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DISCOVER WHAT’S HIDDEN BEHIND THE WALL…

Allthough Leuven is a real student city,

there are also other less fortunate citizens

in Leuven.

‘t Lampeke is a community centre where the

urban poor from Leuven can meet each

other.

‘t Lampeke has a lot of activities and a

broad target group; they have a

kindergarden, a children centre, a youth

centre and they organise activities for

adults. ‘t Lampeke helps the adults with

their problems, tries to give them more self

esteem and of course wants them to have

fun.

One of their projects is the community

theatre project 'Compagnie Tartaren' in

which the urban poor work together with

professional theatre makers. ‘t Lampeke

listens carefully to their target group, what

they want and what they need. They also

show that people who are living in a

deprived situation aren't pitiful but strong.

Buurthuis ‘t Lampeke

The office of WIT Architects is

situated in the Mechelsesteenweg,

nr. 225a since 2008.

It is a brand new building, totally

adapted to the soil where it is built

upon. Attention for sunlight is

present in every room of the

building. As one of the architects

explained: “We try to catch as

much sun as possible.”

At this moment, WIT Architects is

designing a plan for a new

academy of arts in Deinze en

Turnhout. Since the fact that

different art types are

interfering and approaching

each other, for the

architects it is a

challenge to arrange the

space in the academy in a

way that is inviting

different art types to

meet, like dance and

painting for example.

WIT architects

In the Mechelsesteenweg we’ve found some shops with an intercultural

character.

Firstly, there is an OXFAM FAIRTRADE shop, in which they sell products from

different developing countries in order to promote a more equal trade for

those who live in bad economical circumstances. Secondly, there is an

international grocery.

We were lucky to have a small talk with the grocer. His motivation to set up

the shop were the many demands for goods from foreign countries,

like Chinese products for example.

The grocer thinks Leuven is an

intercultural city, because he can see

different cultural programs and

when he goes to the park

he recognizes several colours of skin.

Intercultural shops

It's time to get closer to heaven – literally and

figuratively. If you wondered who is looking at you

as you go up the slope, now you know – it is the

Virgin Mary of the Keizersberg Abbey. On the hill

at the very end of Mechelsestraat you can find an

enormous, old monastery Keizersberg which is

now partially a student residence. The abbey was

founded in 1899 and was build on the ruins of an

old medieval castle. Only five people take care of

the whole gigantic building and a little flock of

peacocks. By the door of the monastery you can

find a poem by the famous Flemish priest-poet

Guido Gezelle Gij badt op enen berg alleen (You

pray alone on the mountain). Inside there is a

shop with religious and liturgical books and

mainly Roman Catholic devotions – icons,

paintings, crosses, rosaries and many more. It is

the last shop of this kind in Leuven. The owners

take big pride in their collection of books and

DVD’s. They also offer a big collection of original

icon painted by an artist from Liege and religious

literature for children.

KEIZERSBERG

Cultural Policy

Master Cultural Studies

KU Leuven 2012 – 2013

Hélène AernoudtLien AritsLara De GelderEwa Abramczuk