A Response to real-life Circumstances

For several years, Fondation Sommer has supported the non-profit organisation Social Impact Development Centre (SIDEC) in developing projects for children and young people living in care homes in Differdange. Through various artistic, cultural, and educational workshops organised within these facilities, it gradually became clear that, while these activities met a genuine need, they were no longer sufficient. The young people needed a place of their own — a space where they could share experiences outside the daily routine of the care homes.

Guided by this realisation and driven by Dr Annie Flore Madé, the founder and strategic director of SIDEC, the ‘Strong Community, Bright Future‘ initiative was established: a dedicated space for children and young people in care homes, situated at 5 Avenue de la Liberté in Differdange.

A long-term Support

For the Fondation Sommer, supporting a project is about more than just funding it. For several months now, the Foundation has been supporting SIDEC with a comprehensive approach to the first floor of the venue, which is dedicated to cultural and creative activities: rent, coordination, an educator position, and artistic contributors.

In addition to this financial support, the Foundation’s team has worked alongside Dr Annie Flore Madé on the very design of the project: reflecting on the programme, defining the workshops offered, and ensuring these are aligned with the needs identified on the field. This support is built up over time, through regular discussions and visits, and extends to a shared reflection on the project’s strategic vision and on partnerships likely to enrich it. It is this close involvement that enables the Foundation to play a role that goes beyond that of a funder: that of a partner in the development of the project.

Creative Workshops led by Committed Artists

The first floor of the venue now hosts creative workshops led by artists whom the Sommer Foundation has helped to connect with SIDEC:

• Léa Valet, for linocut workshops;
• Luisa Maria Stagno, for photography workshops.

The programme will soon be expanded to include theatre workshops led by Raffaela d’Angelo, from the Artemysia Theatre company, as well as music workshops offered with the support of the Fondation EME.

A new Milestone: the Social Impact Community Hub

Building on this momentum, SIDEC has taken the next step by renting the ground floor of the same building to create a hub dedicated to welcoming families from the care centres, providing a space for connection and interaction.

The Social Impact Community Hub was officially opened on 17 July 2026. It demonstrates how a grassroots initiative, supported in the long term, can evolve to provide an ever more comprehensive service to children, young people and their families.

Through the ‘Strong Community, Bright Future’ initiative, the Fondation Sommer is reconnecting with the driving force behind its commitment: the belief that every child and young person has untapped potential, which can be realised if they are given the opportunity to express it. By supporting SIDEC in ways that go beyond mere funding, the Foundation is placing its faith in the idea that a space designed with and for the young people involved, nourished by artistic creation and driven by a shared vision, can become a genuine stepping stone to the future.

« Zempia, pile ou face », une création chorégraphique et musicale afro-contemporaine, a réuni des danseurs.euses professionnels et des jeunes des écoles secondaires EIMAB (École internationale Anne Beffort) et EIDE (École internationale de Differdange et Esch-sur-Alzette). Dans le cadre d’ateliers pédagogiques et de cinq représentations, les élèves ont exploré le thème de la résilience à travers la danse et la musique. La projet orchestré par l’asbl AlterCadence interrogeait principalement l’injustice, le traumatisme et la transformation des émotions négatives en forces positives. Une expérience collective unique qui a permis aux élèves de passer du stade de participant à celui d’interprète sur scène.

Artelier est un projet imaginé et porté par le collectif de jeunes F.O.M.O. (Friends Who Organize Magical Occasions), accompagné par Stayfou asbl. Organisé le 24 janvier 2026 aux Rotondes, cet événement a proposé une journée chaleureuse et inspirante réunissant de nombreux ateliers créatifs. Pensé par des jeunes pour des jeunes, le projet visait à rendre la culture locale plus accessible, à valoriser les artistes et initiatives du territoire, et à renforcer le lien social durant la période hivernale. La programmation a rencontré un vif succès : plus de 190 participant.es ont pris part à l’événement. Les nombreux retours positifs et l’enthousiasme suscité par ce format libre et participatif ont confirmé la pertinence de cette initiative, qui illustre pleinement la capacité des jeunes à concevoir et porter des projets culturels ambitieux et fédérateurs.

À l’occasion des 10 ans de la Reboredo’s Music School à Differdange, son fondateur João Reboredo a mené un projet artistique et pédagogique réunissant 40 élèves autour de l’histoire d’un petit garçon rêvant de créer une école de musique. Accompagné·es par cinq pédagogues, les jeunes participant·e·s se sont impliqué·e·s dans toutes les étapes de la création, de l’écriture des textes à la réalisation des illustrations, en passant par les répétitions et l’enregistrement des chansons interprétées lors des cours de musique. Cette aventure collective a donné lieu à la publication d’un livre illustré et d’un CD, témoins durables de cette expérience. Le projet a constitué un puissant levier d’expression, d’inclusion et d’épanouissement personnel. Au-delà de la réussite artistique, cette initiative a confirmé l’importance de favoriser la diversité et l’inclusion dans les projets culturels à l’école. Les retours très positifs des participant·e·s, qui souhaitent poursuivre l’enregistrement de nouvelles chansons et la création de nouvelles histoires, témoignent d’une motivation durable et d’un véritable engagement dans la pratique artistique collective.

Ce projet mené par l’asbl Club Créatif pour Jeunes Actifs en collaboration avec Sofiya Kudryavtseva, la créatrice de la plateforme acting.lu, a eu pour ambition de réunir 8 jeunes participant.es âgées de 16 à 25 ans dans la création de 3 courts-métrages. De l’idéation, à l’écriture du script, jusqu’à l’interprétation devant la caméra, les participant.es ont été impliqué.es dans chaque étape du projet.

A l’issue des ateliers et du tournage, une projection a été organisée au Cercle Cité, l’occasion pour les jeunes de monter sur le tapis rouge et de présenter fièrement l’aboutissement de plusieurs mois de travail.

“Whatever It Takes” is the result of an intercultural, youth-led creative journey, created in partnership with Luxembourgish artist Matthew Philip De Cae.

Young people aged 12 to 26, from diverse cultural backgrounds, took the lead in designing, directing, and performing the official video. The song — written and performed in 110 languages — celebrates self-confidence, identity, and perseverance. This project gave young talents the chance to drive the full creative process, expressing themselves through music, movement, and video. More than a video, it’s a celebration of collaboration across cultures and a testament to the power of creativity, unity, and resilience: http://bit.ly/3Q8YXjU

Découvrez le processus créatif en images :

“Bäerbelendag mat de Kanner” is a school-based and intergenerational project by the National Centre for Industrial Culture (CNCI), which enabled primary school pupils from Esch-sur-Alzette to discover the traditions of Saint Barbara as well as Luxembourg’s mining heritage.

From 24 November to 3 December 2025, creative and educational workshops introduced children to the meaning and symbols of this celebration, ahead of their participation in the procession held on 4 December in the streets of the city. By engaging with the history and symbolism of Saint Barbara through various artistic practices, the children were able to express their ideas, make creative choices, and give meaning to a national tradition that is often little known. Discussions sometimes arose from their observations and questions. The story of Saint Barbara also provided an opportunity to address contemporary themes such as youth empowerment, freedom of thought, and the development of critical thinking.

The project thus fostered cultural transmission and strengthened intergenerational ties around this tradition, which has been included since 30 November 2022 in the national inventory of intangible cultural heritage under the category of social practices.

The multidisciplinary project based on Maurice Ravel’s opera “L’Enfant et les sortilèges” brought together students, teachers, professional artists, and local partners in an ambitious artistic creation blending music, theater, and dance. Led by the Conservatoire du Nord in collaboration with the Centre des Arts Pluriels, this educational and cultural project aimed to make opera accessible to all while promoting inclusion and professional development for the participants.

Three public performances, including one for schools, reached a wide audience, with the participation of students aged 8 to 65. Guided by performing arts professionals, the young artists experienced the realities of stage production and developed essential artistic and interpersonal skills.

As part of the project ‘Forgotten Victims – What Now?’, students from ENAD (National School for Adults) carried out an interdisciplinary theatre project in collaboration with their teacher and professional artists under the direction of theatre educator Laetitia Lang.

The project is based on an in-depth reflection on the ‘forgotten victims’ of Nazism, highlighting groups that have long been marginalised: homosexuals, people of non-Christian faiths, Sinti and Roma, black people, and people living on the streets.

The students designed the play largely independently: writing the texts, creating the scenes, and recording the sound. Their work combined historical research with reflection on current societal issues.

Through a collective artistic approach, the project aimed to raise awareness of human rights, historical memory and social responsibility. It took the form of a play, which revealed the progress made by the students in their creative and research process.