It sound like a much worn out cliché. But trust me; this place actually does have room for everyone. Since Spring 2011 creative busy bees has transformed Roskilde’s old Educational Slaughterhouse into a buzzing area of ideas and activities. It is called INSP! – and everything is possible.
Creativity grows fast in INSP!
About 1.000 citizens from the town and outskirts of Roskilde visit the house every week to live out the public mission of creating growth, innovation and welfare to the local society – not limited by the usual borders created by traditional target grouping.
Everyone who wishes to join in is welcome. However, the many activities might seem a little confusing, so if you wish INSP!’s very own hostess will take you on a guided tour. Just ask for Alma.
INSP!-hostess Alma lays the table for the guests doing a seminar upstairs.
On an ordinary Tuesday afternoon I meet several different people working in INSP!. The painting group was founded in October 2013 by Siff. She is not a professional artist, but she has made 2-20 people show up every week to work with pencils and crayons. This day was their first time with working wet painting, and they are now planning an exhibition in September.
Down the basement there is another kind of painting going on. The old bathrooms has been made into a music club, but now the rooms are too damp, so Daniel is restoring a room with extra isolated walls and new painting. He tells me, that this will be a soundstudio to record stories from and about Roskilde; for culture, for tourism and for outsiders.
Daniel shows the new soundstudio with extra thick walls.
Inside a SWOP-dance has started in the middle of the common room. The Chairlady of INSP!’s Board is also a happy dancer, and she gets even happier as more people are joining the dancefloor. Now Chairlady Eva lets her friend Lene lead the SWOP dance, which shows a story of a man who swopped a little red paperclip to something else and kept swopping until he ended up with a house. At 4.15. in the afternoon the party is on!
In future Eva and Lene hopes to develop a certain INSP!-dance with easy steps – everyone will be able to join in. However, at the moment Eva is just happy to supply the SWOP dance with African dance, taught by Musa from INSP!
Fans of music share good times. Albums and minor concerts fill the common room.
Something new does happen every day at INSP! Professional seminars has used the unfamiliar surroundings to create teambuilding and innovation. And every morning a group of people looking for new jobs meet up to share CVs, ideas, education and good vibes – if they are not out to visit the local firms to learn about how the boss hire new employees.
CVs on the line. Jobhunters share their CV on the board in the common room.
Fortunately, you are also welcome to sit back and relax in the comfortable common room. Grab a cup of coffee and a nice book. If you are able to ignore the trains passing by the window every tenth minute, that is …
And do not forget, if you get hungry from all the activities INSP! Food are ready to feed you. Every day a delicious lunch is prepared by a crew of hardworking women in job training, and they are also happy to host the Civic Restaurant every Thursday and the last Sunday of the month. This Tuesday I enjoyed a meal in the Youth Civic Restaurant – food made by young people to fit a students’ budget.
Welcome to the Youth Civic Restaurant.
Do you wish to join in?
MEET INSP! This Saturday it is the Tourist’s Day in Roskilde, and that is why you will find the nice people from INSP! at the harbour in Roskilde between 10-12 in the morning. Look out for the SWOP-dancers 🙂
READ ABOUT INSP! Take a look at the INSP!-paper of visions (in Danish) or INSP! on Facebook.
VISIT INSP! You also welcome to step by at Køgevej 4 in Roskilde. The 27th of June there is a big Garden Party – and everyone is welcome.
