De Mot-Couvreur School Contract (2022-2026)
The Institut De Mot-Couvreur was selected by the Brussels Capital Region within the 3rd set of School Contracts for the 2022-2026 period.
The Institut De Mot-Couvreur is located at the Place du Nouveau Marché aux Grains, in a dynamic district with many contrasts in the centre of Brussels. It is a secondary school with more than 650 pupils in various directions: general education, part-time technical education, qualifying technical education and qualifying vocational education.
The diagnosis revealed a number of findings:
- District in the midst of urban renewal (Rempart des Moines project, Nouveau Marché aux Grains project). Characteristic is the lack of public space.
- The school enjoys hardly any visibility and the school environment hardly takes the needs of the pupils into account.
- The school's 'introverted' ground floor does not allow interaction with the neighbourhood. There is an outdated drama hall that is not usable in its current state, but it has a lot of potential.
Projects to be implemented include:
- The renovation of the school's event hall into a new cultural centre open to the neighbourhood.
- The temporary occupation and prefiguration of uses in the public space around the school.
- The organisation of activities that put pupils' skills (youth leader, optician,... directions) at the service of the neighbourhood...
More info: External site De Mot-Couvreur School Contract (Perspective.brussels)
During the study and diagnosis phase, the school and its neighbourhood are analysed:
- The relationship between the school and its neighbourhood is analysed, but also the communal space available, the possibilities for school infrastructure to be used by local residents, the state of street furniture and urban infrastructure,...
- The school (teachers, pupils, parents) and the neighbourhood (local residents, municipality, associations, traders,...) are involved in the thought process
A participatory process is being held at the beginning of the study and diagnostic phase. This aims to define the needs and expectations of the different target groups of the school contract: students, teachers, organising authorities, residents and associations, shopkeepers and economic actors... The participatory approach makes it possible to organise the programming through a 'bottom-up dynamic' and pursues a co-production by the different actors.
External site Diagnosis of the De Mot-Couvreur School Contract (in French and Dutch, Perspective.brussels)
At the end of the diagnosis, a programme is drawn up which includes the possibilities for improvement, as well as an action and investment plan.
Programme of the De Mot-Couvreur School Contract (PDF, 12.03 MB) (in French and Dutch)
Perimeter of the De Mot-Couvreur School Contract (PDF, 684.21 KB)
The City of Brussels is launching a call for projects for 2 actions as part of the De Mot-Couvreur School Contract: the 'Prefiguration and activation of the Place du Nouveau Marché aux Grains' action and the 'Open site: mobile furniture' action. Applications must be submitted by noon on Tuesday 18 June 2024.
The 'Prefiguration and activation of the Place du Nouveau Marché aux Grains' project proposes a temporary occupation and prefiguration of the public space, pending the definitive redevelopment of the square according to the plans of the Fallow-Basil Descheemaeker office, which was selected by a multidisciplinary 'open jury'. Drawing on the lessons learned from the participatory process by the City of Brussels at the end of 2021, this project will test and enrich the future uses/developments as imagined in the winning sketch by the Fallow-Basil Descheemaeker office, and consult and involve partners and everyday players in order to best support the changes that will take place in the neighbourhood and prepare the transformation of the square.
The aim of the 'Open site: mobile furniture' project is to design and build mobile street furniture, with the participation of pupils and local residents, in order to begin the collective transformation of outdoor spaces inside and outside the school. The furniture, which will have several functions (seats, planters, tables and play elements,...), will be used to test/activate several locations around the school (including the Place du Nouveau Marché aux Grains and the Rempart des Moines site).
The two initiatives will run until the end of 2026, so that we can build a solid project that is supported by local stakeholders and that raises awareness and implements real changes in terms of activating public space and social cohesion.
All details of the call for project, the regulations and forms are only available in French and Dutch.
The De Mot-Couvreur School Contract is supported by a regional grant of 2,250,000 euros.
The study and diagnostic phase of the De Mot-Couvreur School Contract took place in 2022.
The operational phase of the De Mot-Couvreur School Contract runs from 2023 to 2026.
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