Growing up with the festival: when children become creators

In Esch-sur-Sûre, a barn becomes a theatre, a garage becomes a gallery and a church becomes a stage for creatures born from children’s imaginations. Every two years, the Marionettefestival transforms the village of Tadler into an open-air stage.

During the 2023 and 2025 editions of the festival, the Fondation Sommer supported two educational projects: ‘Vu Marionetten an alen Trottinetten’ and ‘Vergiess de Gaardenzwerg!’. Led by the non-profit organisation Esch(t)Kultur, these two projects aimed to involve groups of young people from the Maison Relais and the Campus am Ale Bësch in Eschdorf in creating artistic works to be included in the festival programme.

Following the 2025 edition, the Fondation Sommer and Esch(t)Kultur discussed how children and young people could be more closely involved in designing the festival. This led to the idea of using the gap year between editions to forge lasting links between children, artists, the primary school, the Maison Relais, and the local community.

Since 2026, the Fondation Sommer has supported and guided the non-profit organisation Esch(t)Kultur in its strategic planning regarding the involvement of children and young people in the festival, as well as the long-term partnerships formed.

From spectators to creators

The Marionettefestival is an international event dedicated to the arts of puppetry and contemporary object theatre. Every two years, performances, workshops and activities are held in sometimes unexpected venues across the rural area of Esch-sur-Sûre, such as barns, residents’ garages and the village square.

While children used to be invited to watch performances as part of school trips or with their families, they are now encouraged to play an active role in creating the festival. Supported by professional artists, they experiment with creating and imagining artistic forms within their own environment.

Learning by doing

The educational projects from previous editions and the long-term programme are based on an active approach to learning: learning by doing.

Children are not just given explanations about the art of puppetry. Instead, they handle materials, test ideas, transform everyday objects, and collaborate to bring their imagination to life.

This approach makes artistic creation tangible and accessible. It encourages creativity, independence, and teamwork while prompting reflection on how ordinary objects can become part of an artistic creation.

A creative project taking place within the local community

The programme takes place in a rural setting, where the festival has strong links with the local community and cultural organisations. This local dimension is essential: children discover art in familiar surroundings and play a part in transforming their environment into a creative space.

They create work for a real audience and see it incorporated into the festival they are taking part in. Their creations do not remain in the classroom: they become an integral part of the Marionettefestival and are viewed and discovered by local residents.

The long-term programme aims to build a sustainable partnership between the festival, the primary school, the Maison Relais, and cultural professionals in the region. This partnership is based on shared values of participation, experimentation, and inclusion.

The municipality of Esch-sur-Sûre covers a large area, and not all children at Campus am Ale Bësch Primary School live in the same villages. This initiative strengthens their sense of belonging to an event in their own municipality. Art therefore becomes a means of participating in the life of the local community.

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.

Since 2022, the Sommer Foundation has been supporting the artistic approach developed by photographer Cristina Nuñez, particularly in relation to young people. Through the project “The Self-Portrait Experience (SPEX)” and subsequently the “EMoSEE” initiative, she has provided secondary school teachers and educators with methods and tools to work with pupils on their relationship with images, with themselves and with others. By prioritising the self-portrait over the selfie—which fosters a distorted view of identity through the use of filters and the rejection of images that do not conform to certain standards of beauty or happiness—she has worked with teenagers on the concept of self-acceptance. At an age when one’s view of oneself is particularly challenging, she trains practitioners in schools and educational settings to support secondary school pupils on this journey towards self-recognition and the recognition of otherness.

Here, the Sommer Foundation has decided to support a new phase of the artist’s project. Although Cristina Nunez has already worked in detention centres in other countries, she had never had the opportunity in Luxembourg to work with young people placed in such facilities by court order. Consequently, she had been considering and discussing the possibility of working at the Dreiborn socio-educational centre for a year.

Developed in collaboration with the institution’s management, this project ran from August to December 2025, with an initial phase in a secure setting (UNISEC) followed by an open setting, requiring significant adjustments to suit the realities on the ground. Whilst the secure setting allowed for strong continuity in the process, the open setting required integration into the school timetable in order to ensure consistent participation.

Through the ‘SPEX’ methodology, the young people were encouraged to work on their self-image through self-portraiture and the creation of an autobiographical book. This artistic process helped to create a space for expressing emotions and supported a shift in how they viewed themselves, within a non-judgemental setting.

The project highlighted several key elements for the Foundation: the importance of time and continuity in complex social contexts, the need to work closely in partnership with teams on the ground, and the ability of an artistic programme to adapt to institutional constraints whilst maintaining its coherence.

It also opens up prospects for development, particularly in terms of training professionals and consolidating the programme over the long term.

“Rise in Bloom” is a participatory community project that invites young people aged 12 to 20 to engage in an interdisciplinary creative process. In collaboration with professional artists, the participants develop a 15-minute pre-performance, presented ahead of the premiere of the choreographic production “Florescence in Decay”, at the CAPE in Ettelbrück.

At the heart of this project is not only the final result, but above all, the creative and collective process. Guided by four workshop leaders with diverse expertise — David Laplant (video), Anja Di Bartolomeo (writing), Natercia Rebelo (set design), and Elisabeth Schilling (choreography) — the young participants are accompanied throughout the entire creative journey.

Over the course of the project, the young people conduct interviews with local communities, associations, and groups in Ettelbrück, focusing on universal themes such as nature, metamorphosis, utopia, and the cycle of life — themes that are also explored in “Florescence in Decay”. During the creation phase, they also come into contact with professional dancers.

The collected material is transformed into two artistic formats:

• A visual installation, composed of video footage, audio recordings, and written statements from the interviews, exhibited in the CAPE’s public spaces.

• An interdisciplinary performance, emerging from the imagination and experiences of the young participants, performed as a pre-show before the main production.

“Rise in Bloom” builds on the success of a community project carried out in 2024 with the same artistic team. The enthusiasm of the previous participants — and even their parents, who expressed the wish to see such an initiative continue — led to the decision to build on this proven interdisciplinary format rather than starting from scratch.

The project is also part of the celebrations marking 25 years of the CAPE, and contributes to the cultural revitalization of Ettelbrück, by encouraging civic participation and fostering social connection. It offers young people a unique opportunity to express their creativity, build self-confidence, meet new people from diverse backgrounds, and learn to embrace difference.

The Sommer Foundation supports “Rise in Bloom” because the project reflects values it holds dear: access to culture for young people, active participation, and the promotion of cultural life in regional areas. Having already supported two large-scale participatory projects led by the same partner, the Foundation has established a lasting relationship of trust with the CAPE — a committed institution rooted in its community.

By encouraging young people to express themselves through a collaborative, interdisciplinary process, “Rise in Bloom”contributes to the vitality of local cultural life while nurturing creativity, critical thinking, and openness among its participants.

“Mat Iech” is the title of a project launched in 2022, which embodies Elisabeth Schilling & Company’s passion for outreach and awareness-building. Today, this project has become an essential programme within the company Making Dances asbl, aiming to create a more flexible format that focuses on mediation and interaction, while preserving the performative aspect. It enables the presentation of Elisabeth’s larger-scale works to a different audience — one that does not have access to performances held in theatres or cultural institutions where these works are usually staged. The goal is to make dance accessible to a wide audience in diverse ways.

“Mat Iech” is structured around two key components:

• Mediation: For each production, the company develops tailor-made programmes designed to support a range of audience experiences. These programmes include post-performance discussions based on Elisabeth’s core methodology, as well as workshops, symposiums, and the publication of catalogues.

• Accessibility: “Mat Iech” brings the world of dance to two groups of people who are especially important to Elisabeth: on the one hand, children — regardless of age, background, language, or life path — and on the other, individuals who, due to financial, social, geographical, or health reasons, are no longer able to attend theatre performances.

The company’s vision is to offer performances — ideally with live music — accompanied by workshops and talks, in or around care homes, socially disadvantaged neighborhoods, hospitals, isolated rural areas, kindergartens, schools, and homes for particularly vulnerable children. These bespoke events are highly flexible and can be adapted to meet the specific needs of the institutions and their residents. For each performance, the team designs a customised workshop structure, taking into account the participants’ needs and age groups, and adjusts it based on the venue and duration.

Supported for two consecutive years as a project, “Mat Iech” has proven its value through the quality of its approach and the commitment of its contributors, notably an artist with whom a relationship of trust and long-term collaboration has been built. The educational component of the programme has shown strong relevance and yielded positive results in institutions working with children and young people in difficulty in Luxembourg, which has strengthened the Foundation’s commitment to continuing the partnership.

Thanks to this renewed support, the company will be able to ensure the sustainability of “Mat Iech” through 2027, organising one to two tours per year in specialised institutions. This funding will also help consolidate the project’s administrative structure, notably through the recruitment of a dedicated coordinator, responsible, among other things, for organising the logistics of the tours.

After its first enriching experience with the “TEMPLE” project in 2021, the CAPE – Centre des Arts Pluriels d’Ettelbruck decided to continue its efforts by involving young people in a new participatory project aimed at teenagers.

Guided by a creative team consisting of Anja Meder-Di Bartolomeo (creative writing), David Laplant (video), and Natercia Rebelo (costumes), and under the artistic direction of choreographer Elisabeth Schilling, young people aged 12 to 19 joined forces for four months to bring a collective work to life, which was presented at the end of September 2024 on the CAPE stage. Through a series of weekly workshops, participants had the opportunity to explore and experiment with various artistic disciplines such as dance, video, music, design, and poetry. This also allowed them to explore their own artistic path, contributing to the creation of this unique performance.

The “Dive into Nature” project offered young participants the opportunity to develop a project that fostered their personal development through various aspects: discovery, exchange, listening, social interaction, confidence-building, empowerment, and emancipation.

Dive into nature (documentary)

Photos: © boshua

A New Role for the Sommer Foundation

The Sommer Foundation has decided to become a partner of the new Kannermusée Plomm in Wiltz, which opened its doors in February 2024. Plomm (“feather” in Luxembourgish) is unique in its kind in Luxembourg as it is a museum dedicated solely to children. With its program, the museum addresses various aspects of life and the themes that children encounter on an intellectual and emotional level. Following the “Hands On!” principle, young visitors can explore topics in a playful way and engage with them. In the context of the museum, this means that touching the exhibits is not only allowed but also encouraged.

The Sommer Foundation is particularly supporting the first temporary exhibition at Plomm, LOVE, which was unveiled to the public on February 14, 2024. Developed by the museum’s educational team in collaboration with three international artists, it offers children and their families fun and intuitive experiences, taking them on a journey to explore love in all its forms.

The Sommer Foundation is very pleased to be a partner of this project. For the Foundation, this involves not only providing financial support but also following its development, launch, staying informed about initial feedback, and participating in the reflection on its role and ambitions within the Luxembourg cultural and educational landscape.

© Michel Logeling | brainplug

The “Le Chemin” project was an innovative artistic and cultural initiative led by the Maison des Jeunes Reidener Jugendtreff in collaboration with various local partners. The main goal of the project was to encourage young people’s self-expression and creativity through musical and artistic creation.

Following the success of the “RE-bondir” project, Le Chemin was carried out in two main phases. The first phase, which began in March 2024, focused on the collective creation of an album consisting of 12 to 15 tracks. The young participants had the opportunity to express themselves through a variety of musical styles, incorporating instruments from different cultures, while also developing their writing and composition skills. Workshops in body expression, dance, and improvisational theatre were also offered to enhance their stage presence and artistic experience.

The second phase started in the summer of 2024 and focused on visual arts and video production. The young people were actively involved in the album’s graphic design, the creation of choreographies, and the shooting of music videos. Photography and video workshops were organized to showcase their work and provide further opportunities for creative expression across different media.

In February 2025, a release concert was held, where the young artists performed their original musical creations live for the very first time. It was a true celebration – a vibrant and authentic moment that beautifully showcased the result of their collective commitment and hard work.

The project aimed to promote cultural diversity, encourage collaboration, and strengthen the participants’ self-confidence. By integrating a variety of educational and artistic elements, Le Chemin offered young people a platform to explore their creative potential while also developing valuable skills for their personal and professional futures.

Le Chemin de l’espoir – ALBUM RELEASE (Aftermovie

© Kevin Eiffener

Through the EMoSEE initiative, artist Cristina Nuñez developed educational and artistic resources to support young people in both formal and non-formal educational settings. The aim was to encourage them to reflect on the influence of digital culture on identity, and on how technological tools can be used to express emotions and broaden one’s perception of self and others. The project sought to create a safe and authentic space in which participants could engage in a process of individuation, cultivate their creativity, and produce participatory artworks of an autobiographical and social nature.

The project was led by CEPAS of the Ministry of National Education, in collaboration with the non-profit organization Art as Experience and artist Cristina Nuñez. It included the training of a group of ten education professionals (educators, teachers, psychologists), transformative photography workshops facilitated by Cristina Nuñez in collaboration with these professionals, and the publication of the “EMoSEE Toolkit,” an educational resource for emotional development.

The images and projects created by the young participants were showcased in three separate exhibitions, one of which was presented online.