A great testimony from Utrecht’s HUB-IN
How are the HUBs-IN enhancing the historic urban areas and people’s lives?
Eva Bullens shared with us the experience of the Het Hof van Cartesius, a circular incubator and creative, cultural meeting place in Werkspoorkwartier, the ex-industrial area of Utrecht.
Let’s take a closer look at her testimony!
Fostering sharing, learning and creativity within a new creative community
We are a cooperative of 120 artists, makers, and sustainable entrepreneurs.
Thanks to the HUB-IN project, we launched our first talent development programme at Het Hof last year. The aim was to support our makers in and around Het Hof in their professional development. It was highly successful: more than 50 Hof members participated in skill shares, took courses, developed expertise, engaged in experimental spaces, and acquired practical skills through three group projects. This resulted in the development of new artistic products and services, skills, knowledge, and business insights.
Three main actions ensured the success of the programme:
- Allow for individual needs
- Ensure opportunities to learn from and with other makers
- Provide opportunities to learn in practice
Allow for individual needs
Our community consists of diverse people with different backgrounds, skills, and needs. That’s why we offered a varied programme that could meet everyone’s specific requirements. In addition to group workshops and projects, individual vouchers were provided to stimulate members’ talent and meet their learning needs. For instance, some members took a course or received guidance from an expert. Others used the funds to create space for experimentation, conduct their own research, or develop a new product or service. Many Hof members turned to each other for knowledge, technical skills, but also for coaching and advice.
Notable results include an audiovisual promotion campaign for our annual Hof der Zotheid festival, a course on regenerative agriculture and entrepreneurship, a class on how to work with the laser cutter and how to apply this knowledge to projects, and overcoming anxiety issues.
The voucher acted as a catalyst for realising long-held development dreams and consolidating knowledge transfer among Hof members.
Ensure opportunities to learn from and with other makers
Learning from and with each other was facilitated through the skill shares. We shared knowledge about fundraising, writing business pitches, portrait photography, and “how your body processes information”.
“By working on it together as a group during these few hours, I actually did it. I wanted to for a while, but now I have the tools to do it myself”.
Skill sharing produced concrete results: Hof members photographed each other, rewrote pitches for their websites and social media, and worked on a fund application, enabling them to realise a larger project.
Finally, learning together creates a sense of belonging: participants learn about each other’s projects and support each other’s plans.
Provide opportunities, freedom, and trust to learn in practice
Skills shared were a great opportunity to gain knowledge under guidance and start working. But many people only really learn by getting hands-on and acquiring the knowledge they need along the way.
In three group projects, members tackled concrete challenges:
– Jochem, Hein, Aristide, and Roland worked on a Gesamtkunstwerk for the entrance gate of Hof 94. From design to realization, they encountered issues that required knowledge from others. They also taught each other new skills, such as welding, and inspired each other to look at materials differently.
– Bert, Daniël, Eva, and Tifène worked on a new Hof members page on the website where members present their businesses. They gained more freedom in regular assignments, and learned how to manage co-creation processes well. Additionally, they developed skills in design and technical knowledge.
– Lisa, Steph, and Charlotte worked on professionalising the events team by co-organising two festivals at Het Hof: Hof der Zotheid and Y? Tec Fest. They improved their production, project management, and volunteer coordination skills.
The results are impressive. Het Hof has a beautiful new appearance, we present the versatility of all Hof members online in a professional manner, and when you visit Het Hof during an event, you enter a completely different world.
Click here to learn more on Utrecht’s HUB-IN Action Plan!
