“Youth Corner”

Through the project “Youth in the Corner!” (Mladi u ćoše!) young volunteers renovated the space of approximately 40m2 and named it “Youth Corner” because it was placed on the corner of the two streets and also on the halfway between the two high schools. This space was designed for different kinds of activities – workshops, exhibitions, arts etc. and it was open for all formal or informal groups of young people to organise them.

Establishing of the Youth Corner:
The most important activity was establishing a partnership with the local self-government to support the formation of the youth club and provide space for the Youth Corner. 
Through competition "What a youth club means for me?", we encouraged young people to get involved in designing the youth club and create its program. In this way, young people were involved in the planning and decision-making process, which in our opinion is one of the most important aspects of youth participation.
Youth representatives created the visual identity and name of the club, determined the house rules and maintenance plan of the club, as well as the club program, which contributed to it being a youth space in the right sense - young people design, edit, use and maintain it.  It was an important source of information for youth, especially when the Info Point Knjazevac started to use this space for its activities.
 

Youth Corner functioning:
The program of the Youth Corner was organized through cultural and artistic activities, educational peer to peer workshops,youth actions and mini projects of formal and non-formal youth organizations, and also it was an important source of information for youth, especially when the Info Point Knjazevac started to use this space for its activities. 
The whole program was created and implemented mostly by non-formal youth groups and the CSOs mainly had a supporting role, but also implemented some of their project activities in this space and with young people that were active in the Youth Corner. 
 

The end of the Youth Corner era:
The Youth Corner was in the building that had the great location because it was in-between the two high schools, but this building is not the legal property of the local government and it is in the restitution process, so after five years the contract expired and the Youth Corner was closed. The CSOs and youth groups active in the YC did not ask for the extension of the contract because there were indications from the local government that the more sustainable solution will be provided. To this day, the new space for the youth club is not provided, but there is the possibility that new space will be given to young people at the beginning of the 2022.

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