A Guide To The First Floor

A GUIDE TO THE FIRST FLOOR

Introduction A guide to the first floor is written as an assignment for the minor ‘Building communities’ and uses the minor’s theory and practice. It harnesses all theories available with only one goal: Building a community for De Spot. As you will discover further on in this document ‘a guide to the first floor’ stands for building a community for De Spot AND for what De Spot re-presents in our view: the first step to developing young creative talent. In the first two chapters we dive into De Spot’s history, we made a brief analysis and a description of its current situation, it describes the analytical path we took towards the strategy, which resides in chapter 4. Chapter 5 describes the building community aspect of this plan. We would like to thank the teachers of the minor Building Communities at Fontys University and Tonny Dieleman of De Spot for giving us a great opportunity to test our skills and our wits in a practical manner. We hope you will be as inspired as we were while making this plan and that we have provided De Spot a creative and powerful insight in building a community. On behalf of this plan, Johan Schouls and Patrick Schipper Onderscheid

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Content Chapter 1 Situation p4 1.1 History of De Spot 1.2 Organization 1.3 Competitors

Chapter 2 Into De Spot p7

2.1 Main Activity 2.2 Mission 2.3 Experience

Chapter 3 The Concept p9 3.1 Concepting 3.2 Philosophy 3.3 Vision 3.4 Slogan 3.5 Concept Idea

Chapter 4 The Scene p12

4.1 What is a Scene? 4.2 Start a Scene 4.3 Development: Co-Creation

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Chapter 1 Situation 1.1 History of De Spot

De Spot is seen as a replacement of Midgard, a youth centre facilitated by the local government of Middelburg. It was a youth centre where youngsters were able to follow workshops, practice for music activities and organise youth events. Midgard had shown a decline of use, the building was getting old fashioned and the costs were rising. The city council decided to stop Midgard. But it needed a replacement. The social welfare department of the local government of Middelburg (SWM) bought a new location, former disco-bar The Nighttrian. This was rebuild to a total new venue ‘De Spot’. De Spot is not a replacement for Midgard. It is more, it is different. They opened their doors in the beginning of 2007. It started as an energetic centre where all kinds of activities regarding art and culture could take place. A meeting place for all different kind of youngster from all kinds of subcultures and social classes. Its main goal is to stimulate the youth in art and cultural activities. Cooperation in the field of art and culture is a must. It wants to offer a wide program that adds something more to the existing activities. De Spot wants to focus on combination of different art styles like dancing, theatre and music. By this cross-fertilization should come to life.

1.2 Organization

De Spot is one of the activities of SWM, a foundation working for the local government of Middelburg. The local government supports De Spot by paying for the building and employees. They do not contribute financially for activities. Besides the government De Spot is sponsored by Spin record store, Rabobank, Luijten VVZ, Haar van Boven Zij van Beneden and café-bar ‘t Hof. Employees There are four employees working for De Spot. There is a coordinator, someone for communication and PR, a housekeeper whose responsibility includes the bar and a financial administrator. Besides these people there are a lot of volunteers working for De Spot.

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Some work behind the bar, others are sound and light engineers and some support De Spot with all kind of services.

1.3 Competitors

You can think of several competitors of De Spot. This paragraph describes the most important competitors. Of course there are more pop stages but because of regional factors and sizes they are of little importance to De Spot. De Pit, Terneuzen (former Kalashnikov) The youth centre Kalashnikov has been active for over 15 years. Its main organisation has been transformed and renamed to De Pit to offer a broader scale of service to the residents of the municipality of Terneuzen (and the whole of the region Zeeuws Vlaanderen). It is now an adult pop stage with lots of room within the organisation to let young people develop their talents. Being also a stage where music fits the game, it is an important player in the province of Zeeland in the regional music scene. The location and the region of Zeeuws Vlaanderen provide adequate limits to the competition though. Perhaps this organisation could be of use for De Spot in developing contests and exchange activities. Main programming / taste-: diverse ‘t Beest, Goes ‘t Beest is an youth centre / pop stage and has been active in Goes for many, many years. It is a well-respected stage and has many acts which varies between (favourite) Metal oriented acts as well as small gigs (singer songwriters). It tends to blend a lot of music tastes in heir full programming. They have a wide spread name in the region and have been the place for most beginning bands. Its stage interiour is dark and it has a metal-minded atmosphere. De Piek, Vlissingen Is a well-established stage in Vlissingen. Because of its location near to Middelburg it is an important competitor to De Spot. The building where De Piek resides is dated and it has a dark atmosphere. Although it has a special programme for youngsters it is not a popular place amongst them. Some might say that the influence of some in the organization are being perceived as idea killers and therefore put a brake on its development. Its main musical orientation is blues.

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1.4 SWOT analyse Strengths Location in the city centre A ‘be different’ attitude Supported by the government Use of fresh colours in stage. Weaknesses No budget for activities / programming A new player in the market Vague vision and assignment Have to be ‘all in one’ No visibility allowed on the outside of home base Opportunities The only cultural centre in Middelburg Cooperation with festivals Cooperation with schools Cooperation with other likeminded organizations (competitors, classical oriented venues) The start of a music scene Threats Competitors Lack of interest Lack of visitors No interest from artists (because of invisibility in national music scene)

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Chapter 2 Into De Spot The city council of Middelburg has been a important factor in the run-up phase of De Spot. First there was talk about designing a new combined pop stage and culture youth centre (2005), but in January 2006 the council had decided that the pop stage would be realised in “De Kunst en Cultuur werf” as a joint venture project with Vlissingen. So, the only destiny that resided for De Spot was the culture youth centre.

2.1 Main activity

In the Note of April 2007 “opgroeien in balans” about the youth policy of Middelburg stated that the main activity of De Spot should be: “Organising activities (with - by) youth in De Spot, as a centre for music, dancing and theatre for 16 till 25 year olds.

2.2 Mission

With regards to the stated above one could form the following mission for De Spot: De Spot is an activator for the youth in the municipality of Middelburg in the ages of 16 – 25 years old. Its main activity is motivating, supporting and giving room to youth organised events in the categories of music, dance and theatre.

2.3 Experience

De Spot is now active since the beginning of 2007 so it has about 2 years of experience with being a youth centre. In a meeting with Tonnie Dieleman it became clear that De Spot has a problem with naming its base organisation. Are they a youth centre or are they a (pop) stage with an activating role towards the youth? This problem arises in different areas within the organisation. In a marketing view De Spot is a non-profit organisation without a branding strategy and because of its stray origin (pop/art stage or youth centre?) it is difficult to create a clear strategy towards its participants and its public in order to position itself in the minds of the local community. In a communicative view De Spot has no clear destiny in how one would call it. For example the youth would characterise De Spot as a (pop) stage in casual chats whereas local politics would use the phrase youth centre in formal and informal communication. This in PR statements is a critical crisis, especially when De Spot has to promote itself in the media

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in order to gain participants and to effectively reach the public. Also the term youth centre has no positive and vibrating effect as the term pop stage has, this is nowadays equally important to attracting youth towards De Spot. In an organisational view De Spot has an extra difficulty through the views stated above. Because it has to work with limited labour and limited funding its time is of the essence and any unnecessary problems consume its most valuable asset to thrive. This has in return an overall negative effect on the local governments’ youth policy. All in, these factors provide an unwanted effect on the local youth policy as well as in organisational terms in De Spot.

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Chapter 3 The concept PR-wise De Spot must develop itself as an art-stage with an activating role towards the culture and arts minded youth in the region of Middelburg. Proclaimed by the local government as targeted to youngsters in the age of 16–25 year, it is wise to keep an open mind towards older youth and adults because of the knowledge they may provide to the youth and the organisation. This can best be done by creating a community that uses, supports and likes De Spot in its activities. The following concept is aimed at that perception and acts as a strategy guide towards building a community, creating a philosophy and, better yet, to enhance De Spot in its main role as activator.

3.1 Concepting

A concept is based upon a philosophy, a mindset that is used in all PR that a concept-organisation has. Also it contains values and properties that may help to identify and clear up the identity of De Spot. De Spot has to be an important factor in the lives of the youth to engage their creative potential and to let culture thrive in the region of Middelburg. This is the view of both the local politics as well as the organisation.

3.2 Philosophy

Culture and art lives by the grace of its creator and its enjoyers. The creative young minds in Middelburg now have a place and a friend to develop their talents, learn from other creative professionals and to let their work be enjoyed by the public. De Spot is an activator of these events.

3.3 Vision

De Spot thrives by the notion that talents in music, dancing and theatre are growing within and outside of the organisations limits. It is continuously seeking partners in the development of those talents and looks out for the celebration of creation in all aspects. De Spot in one sentence De Spot is activator in the development of (young) creative talent and in creating their venues.

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3.4 Slogan

From out of the philosophy and vision the following slogan comes up: De Spot, The first floor of arts (In Dutch: de eerste verdieping in kunst). This slogan may be interpreted in many ways. First de main room of De Spot is situated on the first floor. Second it is the first venue of art in Middelburg. Third it is the first stage for creative talents in Middelburg to develop them selves.

3.5 Concept idea

De Spot is currently developing itself as an art stage where three disciplines: music, dancing and theatre are the base of its actions. But it lacks a proper PR plan to communicate (and to promote itself). In the run-up phase of the creation of De Spot, its destiny was a fairly big issue and its role is now a youth centre that wants to activate young creative talents to develop their skills. But it has to be something that attracts the young and old public in Middelburg to see and enjoy the products of that development. This plan aims at doing just that, by giving De Spot tools to build a community of all ages that participates actively in its accommodation, its talents and its role as activator, lobbyer and net worker. The community becomes the creative think tank for De Spot and plays an important role in the practical organisation. More on this topic will follow in the next chapter.

3.6 Values and properties

We have extracted the following core values for De Spot: •Active youth engagement; De Spot facilitates young talents in its entire organisation to develop their talents. •Fresh environment; the interior has bright colours and the organisation consists of young minds. •Creative programming; because the lack of programming subsidies De Spot is programming in a different •Daring to be different: De Spot acts as a counterpart to the activities in Middelburg. Properties •Creative (young) talents are included in the organisation •Different mentality through creative programming •Many ways for creative talents to develop •Active role in seeking partners for youth activating events

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•By the youth for the youth. •Open mentality •Being different is all right Concept properties The properties of this concept are to be used as arguments to people who want to join or support De Spot in all of its activities. It’s reasoning is incorporated in this plan.

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Chapter 4 The Scene It is within the vision of De Spots’ coordinator Tonnie Dieleman to have a scene (community) of music and art loving people in Middelburg. Therefore this concept contains a community building aspect. A combination of sociology and marketing communication is needed to develop a scene. This chapter will focus on how a group or community starts, how it develops and how it maintains itself.

4.1 What is a scene?

A scene is described as a place with objects, events and people regarded to having a particular character or impression. So a scene has three ingredients: first is object that is found in the accommodation that De Spot provides in its building and its organisation, second are events which are found in the activities that take place in De Spot and the third ingredient is people and that is where community building comes in. People are the last thing needed to have a art scene in Middelburg. People belonging to a scene are often a subculture, Goths belonging to the gothic subculture for example. In this case a scene equals a community: a group of meeting and communicating people with shared interests and values.

4.2 Start a scene

To start a scene we are going to take a look at how communities are build and groups are formed. In group dynamics the developing of a group starts with isolated individuals within a collective who become aware of their common interests and involvement: they are designated to each other. Before a group ever comes together there is already a history. That is why it is difficult to find a real starting point. Often group members see something outside their group as the start of it. This can be dissatisfaction for example. In case of De Spot people who want more music and art in their city or area can start the community or scene. This lack of cultural activities and entertainment in their tastes can be the start of a common dissatisfaction. Zeeland as a province and Middelburg as a town is not known by their energetic art streams.

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We know that there are people on the streets of Middelburg longing for an underground art scene. These people should come together in their centre and meeting venue De Spot. This can be an evening where the future of the music and art activities in De Spot can be discussed. Personnel of De Spot know these kind of people and where to find them. Invite them personally for a meeting in De Spot. This first evening can be started with a group to speak out their common interests and targets. It is the beginning of direct involvement amongst people with common values who have never talked to each other before. During this meeting (unwritten) rules and shared interests appears. This forms the identity of the community.

4.3 Development: co-creation

As you may have noticed in paragraph 4.2 the community is more or less started by itself. It only needs an organizer and a facilitator. These two roles are De Spots’ main activities. Because a community or scene cannot be forced, another aspect comes around: co-creation. Co-creation means that the members of the community give it shape and identity. De Spot disappears to the background and gives the people in the group the idea that its their community with their own values and preferences. It is their thing. Co-creation creates a bond. So, De Spot or any other outsider must not decide about name, logo and other means for this community. The Collective There are two aspects that create and maintain a community and give it a team spirit. At first power by the collective, second power through common activities. The power of the collective can be described as solidarity. This can be reached by uniformity, shared ideals; leadership and the possibility to express that you belong to this certain community. An other trick is to keep it ‘underground’, a mystery to the outside world. Uniformity does not mean wearing a uniform literally. But it may imply wearing the same shirt, just like everybody wears orange in Holland during the soccer world championship or black in the metal scene. So there may be shirts especially for members of the community gathering at De Spot, even with their own logo. There are also groups who have their own way of greeting like West-side hip-hop gangs or even the Black Power movement.

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Expression A healthy community wants to grow. For this no mass communication is needed. The members will spread the news by them selves like a virus. If every member brings a new member in the next meeting, the numbers will be doubled. The members will become ambassadors. For this small things are needed. A Myspace and Hyve page, stickers and of course the shirt. Because the community is linked to De Spot they will also be willing to promote De Spot and its activities. Because of the diversity of the group this marketing strategy will go to all kind of different places. Maybe the group can think of wild promotion activities. The activities To keep a collective like a community as a whole they need possibilities to meet. This can be a gathering for members at De Spot but also the cultural activities taking place at De Spot. They also could meet in the virtual world. Another good activity that lets team spirit grow is rebelling against something, a shared ‘enemy’. Further there are the co-creating activities to build-up a shared ‘product’.

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