• Dutch Youth Foundation Sport & Culture (Jeugdfonds Sport & Cultuur) extends its partnership for three years with the Dream Up programme of the BNP Paribas Foundation, which supports projects with a cultural and social purpose
• BNP Paribas foundation’s Dream Up programme offers children and teenagers around the world the opportunity to practice a wide range of artistic disciplines
• For the next three years, the Dream Up programme in the Netherlands will be supporting the El Jackson Education project, which helps children to develop life skills through soccer, theatre, dance and music in a playful manner
• Two-time world champion ‘groundmoves’ (freestyle soccer) and ambassador of the Youth Foundation Nasser el Jackson is giving the lessons in collaboration with Corpo Máquina

Following a successful collaboration, the partnership between Youth Foundation Sport & Culture and the Dream Up programme of the BNP Paribas Foundation has been extended for three years. In the coming years, Dream Up will make a budget available in the Netherlands for the El Jackson Education-project of Youth Foundation ambassador and two-time world champion ‘groundmoves’ (freestyle soccer) Nasser el Jackson. In this project, children receive weekly lessons from Nasser.

One in eleven children in the Netherlands cannot afford to participate in activities that are part of their peers’ daily lives, such as soccer, dance or music lessons, due to a lack of money at home. Youth Foundation Sport & Culture supports these families in paying for lessons and supplies. Sport and culture are of great importance to the physical, mental, and social development of a child as they offer inspiration, new friends and a broader outlook from which children can benefit their whole life. An investment in the youth, is an investment in the future.

With Dream Up’s contribution to Youth Foundation Sport & Culture, more children can participate in the El Jackson Education project. In this project, children get weekly group lessons where life skills, theatre, dance and music are combined with a (soccer)ball, and this way learn about themselves. Nasser el Jackson, ambassador of Youth Foundation Sport & Culture, is giving the lessons. Other than concentration, dedication and playfulness, trust and brotherhood are the basic elements in Nasser’s training.

Nasser el Jackson: “In theatre, perfection is not a goal. It allows you to show your vulnerable side. A softer side, where it’s not about performance but about sharing and expressing.” In this project, Nasser is collaborating with choreographer Guilherme Miotto and Corpo Máquina, an inclusive cultural movement with a focus on dance.

“It is important that children and young people have access to sporting and creative activities, simply because they contribute to their development. By doing something fun with peers, children learn where their interests lie and gain insight into who they are and what they find important. They also become more connected and attached to the community in which they play their sports, dance or make music,” says Monique Maks, Director Youth Foundation Sport & Culture.

The BNP Paribas Foundation supports projects in the fields of culture, environment, and social commitment. The Foundation’s Dream Up programme was launched in 2015 with the aim of providing education through the practice of art to underprivileged children. The programme offers them the opportunity to pursue an artistic discipline. This year, the partnership between the Youth Foundation Sport & Culture and the BNP Paribas Foundation is renewed for the second time for a period of three years.

Geert Lippens, CEO BNP Paribas Netherlands, says: “We strongly believe it is important that all children and teenagers should have the opportunity to play sports and participate in various cultural activities. We are proud that BNP Paribas, as a partner of Youth Foundation Sport & Culture, can contribute to the social and cultural development of a new generation.”