CUPIDO

New visitor´s attractions and artist residence hub under development in Dranouter, Belgium

15 February 2021 - Published by Anna Grude
In Dranouter, just outside the North Sea coast in southern Belgium we find one of Cupidos pilot areas. A music festival with a 45-year tradition, now developing new visitor´s attractions and creating an artist residence hub to further develop the region and its attraction for visitors and artists.

 

Partner:

VZW Dranoeter 

 Read more about the pilot

 

Over the years the Dranouter festival have developed into an organization not only providing a music festival but into a non-profit organization that plays a tourist and cultural role in the region throughout the year. Through CUPIDO this role is further developed.

- ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­We want to strengthen the cultural and touristic potential of the region by adding a permanent “reason-to-go” and by using artist development as a lever for economy and tourism, says Bavo Vanden Broeck, Project Manager for CUPIDO in Dranouter.

In their pilot there are two main developments that is being carried out. An Artist Residence Hub are being set up to create a residence room where artists can stay for shorter or longer periods while adapting to and getting to know the area. The other main development is The Klankmakerij (Sound factory) which is a new visitor´s attraction with an interactive sound experience where gameplay, music and storylines are combined into a new experience for visitors. Together these two developments will constitute a Centre of excellence for Dranouter, once ready.

- All of our projects have passed the back-office phase of concept development, plandesign and research. They have just entered the phase of construction and physical creation, Says Bavo

- Both our outputs in the project are part of our Centre of excellence. The Centre of excellence will be ready once the two elements are finished, installed and open to the audience.

And even though things are proceeding the last year have not been easy for anyone working with music festivals and other entertainment businesses due to corona-pandemic restrictions.

- As our organisation works in the event and entertainment business we have been under a complete lockdown. We have nearly any turnover this year putting a claim on all our resources and possibilities. For that reason, we were forced to cool down all our plans and to postpone our activities within CUPIDO. We have been progressing slowly behind the scenes and are ready to restart construction with the aim to deliver by summer 2021, Bavo informs.

Still there is good hope to achieve project objectives and the development of the region. When the new CUPIDO developments are ready Bavo can see new possibilities for new regional development and business opportunities.

- The Artist in Residence hub will be used as an area for creation and artistic development. Artist are small business enterprises and as such will be stimulated to create new material and by that new business. And The Klankmakerij (soundfactory) is aiming to attract a large number of visitors and as such wants to boost tourism in the local area. There will be business opportunities in the spin off.

- Next for us in the CUPIDO project is to restart construction and slowly bringing public communications online.