How can participation be shaped within youth hubs in Rotterdam? And how can young people and youth workers collaborate to shape the purpose and programming of these spaces?

The graduation project of Maartje Roggeveen (TU Delft, master Design for Interaction) focussed on youth participation in Rotterdam, specifically at youth hubs. Within her project she joined the postdoc-project or Irene Fierloos and the Healthy Start ambition to strengthen the participation of underrepresented youth.

Through visits to youth hubs, interviews, street conversations and creative workshops, she developed a participatory method: The Idea Dinner. This method gives the table – often is the centrepiece in participatory activities – an active role in the conversation. Instead of merely talking around the table, discussions revolve around what happens on the table. Using the metaphor of a dinner, topics are literally “served up” for discussion, allowing participants to contribute their thoughts and ideas both visually and verbally.

This method has been documented in a practical guide that can be used by both youth workers and young people to organise a dinner.