With the support of the Ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region, our company is developing a project aimed at rethinking local or regional welcome events. The idea behind the Wëllkomm project is to support five Luxembourg communes from different parts of the country and help them initiate meaningful engagement of newcomers. As usual in the case of Art Square Lab all this is done using the Design Thinking methodology and with a human-centred approach.
Interviews
After choosing the communes, we started talking to people who have settled there in the last two years, trying to collect as much data as possible which could tell us how they feel in the communes. We wanted to see how they perceive living together, where they feel at home and what the obstacles to living in a new place may be.
Focus Groups
In addition, we also met municipal actors active in the organisation of current welcome events or in the field of integration. We particularly focused on their past experiences, their good and bad practices and their ideas for the future of such events.
As a result of these meetings, we prepared a report summarising the current situation in all participating communes, positive developments and potential areas for improvement.
Co-creation workshops
This led us to the first co-creation workshop that took place on 10th December 2022 in Ettelbruck. During this workshop, we brought together representatives of both the newcomer group and the communes to try to co-create future welcome events. As usual, we stood aside in order to leave the stage to the important players in this process, the people who participate in and organise such events.
On 27th January 2023 we had a chance to repeat this experience in Luxembourg City. In a very different and varied group of commune representatives and newcomers we facilitated co-creation workshop in which we looked at additional solutions for welcome events. As a result we gathered even more inspiring ideas for the toolkit.
The ideas and points of discussion during these two workshops have been compiled into a very comprehensive report.
Toolkit
This year, following all the exchanges, we are preparing an interactive analogue and digital toolkit which will help support the municipalities in the organisation of welcome events. Communes will be able to choose from different formats and interactivity – there will be options for larger or smaller communes as well as a possibility to choose from different event durations.
Pilot welcome events
Finally, the project also has a test phase where we will use the toolkit to help organise local or regional welcome events in chosen Luxembourgish communes. This will allow us to test the toolkit and then apply the necessary changes.
In 2023, we have already co-organised a welcome event in the municipalities of Sanem, Mertzig and Kehlen. More information about the event in Sanem is available here (in French).
WELLKOMM tool-kit is online!
In result of the project the team of Art Square Lab has prepared a took kit for organisers of Welcome Events. It is published online on https://projet-wellkomm.lu.
The toolkit will be presented to the potential collaborators on 22.01.2024 in Social Business Incubator.
The following communes participate in the project:
- Echternach
- Esch
- Kehlen
- Mertzig
- Wiltz
Want to share your opinion as a newcomer?
If you are new to one of the above communes and would like to share your story with us, please contact Piotr Gawel at piotr@artsquarelab.net. Hanna will also be happy to answer any questions regarding this project.
Project carried out with the support of:
