Awakenings Summer Festival
Awakenings joined forces with HandicapNL and Philips TV & Sound, for its Summer Festival and ‘low stimulus’ space. This area is designed to provide a serene and calming environment for visitors who may require it, offering amenities such as noise-cancelling headphones, soothing sounds, and tranquil imagery. There are 2 million people living with disabilities in the Netherlands, with a significant number being young individuals. A large part of this group are young people who feel lonely and don’t go to festivals. For them, taking part in normal everyday activities is not always a given. Awakenings aims to make a difference by enhancing the accessibility of its events, ensuring that everyone can fully enjoy the festival experience.
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In this newly added care space, the HandicapNL staff will be available to offer guidance, with the additional support of a medical volunteer for assistance. Several spaces have been set up where overstimulated visitors can find peace and quiet individually. There also is a treatment room where additional medical care can be provided. A qualified attendant stationed at the entrance will ensure that only those genuinely in need of the space can enter, directing other visitors to the various chill-out areas throughout the festival grounds.
The low-stimulus space at Awakenings Summer Festival is part of a pilot project, with the intention of making it a regular feature at future Awakenings festivals. The insights gained from this initiative will be shared with both the leaders group of ‘Unlimited Party’ and the internal festival working group within the ID&T Group, fostering collaboration and further progress.
