Here you can learn all about the exciting projects and collaborations that kHaus is implementing with various partners.
The kHaus Plaza is a public, consumption-free space designed to invite people to linger. As in other public areas, different user groups come together, which does not always happen without friction. This can lead to tensions that need to be addressed.
In 2023, the Plaza was increasingly visited by young men with refugee backgrounds, sometimes leading to conflicts over space usage with other visitors. To address these challenges and better understand the situation and needs of Plaza visitors with refugee experiences, we implemented a six-month dialogue project in collaboration with the Stadtteilsekretariat Kleinbasel
As part of this initiative, a social worker was engaged to conduct around 20 conversations with the young men. The goal was to gain insight into their experiences and develop approaches to ease tensions. Additionally, the project sought to find ways to effectively communicate the Plaza’s rules and opportunities in an accessible manner while overcoming language barriers.
The insights from these 20 conversations formed the basis for developing recommendations and measures. You can find the handout with these recommendations here.
To communicate the rules of the kHaus Plaza in an engaging way, the idea of a «Wimmelbild» was born. It was created by Basel-based illustrator Mattia Serena. The illustration is displayed in the Plaza and can also be explored on our website at the following link:
Elaborated recommendations for action (1.10.2024).
Since summer 2024, the Sprachmobil association has been offering a free German learning program for refugees in front of the kHaus. The aim of the cooperation with the Sprachmobil is to make local people aware of the low-threshold learning offer and to invite them to free learning encounters. On Tuesdays, the language mobile parks in front of the kHaus on the Rhine side. On Fridays, the courses take place in the kHaus.
With the aim of making the Plaza more accessible and attractive to a younger audience, the CATAPULT Basel funding platform and kHaus invited participants to eleven co-design workshops as part of the «CATACITY» cooperation project. Seven classes from the Zentrum für Brückenangebote, Gymnasium Bäumlihof and the Gewerbeschule asked themselves which tangible and intangible measures would improve their well-being in the plaza. This resulted in ten topic areas, from which three different idea areas were defined, which will be put out to tender for implementation in March 2025 by means of an open call:
CATAPULT Basel is providing a total of CHF 50,000 for the implementation of young people's ideas in the Plaza.
(as of March 2025)
Impressions from the CATACITY Workshops in the Plaza. Credits: Giorgia Spina