SDG Action Festival 
Visit us on Monday 24 April 23!
Are you a citizen of Kortrijk who wants to take a firm step into the future ? We invite you to walk the trail of live communication events on Monday 24 April. Step into unexpected challenges and mind-changing experiences in Kortrijk's liveliest nooks and corners during our SDG Action Festival.

SDGs
Do you also dream of peace and prosperity for people and the planet? Become a conscious citizen and help Kortrijk to improve societally. Learn about the SDGs and choose and strive for the goal that suits you the most.

Partners
Our events management students will show you the way together with our partners: the city of Kortrijk, Durf2030, Amnesty International, Oxfam Wereldwinkel Kortrijk, Natuurkoepel (Natuurpunt), Refu Interim, Reveil, Bazart, Magnolia's Creatief Collectief.

130 students Event Management from VIVES, Kortrijk and abroad
We are involved in the Event Management programme at VIVES, University of Applied Sciences in Kortrijk, Belgium, which is a member of the KU Leuven Association, Together with our international partner programmes from Finland (Laurea University of Applied Sciences
and Lapland University of Applied Sciences) and The Netherlands (Breda University of Applied Sciences and Inholland University of Applied Sciences)
, we organize this international student project.

STRETCH
Our Event Management programme at VIVES is part of the Business Management degree and has existed for 18 years now. It was the first of its kind in Flanders. Since we highly value international competences and collaboration, we set up STRETCH, an international network of event studies worldwide. This festival is the first student project organized by STRETCH.
Location
Follow the trail from 't Plein
through the
City of Kortrijk
Date & Time
Festival
Monday
24 April 2023
Jury + Award Show​​​​
Tuesday
25 April 2023

PARTICIPATION FEE
Free Festival
Only
left...
Concept and programme
On busy corners, squares, in schools and at VIVES, short but eye-catching actions will wake up passers-by from their daydreams, thoughts, haste and urgency.
With some 130 event management students from 5 international universities or colleges, we will be executing some 20 live communication events. The aim is to make the city of Kortrijk aware of the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. Since a lot of organizations in the region have been fighting for some of these goals for years, the mixed international student teams are working out surprising concepts that highlight each of these organizations and the SDGs.

Allow our young and entertaining students to guide you through these remarkable experiences. Scroll down to find our programme.
Kortrijk, Monday 24 April

The SDG Action trail full of SDG surprises
Walk our trail and get surprised along the way.  Inhale the experience.  
8:00 AM - 1:3O PM

Wijngaardstraat
(Ici Paris)
With Oxfam around the world (team 7/Oxfam)
Interactive human boardgame: taste and feel the fairtrade experience!

8:00 AM - 1:3O PM

't Plein

A Fair Battle (team 7x/Oxfam)
Race for equality!

8:00 AM - 1:3O PM

't Plein

Bring in the bees! (team 9/Natuurkoepel)
Protecting nature isn't just about preserving the environment,
it's about safeguarding the future of humanity.

8:00 AM -
1:3O PM

't Plein

Art Market (team 14/Bazart)
Friendship starts with creative and innovative activities.
Ready to find your creative self?
8:00 AM -
1:3O PM

Lange-
meers-
straat
hypotheek-winkel
Let's change together (team 1/Oxfam)
Change a simple and small habit for a big change in the future.

8:00 AM -
1:3O PM

Lange-
meers-
straat
hypotheek-winkel
Let's grow together (team 1X/Oxfam)
Together we can improve the quality of life for everyone.
Take part in our interactive, informative, and eye-opening activities and feel emotionally attached to our goals.

8:00 AM -
1:3O PM

Veemarkt
ingang
parking
Memory Phone (team 12/Reveil)
Relive the beautiful memories together.
Would you pick up the phone?
8:00 AM -
1:3O PM

Kleine
St-Jans-
straat
The Amnesty Box (team 3/Amnesty International)
You can make the difference.
Do you dare to step into the box?
8:00 AM -
1:3O PM

Veemarkt
Ingang K
David Seelen
Let inclusivity bloom (team 3X/Amnesty International)
Let's flourish together.
Take time for some personal, real-life stories, numbers and pictures. Proof your knowledge at the sticker board.

8:00 AM -
1:3O PM

Sionstraat

MagnoliUS (team 11 + 13/Magnolia's Creatief Collectief)
Let's draw a line together.

8:00 AM -
1:3O PM

Van
Daleplein
Lighthouse of Memories (team 2/Reveil)
From stories to memories.
Take some time to remember a deceased beloved one in a cozy yet creative corner that offers support to grieving residents of Kortrijk.

8:00 AM -
1:3O PM

Sionstraat
They are still with us (team 2X/Reveil)
A way to keep our lost ones alive.
A walk-through experience to be immersed in the process of grieving.

8:00 AM -
1:3O PM

Lange-
Meers-
straat
kant
't Plein
Walk of Inequality (team 6/Amnesty International)
Together we become more equal.
A walk-through experience: listen to the sounds and see images. Understand the necessity of Amnesty International.

8:00 AM -
1:3O PM

Lange-
Meers-
straat
kant
't Plein
The Art of Realisation (team 6X/Amnesty International)
If you can't see it, doesn't mean it does not exist.
Dance and speech performance.

12:30 PM -
1:00 PM

Veemarkt
Ingang K
Press Action
Are you a journalist, reporter, photo- or videographer or any other press representative? Do not miss this press action. We assemble at our starting point and show you some of our most entertaining SDG activities. (Exact starting point on Veemarkt at Ingang K). Spread the SDG Action Festival news worldwide.

1:35 PM -
3:3O PM

Basis- school
Drie Hofsteden
Minister
De
Taeyelaan 11


Come make BazART with us! (team 5/Bazart)
You can make bazART out of everything.
How to create art out of trash?
1:35 PM -
3:3O PM

Basis- school
Drie Hofsteden
Minister
De
Taeyelaan 11


Dust off, textile on! (team 5X/Bazart)
Take a journey through 4 countries, do not forget your passports and participate in the activities. Be creative, sociable and above all, be yourself!
2:00 PM -
5:00 PM

Hantal 4
VIVES 

The First Step (team 4/Amnesty International)
Help others to be equal and free.
Do you want to come join us in taking the first step together?
Co-create a piece of art with us, Give it meaning. Feel inspired to ... become a volunteer?
2:00 PM -
5:00 PM

Hantal 4
VIVES 

Food of the Future (team 8/Natuurkoepel)
Awareness without action is worthless.
How much impact do your food choices have on nature? How can you make your lunch more sustainable?

2:00 PM -
5:00 PM

Hantal 4
VIVES 

The smartest student (team 8X/Natuurkoepel)
Who is the smartest student? Take part and win!

2:00 PM -
5:00 PM

't Forum
VIVES 

ReFUN (team 10/Refu Interim)
A language discovery activity. Learn Flemish, Dutch and Finnish with Refu volunteers via games. Who becomes the best interpreter?

2:00 PM -
5:00 PM

't Forum
VIVES 

Exhibition #upcycling4SDGs (students SAW/SPACE)
SPACE stands for Social Pedagogical Art & Creativity Exploration.
Students who attend the subject 'Global Sustainability and Engagement' created for their Engagement Track an original exhibition called '#upcycling4SDGs'. Pay them a visit and be surprised by their work on display.
6:30 PM -
8:00 PM

cityhall 

Reception with Alderwoman Kelly Detavernier
Feel welcomed by the Alderwoman for Tuition of the city of Kortrijk, Ms Kelly Detavernier. Share your impressions of the day over a good glass of wine.

Kortrijk, Tuesday 25 April
1:00 pm-
4:30 pm

JC Tranzit
Showcasing SDG pop-up events for the jury
Who created the most original SDG event? Which international team was able to leave an astounding impression? Which team was able to convince most people to act? 22 teams present their approach and results in a creative way to the jury of events and SDG professionals. 
5:OO PM -
5:30 PM

JC Tranzit
Award Show
Decision time for our international jury. Time for the event host to express the magical words: "And the award goes to ...". Time to wrap up our festival and to head forward, to a future where the SDGs have been met worldwide.
Hosts
Bart Derolez
Programme leader 
vives event management
Organizer STRETCH/SDG Action Festival
In 2004, Bart Derolez was a pioneer in Flanders, when he created Events Management for VIVES University and he has been the programme leader ever since. With a core team of lecturers and events industry specialists he managed to shape a dedicated and challenging study programme.
Next to his role as a team leader, he teaches event-related topics such as French for Event Managers, Events Industry Deontology, Leisure Events. In addition, he is involved in practical trainings and projects. It was Bart who, as first one, felt the need to reach out and stretch internationally, to launch a network of event studies key players. This resulted in STRETCH and the SDG Action Festival.
An Ostyn
Event lecturer & coach
Vives event management
organizer STRETCH/SDG Action Festival
An Ostyn is a lecturer in corporate communications and Business English. She also coaches communications skills to students conducting a practical project. In doing so, she really focusses on stretching that playful part of the mind and prompting it to extend to the edgy shades of imagination and language.
She herself created several concepts and scripts for musical theatre performed by the Bruges Symphony Orchestra Artis Dulcedo. She is the presenter and host at many (VIVES) events. From this experience, she has been committed to setting up the STRETCH network and co-ordinating this first international student project, the SDG Action Festival.
Hélène, Justine, Laure, Mona, Thibaut, Tine
student organizers 
SDG Action festival
SDG HANDIES
The SDG Handies are 6 event management students who help with the organization of the festival and the complete international week. Driven, helpful, open, the SDG Handies are only a glance away from every visitor or participant. These 6 students from VIVES University of Applied Sciences will be standby for anyone in need, day and night . They are already looking forward to accompanying you during this exciting experience.
​​​​Future stretches
Our main goal is to repeat this SDG Action Festival in all the cities of our STRETCH network. Upcoming festivals will be organized in
Helsinki in spring 24
Breda in spring 25

Read more information on the activities of our STRETCH international network on vives.be/stretch.

Are you involved in an events-related programme at one or other university in the world and do you want to be added to our network? Send an email to [email protected] and give some information on your job title, event studies programme, university and faculty.
Past stretches​​​​
A first real life conference was foreseen from Tuesday 17 to Thursday 19 March 2020. Due to the corona crisis, this 3-day event could not take place. We created a very challenging programme, though, with behind-the-scenes visits of Antwerp Sportpaleis and Concertgebouw Brugge, talks by Jan Vereecke (co-owner Antwerps Sportpaleis), Bartel Van Iseghem (co-founder and dream designer of MeetMarcel, a multiple award winning Belgian event agency) and others, a neck stretch during the warm-up of Cirque du Soleil athletes and a music stretch with a concert in Concertgebouw Brugge and a meet and greet with composer Daan Janssens.

Fortunately, we managed to create the silver lining of our international network dream during the e-STRETCH getting-to-know-you conference in April 2021 and during the real life conference in March 2022. During this 3-day conference we were able to lay the stepping stones for this first international student project, the SDG Action Festival Kortrijk. We look forward to continuing our international aspirations with the involved partner universities.

Are you unable to attend this time and do you want to be invited to our network STRETCH? Send an email to [email protected] and give some information on your job title, event studies programme, university and faculty. We look forward to stretching together!

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