At the request of the Groningen City Club, a group of artists from Alfa College have created a summery illusion on the Carolieweg in the city centre: a swimming pool, complete with an inflatable alligator.
Translation by Hans de Preter
The Groningen City Club, a business owners’ association in the city, requested the art work in an effort to make the downtown area more appealing for kids. The summer project also includes hop scotch blocks on the Zwanestraat.
The GCC says there is a noticeable lack of kid-friendly activities and attractions in the heart of town. The municipality of Groningen is also in favour of policies to make the shopping district interesting for visitors of all ages.
Last year, the Groningen City Club called in the regional education and training centre (ROC) Alfa College to work together to make a plan to make the city centre more fun. Erwin Mulder of the GCC is happy with the result of the collaboration, and Michel Daling, a business economics instructor at Alfa College, says that he hopes the project will make the city centre just a little more child-friendly. “It is good for the labour market if our students are already involved in very concrete projects, such as those in the city centre of Groningen,” Daling told the Groninger Internet Courant.
The GCC is also behind the Christmas lights above many of the shopping streets in the heart of town in December.
