House. David Skadhede, aged 19, describes it like this: "You can take on responsibility, if you want to. You can get completely involved in the project here, or you can just be a user who actually just enjoys being here, sitting in the café doing your homework, or just drinking a cup of coffee and relaxing with friends. Nobody will force you to take on responsibility, or do a lot of work, or take charge of events. It's up to you whether you want to or not. That's the fundamental principle at UKH, I think."

"A lot of the day-to-day operation is controlled by the staff, and there's a great part of it that is controlled by the young people. The idea is that decisions are to be made by the young people, but it's just totally cool that there are some things that we don't have to think about, because there are staff here. You know, things like, the place being open, that the electricity is on, that there's coffee and stuff. Young people can't be bothered to think about things like that."

STEFAN STEINER JØRGENSEN AGED 19, USER OF UKH AND MEMBER OF THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE

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Guidelines written by young users

UKH STYLE

At the Youth Culture House, we are a bunch of very different people, and it's important that we get on well with each other. This is why we have prepared some guidelines that apply to everybody who comes to the house:

• UKH IS THOSE WHO ARE IN THE YOUTH CULTURE HOUSE • UKH IS A DO-OCRACY (THE WORD CAN BE GOOGLED) • ALWAYS SAY 'HI' • ALWAYS LEAVE THE HOUSE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO FIND IT WHEN YOU GET HERE • EVERYTHING IS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY • RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE AND THEIR STUFF • NO SMOKING INDOORS • EVERYTHING IN MODERATION • BEHAVE IN GOOD UKH STYLE • BETTER TO FAN THE FLAME THAN TO BREATHE DOWN SOMEONE'S NECK • REMEMBER COMMUNICATION (concrete, constructive and caring)

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Do’s and don’ts for employees

We asked the young people what their recommendations are for the staff at a youth culture house. do’s

• Remember mutual respect and understanding • Be an open person • Keep things in perspective • Help new people find their way • Motivate to believe: You can do this! • Help with practical paperwork • Support a good atmosphere • Let young people take on responsibility and allow them to help out • Focus on creating frameworks rather than setting the agenda don’ts

• Don't take control • You don't have to be young with the young, but don't be old and grumpy • Don't be afraid to let young people take control to a great extent • Don't use an admonitory tone, and don't be a finger-wagging stickler for the rules • Don't be too municipal-like, and don't be a naysayer

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UKH in numbers

It's a basic principle at the Youth Culture House that this is an open place where you don't have to register to enter. This means that you don't have to be a member to set foot at UKH, and you don't have to state your personal ID no. before you can have a chat with the staff about how you feel. It also means that there is no complete dataset about who and how many people use UKH.

In connection with the evaluation, we have gathered existing data from the Youth Culture House to give you a few 'fun facts' about UKH.

The numbers cover 228 users recorded via interviews, record of keys that have been handed out, youth school classes and masterclass courses. We have also factored in the staff's own records of users at various events, among others.

Age

• Age range among users of UKH: Year 6 to 33 years • 64 % of those recorded are younger than 18 years • 31 % are aged between 18 and 25 • 5 % are aged between 26 and 33

Numbers

• People in audiences at concerts held at UKH in Hjortensgade: 879 • Concerts held at Hjortensgade: 8 – within the genres of hip-hop, jazz, horror punk, punk and indie & urban • Complaints from neighbours: 2 • Participants in IYAC festival: 71 • Of these, international artists at the IYAC festival: 10 – from Belgium, Estonia, South Korea, Germany, Palestine and Great Britain, respectively • Youth school courses held at UKH: 8 • Average age of teachers at the youth school: 23 years • Communal dinners at UKH in Hjortensgade: Approx. 160 • Events announced on the UKH facebook site since summer 2015: 148

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The users of UKH come from:

Aarhus C (59), Aarhus N (7), Aarhus V (26), Beder (3), Brabrand (21), Egå (3), Harlev J (2), Hasselager (5), Hjortshøj (11), Holme (1), Højbjerg (15), Lystrup (9), Malling (1), Mårslet (4), Risskov (2), Sabro (3), Skæring (1), Skødstrup (2), Solbjerg (1), Tilst (4), Tranbjerg (9), Trige (5), Viby J (17), Åbyhøj (9)

From outside the municipality, two people were recorded to come from Jelling and Skanderborg. In addition, DFUNK (whose users are not recorded and therefore not included in the dataset) mention that their users come from across the city, and in several cases also from outside the municipality, including from Rønde, Odder, Hørning, Hadsten and Hammel.

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Examples of user types at UKH

You can be a user of UKH in several different ways, both in terms of interest and degree of involvement and in terms of your angle of approach to the place. Here are a few examples of the different types of users who are in contact with UKH in one way or another.

Even if users turn up with different intentions and have different levels of contact with UKH, they can still move across different user types. For instance, some people start coming to UKH as event guests and later become ambassadors. There is also a tendency towards users not sticking to the activities and places that are within their primary interests. For instance, the communal meals and the area around the Café are key meeting places where different users come into contact with each other.

The practitioner

Has a particular passion for or interest in something specific – e.g. music, parkour, events or art – and is drawn in because of the facilities and the opportunities for self-expression at the Youth Culture House or specific events, such as youth school classes or masterclasses held on site.

The ad hoc user

Does not identify with UKH out-and-out, but uses the place occasionally, primarily to hang out or attend small events, such as the communal dinners.

The partner

Typically a representative from an association, a group or an organisation who is attracted by the site facilities and/or the target group of young people. Uses the place to organise activities for other users.

The event guest

Uses the place as a 'venue' and turns up in connection with a specific event. In many cases, this is the line of approach for getting involved in the place at a later stage.

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The club member

Comes to the house because of his/her affiliation with an association, a group or an organisation that uses the place. This means that the club member uses the place primarily in connection with the activity that is put on by the association, group or organisation. However, it is worth noticing that far from all of the organisations that use UKH are set up in a classical association organisation with paying memberships; often they are more network-based.

The ambassador

Identifies with UKH and is involved in the organisation of the place. The ambassador sees himself/herself – and is perceived by others – as a representative of UKH.

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Bilal Bax Aqtash

AGED 17 LIVES IN VIBY FAVOURITE PLACE AT UKH: THE SMALL LANDING ON THE 1ST FLOOR

WHAT DO YOU USE UKH FOR? "I started out being a member of UKH's operations board together with a couple of others. At the time, I didn't know much about what UKH really was, so it was all new to me. If we look at it today, or most recently at Hjortensgade 23, I have used it for: meetings in relation to the Operations Committee, skate team, drawing courses, sewing classes with Malene etc. What I remember best is sitting in the studio with some of my closest current friends, Jardel and Stefan, whom I met the first time I stepped through the doors of UKH for a chess workshop. I've used it for dancing quite a lot with another of my close friends, Sherry. The two of us are working on setting up a dance hall at the new UKH. And last, but not least, I remember these little meetings with Ruth, where we talk about the future in terms of school, education, career etc. Ruth is just so – how can I put it – she's just so amazing, and I'm thrilled to bits to have met her! It's not just with regard to tips and tricks about education, but she's just this really strong woman, one of the few I look up to at UKH!"

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BE PART OF THE YOUTH FESTIVAL IN MAY THIS YEAR? "Well, it has been so, excuse my French, fucking amazing! I was a bit sceptical to start with, as it sounded like a bit of a mouthful, but when I heard that Ruth was going to be there all the way, I couldn't say no. My role was to be responsible for two artists from South Korea, whom I knew online for a while before the festival. Two good friends who gave up their career, school and much more to concentrate more on their music. When I heard that the festival was international, and that they were looking for artists, I thought: This is completely perfect. I got the chance to meet my two good mates for the first time. They were allowed to perform abroad, which is quite something if you're not well known and have no contacts, and the festival got some quite different music – Korean pop/hip-hop!

I don't think I would ever have got involved in something like this, had it not been for UKH. I didn't really know about the other side of festivals. The people who actually do all the hard work and get everything ready for the festival, but now that I've been 'one of the important people behind the festival', I've learnt a lot! Especially by being Ruth's little helper and seeing how you create such an amazing festival! UKH is really something special. I can go on and on talking about how great UKH is, but then the magazine would run into hundreds of pages. I hope there will be another round next May at the IYAC festival."

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Kio Jørgensen Ng

AGED 31 LIVES IN AARHUS C FAVOURITE PLACE AT UKH: THE CAFÉ

WHAT DO YOU DO AT UKH? "I come here to take photos in connection with DFUNK and Foodmakers Food Mecca on Mondays. I used to be a board member at DFUNK."

WHAT DO YOU GAIN FROM USING A PLACE LIKE UKH? "Straight off, I would say that with UKH, DFUNK has found a platform that they can use as a secretariat and for social events – visibility."

WHAT DO YOU GET OUT OF VISITING UKH? "Inspiration and some personal space in my everyday life where I can express myself creatively."

Momen Momo Machlah

AGED 20 LIVES IN TOVESHØJ PART OF AARHUS PARKOUR FAVOURITE PLACE AT UKH: THE HALL

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH UKH LIKE? "I was sort of a bit involved in the ideas behind UKH when it started in the small pavilion. At Aarhus Parkour, we've been part of quite a lot of projects with Game and so on, about what could turn into a house, and there have been many interesting players in that, but it has never produced results apart from here at UKH, where we have actually had something that we could be part of. Essentially, what we want is parkour. That's why we came here. It works really well with food and stuff, so we started joining in with the communal dinners. There's food, and there are nice people. Sometimes if I have some time to kill in the city, I may decide to come up here to 'chill' a bit, because usually, there's some great company here."

WHAT IS THE RESULT OF HAVING SO MANY DIFFERENT USER GROUPS GATHERED HERE? "In parkour, the youngest are 12-14 years old, and the oldest are around 26-27, and they're all great mates. I would never have spoken with those people otherwise. And there are different levels of education, too. Some are unskilled workers, and some of us have long, higher education, and one of us has a PhD degree. If I hadn't met them, and if I weren't part of UKH, where I also meet all kinds of different people, I would just be some 25 kind of typical academic, running around with his academic friends feeling better than everybody else. You become aware of other ways of thinking. This gives you a basis for personal formation that is so much better than anything else I can imagine."

Søren Verdoner

AGED 20 LIVES AT STJERNEPLADSEN STUDIES LAW AT AARHUS UNIVERSITY FAVOURITE PLACE AT UKH: THE BENCHES FOR SMOKING

HOW DO YOU USE UKH? "I don't use it super often, but I've been here a few times for a communal meal or something. It's a really cosy place, where you can just drop in."

WHAT DO YOU TAKE WITH YOU FROM UKH? "Well, I just got here today, and I've ended up in an interview, and everybody's like, mega kind, and that's really quite nice."

Niclas Davidsen

AGED 20 LIVES IN BEDER STUDIES AT BEDER HORTICULTURAL COLLEGE FAVOURITE PLACE AT UKH: THE SANDPIT

WHAT DO YOU DO AT UKH? "I meet up with Søren and Mathilde, for instance, and we just hang out. I don't do a lot, just sit and chat a little, smoke some fags and get a bite to eat, and then we'll move on to Hjorten to drink some beers. It's my first time here. Søren invited me to this communal dinner thing. He's been here a few more times than I have."

WHAT IS YOUR IMPRESSION OF THE PLACE? "I think I've got quite a good impression of the place. It seems like there are some pretty okay people here, some quite interesting people that come here. I get the feeling that quite a lot of things happen here."

DO YOU THINK YOU MIGHT GO TO THE NEW PLACE WHERE UKH WILL BE LOCATED? "I think so – just to say 'hi'."

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UKH as a springboard

The years of our early youth is very much a time that shapes us, forms us and develops us. This is why places like UKH and other youth culture institutions have an important task in helping young people move on in their search for identity, development and meaning.

Since the beginning of the project, the people at UKH have been preoccupied with creating a setting for informal learning and personal development. For that reason, they have been re-thinking learning courses and offering alternative counselling to young people.

At UKH, you don't have to book an appointment for counselling, and you don't have to register either – you just turn up. The staff at UKH work from the motto that counselling is not an isolated session, but something that should preferably and most naturally happen as an integrated part of being together around an activity. It is therefore considered a general task for the staff to provide counselling for young people.

Ruth Morrell works as a youth counsellor at UKH 15 hours per week. "It's for all types of young people aged 16-27, who are at different stages in their lives," Ruth says. The counselling may, for instance, be about how to give a speech; how to organise an association; how to market something; how to write a good job application. Or it can be counselling about choice of education, staying abroad, or if someone is considering dropping out of their study programme – or simply if someone is just upset, Ruth points out by way of examples.

Ruth is available at set hours every Wednesday, but she doesn't have a permanent office where people can go for appointments. She participates actively in the house's events and everyday life, and for instance, just recently, she was one of the driving forces behind an international youth culture festival based at UKH. This also means that the counselling may take place in the kitchen while you are peeling carrots, or it may be in a quieter place – depending on what is needed. Being active together with the young people is an important part of the counselling, because it creates trust and provides insight into what makes the young people tick. It also creates the basis for a smooth transition between counselling and development.

One of the initiatives that Ruth is also involved in is a masterclass course. A masterclass is a customised learning course developed in collaboration with FO-Aarhus and the Department of Social Affairs & Employment. A masterclass may be offered both to a group and to an individual young person, and it takes its starting point in the specific wishes of the young people or particular challenges that they are facing. (You can read more about the masterclass course in the evaluation 'Unge i aftenskole' (Young people at evening school), published in January 2017 by Videncenter for Folkeoplysning).

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At UKH, they also work at offering young people alternative learning courses through the youth school under Young in Aarhus. This includes classes or workshops in everything from parkour to mindfulness. The youth school courses at UKH focus on involving young people above the age of 18 as teachers. This gives the older young people new communication competences while at the same time, the younger ones acquire specific skills. As something extraordinary, the classes have also been open to young people above the age of 18 (as long as the majority of the participants are younger than 18). This has been in order to accommodate the user group at the house.

In the following, you can read about Cherie's and Linnea's different ways of using UKH's options as part of their personal development and as a springboard to something new.

LINNEA BORGKVIST AGED 22 LIVES IN GELLERUP FAVOURITE PLACE AT UKH: THE KITCHEN IS PLANNING A BOOK CAFÉ FOR THE NEW UKH IN KNUDRISGADE

Something that makes sense

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH UKH LIKE? "I have been sort of in and out of the school system since I left continuation school. About a year ago, I dropped out of my HF (Higher Preparatory Course, upper secondary school, ed.) and went on social security. After quite a long period of nothing happening on the municipality's part, I was sent down to Jobvækst (private employment consultancy, ed.) where Ruth works. The idea was actually that I was to have a bit of time where I didn't really do anything, but just took it easy, but then she suggested that I could do an activation period down here at UKH. Before that, I had been here a couple of times because I was part of 'Jysk elendighed' (Jutland Misery) – a music association where we put on punk shows from time to time. I actually thought that UKH was sort of very municipal and for a slightly younger age group than my own – more 15-16-year-olds than 20-year- olds. So, I started activation down here, and I was supposed to be here 20 hours a week. This made me realise that maybe it wasn't quite what I had expected, but that it was actually surprisingly diverse, considering that it was a municipal project.

I've been in activation here for three months and will finish on the 15th. Now, I will continue coming here, helping out with the new house with cleaning and fixing it up. And then I'll start at HF in August to finish that."

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HOW HAS IT WORKED OUT TO HAVE A COUNSELLOR AT UKH? "Compared to the other places where I've been in activation, this is the best, because they have this structure where Ruth is a counsellor, but she's also down here, so you get to know her in a completely different context. I think it's just brilliant to work that way. Well, at least it has been great for me that you actually get a relation to your 'case worker'. They get to know you so that you're not just a number in their stack of cases.

It has worked really well for me, but it's also just because I like Ruth so much. I think she's mega nice. It has been nice to be seen and just knowing that I could go down here on a Wednesday where Ruth is here, if I needed to talk about something. She has helped me with all sorts of things where I haven't been able to see the big picture. I think that has just worked amazingly. Although it's just a counsellor-social security recipient relationship, you still move it from the Job Centre and down here, which makes a huge difference, because you act in different settings. It creates a much more relaxed atmosphere. It also creates greater trust. It just creates a better relation all round."

WHAT HAVE YOU GAINED FROM BEING PART OF UKH? "Personally, I've gained a better everyday life. When I first went on social security, I went around doing nothing for a while, so just having something to do – a purpose in life, if you wish – was good. I don't have Internet at home either, so just being able to come here and chill and watch a bit of Game of Thrones, that's cool. This means such a lot, because it becomes like a second home, also because it's just so nice to be here."

HELENE CHERIE HORNSLETH AGED 20 LIVED IN SKANDERBORG WHEN SHE STARTED GOING TO UKH NOW LIVES IN THE CENTRE OF AARHUS

From hobby to work placement

"I started coming here about 18 months ago. That was in the winter of my 3rd year at upper secondary school. It was right after it had started here (at Hjortensgade, ed.). At that time, I was at upper secondary school and I guess a bit like everybody else, I had this idea that I would find out what to do once I'd graduated, but I was definitely going to have some time off. But then, suddenly, I had the chance to set up a sewing class at UKH. I've always enjoyed sewing, but I've never taught it before.

After I finished upper secondary school, I actually applied to go straight on to the Fashion Design programme, because I started thinking: Then I'll be a good teacher when I have to teach this class, which can carry on after the summer holidays during what was supposed to be my sabbatical year. I thought: I'll do six months in this vocational training programme

29 and get some skills in this subject that I really like working with myself, but which I also like teaching. And then I've just stuck with it, although that was never the idea, it's just that I think it is totally brilliant and so I've kept teaching it.

Then things evolved. I was contacted by Aarhus Theatre who were collaborating with Young in Aarhus, the people I teach for. They asked if I would take on a costume class for a show. This was my greatest dream come true – I was allowed to have this group of young people who sewed the costumes, while I kept everything in check. We've just finished that now.

While doing this, I've also been preoccupied with thinking of where to do an apprenticeship. I would really like to get an apprenticeship at Aarhus Theatre, but as I had just started teaching here, I thought: How about teaching at Eriksminde Efterskole (boarding school for years 9 and 10, ed.), which is an apprenticeship in sewing and some creative projects and some design. I went there myself. They have a lot of creative young people who want to sew, but they just didn't have enough teachers for that. As it happened, I got in touch with them at the right time, and because I have experience from here in sewing and teaching sewing, they were very open to the idea. I've been working there for two months now to try it out, and after the summer holidays, I'll start a full-time six-month apprenticeship, which is just great.

On top of that, the kids who are about to leave Eriksminde asked me if I knew where they could attend sewing classes in Aarhus, because they wanted to continue. Luckily, I have a class at UKH, which will continue if they want to join in. They were so excited, and it was just lovely that it could all continue and merge together.

I'm still a bit overwhelmed by it all, because I hadn't thought: This is what I want, that's why I'm starting it, but that's what happened, and it has just felt right."

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Advice on how to get young people involved

By Helene Cherie Hornsleth, aged 20

• Make it easily accessible It must be easy to get here and easy to go home again, if you don't think it's particularly interesting.

• Make it casual It must not come with an obligation to be involved for an entire year or an entire week.

• Give people co-responsibility It is important that it's not just a done deal when you get here, but that you feel you help build something, because then you have a sense of being part of it.

Home from home

Over the last three years, the Youth Culture House has been used for a number of different activities. The content of the activities is primarily defined by the users. Several of the young people we spoke with refer to the place as 'a house of possibilities'. It's a place where it's possible to practise a hobby, test an idea or live out a passion – also when this requires space and settings that go beyond the limited square metres of your bedroom at home or your student digs. To many of the young people, the facilities are decisive for which activities the place can be used for and thus which user groups it can attract. Overall, it appears that activities are grouped into six categories of different initiatives.

"When I lived in Skanderborg and started coming here, I felt that it was mega nice to have sort of an extra home here. After a while, I moved into a room, sharing a flat with someone who weren't particularly social. I ended up calling UKH my living room, because I had 10 square metres at home, and here, I had masses of space and a whole bunch of nice people." Helene Cherie Hornsleth, aged 20

"I ended up calling UKH my living room, because I had 10 square metres at home, and here, I had masses of space and a whole bunch of nice people." HELENE CHERIE HORNSLETH, AGED 20

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Activity categories at UKH

Festivals

Collaborative projects and festivals across user groups. For instance IYAC – International Youth Art & Culture Festival, which is for young people and organised by young people. From 11 to 14 May 2017, you could experience art, music, film, circus, performance, literature and workshops. The festival was held at the centre of Aarhus and in the Gellerup district, and participating artists came from Belgium, Estonia, South Korea, Germany, Palestine and the United Kingdom.

Small events

Small events of a social, artistic and cultural character, either as isolated events or as irregularly recurring events. For instance, Board Games & Nachos, an evening event that has been organised several times by different young people. You turn up and play different board games, and you can buy nachos for DKK 15.

Learning courses

Alternative learning courses with a focus on skills development within anything from mindfulness to project management and graffiti. The learning courses are developed in collaboration with the young people and are offered in the form of youth school classes in collaboration with Young in Aarhus, or as masterclasses in collaboration with FO-Aarhus. For instance, youth school classes where young people aged 20 to 25 have been employed as teachers of classes held at UKH in Hjortensgade. The classes are announced at the initiative of the young people themselves and have included Parkour, Build and Design, Textile Workshop, Mindfulness, Graffiti, Photo and Film, Skating, Theatre, and Food Class.

Hanging out

UKH is also a meeting place where unorganised activities like simply hanging out and meeting other young people are significant – also in relation to making new acquaintances. Here, the Café is mentioned by many as a central meeting place at UKH, where people can get talking across interests and groupings.

Weekly activities

Weekly, scheduled activities aimed at specific interest groups, which are often organised by an association, a network or a community. For instance Aarhus Parkour, who practice in the hall every Monday from 18:00 to 20:00. The practice session isn't structured as 32 traditional teaching; instead, a room is made available that has a lot of equipment, and a couple of experienced instructors are there to assist as needed.

Individual projects

Several different user groups use the house and gather around a common interest. Often, the projects are linked to one of the rooms in the house that features special facilities. For instance, the studio was built by a group of young people, and it now forms the setting for production of everything from hip-hop to punk.

André Thelin Nielsen

AGED 24 LIVES IN AARHUS NORTH FAVOURITE PLACE AT UKH: THE CAFÉ WHAT DO YOU DO AT UKH? PRIMARILY, I SKATE STUDIES SOCIOLOGY AT AARHUS UNIVERSITY AND IS ABOUT TO WRITE HIS THESIS

WHAT DO YOU USE THE PLACE FOR? "I have actually used it for many different things. I started coming here as a skater, using the ramps here. Later on, I helped start a youth school class together with somebody else, because we discovered that: Hey, those kids want to build – so we did a building weekend. Man, that was fun. Now, I've gradually started moving into the Café. I helped start up the Café and have been in charge of coffee. I also come here in general just to eat and cook and have a nice time, and I use the place when I'm writing essays because it's really difficult to get a space down at the library, and here, there's an incredible amount of space, so you can just use a room here."

WHAT IS UKH TO YOU? "It's a space where you can meet different types and where you have the chance to socialise across different groups. People who may be a bit right-wing or a bit left-wing or maybe heading down a slippery slope can meet people from the other side, and then maybe get pulled back in, if for instance, they are heading somewhere that is not such a good place to be. That's one of the things we've used skateboarding for, quite a lot, actually. If there are young people who are a bit too much of a live wire and maybe won't subject to what we call general norms and rules in society, they have the chance to meet someone like me, who is a skater, and who some people think is a bit wild, a bit cool, but still behaves decently. It has been a space where it has been possible to have that diversity thing."

WHAT DO YOU TAKE WITH YOU FROM THIS HOUSE? "The diversity. That there's a place where young people can experience this diversity." 33

Jardel Pereira da Silva

AGED 20 LIVES IN TRANBJERG FAVOURITE PLACE AT UKH: THE STUDIO HAS BEEN PART OF UKH FOR ABOUT 1 YEAR

WHAT DO YOU USE UKH FOR? "I've helped build the studio that we have here. I'm also in charge of running some of the activities that we organise here from time to time, and for making things happen. I'm on the Operations Committee. The thing is that UKH is an association, so a young person can come in and apply for some money if they have a project they would like to start, or if they want help for concerts or events or something."

HOW DID YOU BECOME PART OF UKH? "I joined in because I make music, and both I and Stefan were in touch with Henrik. So, I talked with him, and through him, we discovered that we could build a studio and get funding for it. That's why we said yes, and so we went here and built a studio. We hadn't heard that there was a community apart from the studio here, but we joined that later and then we got into the Operations Committee."

WHAT IS UKH TO YOU? "Well, I've just graduated from upper secondary school, but before that, I had sort of stopped doing leisure activities as I was busy with school. UKH has been like a haven, a free space where I could go, and we've been able to make music so that we could create our own activity. UKH is a place where you can relax and chat with your friends and meet new people – because new people keep turning up. You come here and get to know new people, and you can make all kinds of contacts."

WHAT DO YOU TAKE WITH YOU FROM UKH WHEN IT MOVES? "I'm going to continue at the new place and help build a studio again, so of course I take some of that stuff with me. Here at UKH, you really do meet all kinds of types, and I believe that in some way this expands your horizon in relation to socialising. It's much easier to speak with people. Instead of just going home straight from school, there's often something going on here, and you can always make contact with people. That's definitely one of the useful things. Now that I've graduated, I can work, but it's still a relatively narrow social circle in relation to UKH. I know where I'll be during my sabbatical year, because I can come here and be social, and in addition to making music, I can get close to people. I've met so many people here who have affected me in different ways. That's why I'll stay here, because in addition to the studio, you also get a great social community and network here."

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Bue Grønlund

AGED 24 LIVES IN LYSTRUP IS A PROGRAMMER AND HAS HIS OWN COMPANY FAVOURITE PLACE AT UKH: 1) THE PARKOUR RACK 2) THE CAFÉ / THE KITCHEN

WHAT DO YOU USE UKH FOR? "I primarily use the place for parkour, but I've also started using it a bit more to hang out and be with my friends after we've started using the kitchen and the Café."

WHAT IS UKH TO YOU? "It's sort of like a second home for me. It's a place where I've started spending a lot of my time. Normally, after work, I would go out to practice, or I would go home. But then I started going to UKH. Typically, I cook and share it with someone else in the house, or I make music with some of the others in the studio, or talk with someone I would normally not talk with. They call it do-ocracy – those who do the things are those who have influence."

WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE THAT UKH HAS SEVERAL INTERESTS GATHERED IN ONE PLACE? "We talked internally in our parkour association about how there's been a bit of a paradigm shift in the parkour environment culture. It had become a bit cooped up. It had become so extreme that people would look down on you if you didn't wear parkour clothes. It closed in around its own worldview and attitudes. It has been healthy for the parkour environment to get into a place like UKH, because you are surrounded by many different people. It has meant a lot to the young parkour boys who come here."

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Astrid Avalin Sørensen

AGED 22 LIVES IN AARHUS C STUDIES COMPUTER SCIENCE AT BUSINESS ACADEMY AARHUS FAVOURITE PLACE AT UKH: THE CAFÉ

"I've primarily used to place to get some food. Normally, I've just sat here, using my computer – sort of social without being social."

NAME THREE THINGS THAT YOU TAKE WITH YOU FROM UKH: "I would say diversity more than anything. You can look the way you want to, and just talk with people, and there's none of that enforced socialness, or whatever you call it. Food and creative openness. You have all of these options: You can practice, you can play music, or you can just sit on your own with your computer, or you can talk with people. I think you should just call it options."

Trine Kold Schmidt

AGED 24 LIVES IN AARHUS V FAVOURITE PLACE AT UKH: THE KITCHEN WHAT DO YOU DO AT UKH? FOOD + PRACTICE

WHAT DO YOU USE UKH FOR? "Mainly, we've come here to eat and to practice parkour once in a while. I used to do pole dance, so I have fun among the rings and poles down here sometimes."

WHAT IS UKH TO YOU? "UKH is a place where everybody can meet, where there's space to express yourself within these subcultures."

WHAT DO YOU TAKE WITH YOU FROM UKH? "There's a cool atmosphere, and there's always room for people, regardless of how you are and where you come from."

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Cross-group collaboration

The Youth Culture House has become a platform for many different players, and it has been the launch pad for the establishment of strategic collaborations around the youth culture effort, for instance through the collaboration with FO-Aarhus about masterclass courses. UKH also accommodates a number of different associations, organisations and events, including DFUNK and Aarhus Parkour. There is a great strength and a great potential in precisely these cross-group collaborations because they help guarantee greater diversity at the house and greater reach for the house.

Recommendations for good collaboration

By Sara Karim-Madsen, project assistant at DFUNK

• Be inclusive The place belongs to all of us, and everybody is welcome. All initiatives and ideas are welcome.

• Organise social events This is a good way to get closer to each other, e.g. Food Mecca and youth festival.

"In some of the other youth environments, people gather around just one thing. Here, you get together around a billion different things, and quite a lot of different people come here, which also means that it becomes more open, because it has to be, as otherwise it wouldn't work." LINNEA BORGKVIST, AGED 22

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Mo's friends

Mohamed Abdikarim

AGED 27 LIVES IN VIBY QUALIFIED FINANCIAL CONTROLLER

WHAT DO YOU DO AT UKH? "I like to run. That's my hobby. I'm part of the running community Mo's Friends. People come from Aarhus North and Aarhus West, so we all meet up here."

WHAT IS MO'S FRIENDS? "Mo's Friends is a running team that consists of ethnic Danes and newcomers and people like me who have been here many years. When we say running community, it's because we don't want to be associated with an integration project, because it's about equality. It's about both the ethnic Dane and the newcomer feeling fine."

WHAT DO YOU USE UKH FOR? "Firstly, this is where we meet. We also keep our running clothes and running gear out here. We run twice a week. On Mondays, there's a communal dinner, and we join in when we've finished running. The runners usually do the dishes, and the others cook the food, so we help each other. We come here on Fridays, too. It's a youth environment in which we recognise ourselves – informal settings. It's an excellent environment. You come as yourself. It's very homely."

WHY DO YOU USE UKH? "Firstly, because of the location. We meet in a central place. Secondly, we use the place because it provides some of the settings for us to come here as a running team and have space for our running gear. We can socialise with other people and be a community. It's just the entire environment and the chemistry in that, I think."

WILL YOU MOVE ALONG TO THE NEW PLACE? "I don't actually know yet. We're thinking about it. Of course, we think it's a shame to move from the old place. People love it, they know it, and they're used to it. But I don't know the new place. I haven't been there. So, time will tell."

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Didde Maria Larsen Hannibal Krabbe Keblovski

DIDDE: AGED 33 | LIVES IN AARHUS V | FAVOURITE PLACE AT UKH: THE CAFÉ WHAT DO YOU DO AT UKH? NEIGHBOUR OF UKH – CHAIRMAN OF AARHUS TABLE TENNIS ASSOCIATION WORKS AS AN EDUCATOR FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

HANNIBAL: AGED 28 | LIVES IN AARHUS C | FAVOURITE PLACE AT UKH: THE CAFÉ WHAT DO YOU DO AT UKH? NEIGHBOUR OF UKH – BOARD MEMBER OF AARHUS TABLE TENNIS ASSOCIATION IS A COMPUTER SCIENTIST AND WORKS FOR SYSTEMATIC

HOW DID YOU FIRST GET IN TOUCH WITH UKH? Didde: Our table tennis association has actually been here seven years, and then UKH became our neighbour after the place had been sort of dead since its time as The Children's House. Then UKH came along and started a lot of cool projects and really created life, both inside and here in the outdoor areas. That was just brilliant. We've followed it and thought it was quite exciting.

WHAT WAS HAPPENING THAT YOU NOTICED? Didde: It was mainly the food projects and the integration projects that I thought looked really cool. Hannibal: A great skate hall, and everything happened really fast. I was very impressed. Didde: They also held concerts that we had to consider, and we have had to collaborate with the artists' studio that they have upstairs – which also looks interesting. And it's quite young people who are in charge of it themselves. Hannibal: They made our sign. Didde: We haven't had any joint projects – yet. But we are open to combining it all more. Now, we are moving down to the new place, on the ground floor.

WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN TO MOVE DOWN THERE WITH UKH? Didde: We think it's a brilliant concept and project they've set in motion. It's also a great opportunity for us to be close to a place where there are a lot of young people, because obviously, we are also keen to get new members. Hannibal: Yes, and because our association is already made up of young people, it's ideal to be right next to them.

Didde: It's very much people from the same age group who are in our association – from early to mid-20s –and late teens. They have also come in and asked: "Can we play?" and we've said yes so that they can have a go, and if they're hooked, we can always talk about it.

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Hannibal: Yes, sometimes 20 of them rush in here. You feel a bit overwhelmed, but it's fantastic. Really great fun.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO GAIN FROM COLLABORATION AT THE NEW PLACE? Didde: Well, I don't know quite how this would work out, but it would be exciting to open up for some joint projects if that's an option. I would like us to open the doors in some way, for instance if they had some kind of festive event, then we could open the club in that connection, so that people could play table tennis without being members.

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Network of partners

A number of associations, educational programmes, tenants and festival partners have been involved in the Youth Culture House as partners over the last three years.

PARTNERS AT IYAC – INTERNATIONAL YOUTH ART & CULTURE FESTIVAL • Cirkus Tværs (Circus Across) • BLOCK – Bevægelse, Læring og Cirkus Kunst (Movement, Learning and Circus Art) • Galleri Andromeda • The Art & Design School • Radar (a music venue) • Gøglerskolen (school of performing arts) • Skrivekunstskolen (creative writing school)

STEERING GROUP • Frontrunners • Institute of (X) • Department of Children & Young People • Department of Social Affairs & Employment • Department of Culture & Citizens' Services • Young users

YOUTH CULTURE LABORATORY IN RAW HALL AT THE FREIGHT YARD • Bureau Detours • Mock Up • Institute of (X) • HAPS (poetry slam association) • Bytte Marked Aarhus (swap market association) • Youth in Action Denmark • Slackline Aarhus • Gelderak • DGI (Danish Gymnastics and Sports Association) • Aarhus Billed- og Medieskole (image and media school) • The Freight Yard

STUDENTS • The social worker programme – VIA University College • The social educator programme – VIA University College • Aarhus University – Experience Economy

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TENANTS AND PLAYERS AT THE YOUTH CULTURE HOUSE • DFUNK • Skateducate • Ung i Aarhus (Young in Aarhus) • Children and Youth City Council • F16 • Kaospiloterne (enterprising leadership programme) • Ida Dakar – designer • Plademessen (Aarhus Record Fair) • HipHop & Burgers • Opgang2 (theatre group, youth activation) • Skraldecaféen (Uniting Causes) • Mo's friends – running community • Aarhus Production College – KUU (combined youth programme) • Mejlgade for Diversity • Katekismus – Aarhus Katedralskole's school magazine • Jysk Elendighed – punk band • Fighting for lives – martial arts association • Aarhus Table Tennis Association • Højt til loftet (street party association) • International Forum • Gelleraps

PARTICIPANTS IN THE FIRST WORKING GROUPS ABOUT UKH • Aarhus Production College • Cabi (labour market info centre) • Danish Red Cross Youth • Drivremmen (Youth Centre outreach team) • Jobcenter Aarhus • Aarhus Film Workshop • CSR Consulting

OTHERS • FO-Aarhus (general education association) • ÅUF – Aarhus Youth Council • Mentorkorpset (Mentor Corps) • Housing social worker in Rosenhøj • Children's Culture House • Food Maker, Health and Caring • Varm Velkomst (Warm Welcome) • Folkesundhed Aarhus (municipal public health courses) • Rapolitics (youth empowerment organisation)

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Learning for life

The Youth Culture House facilitates learning in an informal setting – both organised and unorganised. We asked some young people: What have you gained from UKH?

Eivind Ranjbar

Aged 24 | Lives in Aarhus N | Favourite place at UKH: The Hall | What do you do at UKH? Food + practice

"As a culture house, it's obviously all that stuff about music, food, and the chance to practice. There's also a whole string of other things, especially that there's a high level of openness and the opportunity to create something yourself."

Mathilde Brix Lajer

Aged 19 | Lives in Skæring | Is in her 2nd year at Aarhus Katedralskole | On the editorial team for the school magazine Kattekismus | Favourite place at UKH: The café

"Openness and helpfulness. That people who pass by always stop and ask if they can lend a hand. I think that's mega cool. It has opened my eyes to a lot of different things you can do through the options that have been here. Meeting new people – for instance, I've been to a communal dinner organised by DFUNK, where I've met new people."

Stefan Steiner Jørgensen

Aged 19 | Lives in Tranbjerg | Has used UKH for 18 months | Favourite place at UKH: The Studio | Just graduated as a web integrator

"It's a lot to do with self-development. I've learnt a lot about myself and about other people, for instance the whole thing about getting rid of prejudice. If you had asked me two years ago, I would never have spoken with her (Linnea, ed.), because I just thought: "Damned punks," but I don't feel like that anymore. It's like you start seeing people out of those boxes. All people are simply people. I have also developed some skills. I've become much more open. Before, I used to sit in my room and play on the computer. Now, I come down here, even if I haven't got anything to do, just to be here and talk with other people. Now, of course, I'm on the Operations Committee, so I've also learnt about all of that

43 operations stuff. I'm cashier, so I've learnt about Excel, and holding meetings and making decisions and discussing things – and finding out about things."

David Skadhede

Aged 19 | Lives in Holme | Favourite place at UKH: The Studio, because I built it with my bare hands

"Being innovative, finding new ways of doing things, coming up with new ideas and interesting ways of developing things. Helping create things with your own hands, feeling what you make. Rather than just paying someone to do it, so, you have to be part of the entire process. Get a sense of love for what you are making. A strong sense of solidarity across cultural differences and regardless of where you come from. For instance, we're really good friends with those hard core punks who come here, who would normally not get on too well with rappers."

What have you gained from UKH?

Jesper Stouby Stisen

Aged 26 | Lives in Aarhus C (originally from Skive) | Favourite place at UKH: Everything | Studies to become an educator | Just got back from a 6-month work placement in London where he worked at a hostel for homeless addicts | Has been part of the project since the Youth Culture House was set up in 2014

"I've gained a much wider social circle and many more ideas, and I've learnt not to give up so easily. In the beginning, I was, and in terms of personality I still am, prone to giving up very quickly, but I think that I have learnt a lot about how the system works, and that it's not all that simple to throw yourself into something like this. It takes consideration and preparation. But I think that I've learnt an awful lot."

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Olak Alexandovic Sallingovskij

Aged 23 | Lives in Åbyhøj | Originally from Fredericia | Studies philosophy at Aarhus University | Has been going to UKH for 6 months

"I'm actually going to be a bit solemn here and say: A hope for the youth of Aarhus. I've really gained faith that you can do things here, get some concerts going, set up some events, get people to help out. That you can count on people. The joy of having a place like this."

Lea Emilie Hansen

Aged 19 | Lives in Hasselager | Is in her 2nd year at Aarhus Katedralskole | On the editorial team for the school magazine Kattekismus | Favourite place at UKH: The café + the kitchen and the 'empty' space in the studio

"Faith in creative powers. That completely normal young people can create an incredible amount of things on their own."

Liva Badja Østergaard

Aged 16 | Lives in Viby | Is in year 9 at Aarhus Friskole in Stavtrup

"Well, I've gained a network, and also a place where I can go and do the things I want to. I think most people gain a sense of attention – there's always someone who wants to talk with you here. Nowadays, that's kind of rare, I think. When I was little, you would just run to the nearest child around you, and then you would just play together, and the world just isn't like that anymore. People have a huge amount of prejudice, and there's not really anywhere that you can go and just speak with people. There's a rule at UKH that you must always say 'hi'. Up here, you can dare to open up. People don't think: "Fuck! She's talking to me!"

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Recommendations for the future

The Youth Culture House is now moving to a new, temporary location in Knudrisgade. This is an appropriate time to take stock and consider what new initiatives to launch in the new place. We have therefore asked the young people what they would like to improve in the new place.

1. A more permanent place There is a pronounced wish for a more permanent place. With prospects as brief as six months, it is difficult to motivate other young people to get involved in the place and help build up something. A more permanent place also makes it possible for more young people to get to know about the place.

2. More and better communication A need for more communication and visibility – both physically in the actual location and on social media. The number of young people who know about UKH and the possibilities it offers is still too limited.

3. New, internal youth organisation A new generation of young people have taken over, and another generation has moved on to other projects outside UKH. This makes it necessary to adjust the structure around the internal organisation in relation to operations and development. One option that has been mentioned would be to return to a former organisation form with committees for the different facilities.

4. More people, more activities There is both a need and a possibility for a higher level of activities if more young people are to be drawn towards UKH – and there is a great potential in this, according to the young people we have spoken with.

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Behind the magazine – evaluation method and data collection

This evaluation is based on a predominantly qualitative survey of how young people use and benefit from the place, however, supplemented with existing, quantitative data about reach and activity level etc.

In mid-June 2017, qualitative interviews were held with 27 different people – of these, 26 were young users or former users and 1 person was a representative from among the staff at the Youth Culture House. The interviewees are distributed across four individual interviews, two double interviews, two focus groups with four and five young people, respectively, and vox pops with 10 different users and partners.

The interviewees were selected to represent different user types and diversity in terms of age, gender, educational and cultural background. The interviewees in the individual and double interviews were selected on the basis of representation of 1) Staff, 2) Partner, 3) Teacher of a youth school class, 4) Former user, 5) Current user, and 6) New user. The interviewees for the focus group interviews were selected to represent 1) User with a key, who is involved in the organisation of UKH, 2) User with a key who is a practitioner of a particular interest, 3) Ad hoc user without a key, 4) User of partners' options, 5) Involved in youth culture festival.

Vox pops were gathered in connection with one of the weekly communal dinners at the Youth Culture House. Furthermore, desk research has been conducted about the Youth Culture House's activities, including on social media, and about previous experience data on subprojects in connection with the Youth Culture House.

Finally, existing quantitative data about the Youth Culture House and its users have been collected. The quantitative data are limited by the fact that the Youth Culture House is an open place where you can go without registering. Even so, the accessible data give an indication about the spread in the user group and about the activity level and diversity.

"Right now it's not as big as I think it's going to be, but I think it's great to see that it continues to thrive. Someone just has to grab hold of it and say, "This is an excellent project. We simply have to support this." JESPER STOUBY STISEN, AGED 26

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See more at ungdomskulturhuset.dk or at facebook.com/ungdomskulturhuset

UKH YOUTH CULTURE HOUSE Knudrisgade 5 8000 Aarhus C

PROJECT MANAGER LONE JENSEN [email protected] tel.: +45 5157 5012

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