Our most special engagement : CITY PARADE RAVE

What about a city parade-rave that advocates for the right to the city and challenges the ongoing housing crisis?

Our engagement in this wonderful event was twofold. On one hand, we were supposed to contribute to the debate surrounding housing rights, urban justice, and the reclamation of public space. On the other, we set out to document the preparation process and capture this magnificent parade in action.

First and foremost, it is important to acknowledge the main organizers of the event: Campus Atelier and Dak Dak - powered and backed by the people of Ghent. 

These are two organizations with distinct approaches and objectives, yet united by a shared commitment to the right to the city.

Campus Atelier is deeply rooted in a vulnerable neighborhood surrounded by social housing blocks. The organization is fully embedded within the local community, operating almost like the bloodstream of the area—connecting people, fostering social ties, and strengthening the social fabric within an increasingly fragmented urban landscape. At the same time, Campus Atelier seeks to address the subtle forms of gentrification currently unfolding in the neighborhood. Through the demolition and redevelopment of social housing blocks, residents are often displaced, even when these projects are presented as improvements. This complex process remains insufficiently recognized and poorly defined within mainstream public discourse.

Dak Dak approaches the question of urban rights from a different angle. Through music, dance, celebration, and collective gathering, the organization advocates for one of the most fundamental yet persistently neglected rights: the right to housing. By transforming public space into a site of expression and encounter, Dak Dak demonstrates that cultural practices can also become forms of political engagement.

The question is always present: can events like these contribute to building a better city?

This parade-rave offers a clear answer. Rather than waiting passively for change, participants choose to act, create, experiment, and learn by doing. Through collective imagination and shared action, they reclaim the city as a space for participation, solidarity, and democratic engagement.

Over the coming months, we will be editing the material we documented throughout the event. Our hope is to produce a thoughtful, insightful, and visually compelling documentary that explores urban resistance, housing justice, and the many ways people continue to fight for their right to the city.