Pop-up Europa highlights successful BELC-Europe Direct collaboration in Belgium

The ‘Pop Up Europa’ project has been taking place in Dessel, Antwerp province, Belgium, for five weeks in February and March of 2024. At the kick-off, Belgian local councillor and BELC member Driss Zayou proclaimed, ‘We are bringing Europe into people's homes.’

Pop Up Europe is a series of free events, raising awareness of the European Union among young and old in the Belgian town of Dessel, the first Flemish member of BELC. There have been exhibitions, lectures, films, competitions and activities for schools. The exciting programme is a joint effort between the Europe Direct Centre in Antwerp and the municipality of Dessel, represented by the youthful BELC representative, Driss Zayou, who has been a member of the Network since 2022.

Europe Direct Antwerp has been organising the colourful activities of the ‘Pop Up’ endeavour for a number of years in collaboration with the local municipality, which provides the venues, as well as support for logistics and communication.

In connection with the event series, councillor Zayou gave interviews to the community newspaper, Gazet Van Antwerpen, and to the Flemish daily Het Nieuwsblad.

This year’s Pop Up Europa shows how effective a BELC member teaming up with a Europe Direct centre can be in efforts to deliver European-themed activities that strike a chord with locals in Belgium.