Together with local communities, DreamCourts wants to make the world brighter and beautiful. Not just by applying massive and impressive works of art, but also in the way we conduct these projects and by way of the social impact that they have on the communities we install them in.

ATHLETICISM AND EXERCISE

DreamCourts encourages kids to play sports and to exercise. We are massive sports-enthusiasts ourselves and we would love to see kids everywhere be more active andbe more assertive in the way they use existing athletic facilities. Especially in times where children spend more time behind screens of phones and videogames, and less on their community sports courts, DreamCourts finds it massively important to facilitate and encourage athletic aspirations among these kids.

 

In this perspective, a DreamCourts project could potentially be installed in areas that have sporting facilities in state of neglect or in need of renovation, just so these locations can be re-activated and made attractive for engagement. DreamCourts wants to create spaces like these that prove to be an interesting and attractive alternative for screen-time and are welcoming and inviting for kids to play with pride, joy and a sense of responsibility and ownership.
Experiences from our previous projects show us that especially that sense of ownership which kids encounter by participating in our workshops, strongly contribute to highly increased levels of participation. On top of that, this ownership creates a ‘trickle-down’ momentum because these kids want to show ‘their’ court to their peers, friends and relatives and challenge them to play a game on ‘their’ court.

A DreamCourt provides all these stimuli, and more, to get kids moving and playing, even if only because their painted courts make for fantastic shots for their Instagram or TikTok profile. A Nutmeg or a Three-point shot made on a massive artwork just looks that much cooler.

Just like many of us, we have witnessed the enormous momentum of 3x3 basketball long before the Dutch Team conquered the Olympic Gold medal. But with the massive mainstream attention it has received since, spiking waitinglists for basketball clubs acrossThe Netherlands, a relatively new and very exciting athletic discipline has launched itself into the spotlights almost overnight. To celebrate and endorse this succes, DreamCourts has installed four 3x3 courts in collaboration with the Johan Cruyff Foundation. We are extremely excited to support and facilitate this discipline in what we believe is a perfect match: Urban arts meets Urban sports in the public arena.

Especially once a sports discipline hits the lime lights it is extremely important to capitalize on that momentum, by making sure we implement a wide-spread infrastructure. DreamCourts is proud and excited to contribute to generating attention, creating and facilitating space to play and grow this magnificent sport, while at the same time fulfilling a social demand. And who knows, together we just might help a future generation to win Olympic basketball gold.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

DreamCourts wants to involve the community into the creation of our artworks. For this, we work together with cities or youth organisations. This way, we reach those who benefit from contributing to these community projects the most.
With our youth workshops we give guidance and supervision in the creative proces of painting our DreamCourts. This means that the kids get to see the design and they get to visualize how this design gets to be converted onto the courts surface massive scale. Then, like real artists they get to grab paint, rollers and brushes and help us paint ‘their’ court.
Aside from the excitement of the participants, the workshops ensure a wide-spread sense of involvement and it offers a unique experience which brings about a sense of ownership and responsibilty.

 

The impact of these workshops never ceases to amaze us. We have witnessed timid kids flourish, we spot hidden talents and we see massively proud participants, even if their contribution might be considered marginal by most.

By actively involving communities in this way, DreamCourts make sure the people feel seen and heared in the coming about of these art projects. There has been room for feedback and input from locals. The installation doesn’t feel like a unilateral process from councils, executed by artists who, afterwards leave anonymously and leave behind an abstract work of art.

Instead, the DreamCourts artists spend about two weeks creating the artwork and, in that period happily engage in conversation with kids who participated in the workshops, and with their parents too.
Our artists are proud representatives of the DreamCourts values and philosophy and love to talk about their project and the reasons why they love them so deerly. We value this way of communication because we believe passionately that a DreamCourt should be an art installation by, and for the community.

PUBLIC ART

DreamCourts values public art tremendously.
One of the unique qualities of our projects is that with our DreamCourts, we see opportunities to make art accessible and interesting for everyone.
Art makes the world, and in our case, the community, more beautiful, vibrant, and viable. Anyone who experiences art understands this.

When you actually actively contribute to the process of art-making, you feel this even more profoundly. Especially art that is comprehendable and palpable can provide viable and inspiring stimuli. With our projects and our workshops, we want to provide an accessible and interesting platform for art, specifically street-art, inside communities. The combination of sports, art and community-building is extremely inspiring to us. 

We see our projects as a way to present youths with an example on how their artistic aspirations could potentially turn into a career. Our DreamCourts artists have defeated many odds to become artistic entrepreneurs and this armed them with plenty of valuable lessons that they are happy to share with anyone interested in making a living in the world of arts and culture. Lessons that kids may not learn from looking at abstract art in a museumfor example.
These are just a few examples of things the DreamCourts projects provide some insight in for the kids participating in the program. DreamCourts makes art fun, interesting and comprehensible.