Yesterday, on the occasion of courses visits for our Board of Directors, Cultural Council and partners, our coordinator, Christophe Vangoethem, took the floor to celebrate AKDT's 61st season.
Read his speech below:
"The return to a classic AKDT year after periods marked by covid.
AKDT in season 1850 trainees, 171 internships, fifty jobbers, more than 220 teachers and a dozen external contributors such as sound engineers or super stewards who manage the 2 sites.
All this work is carried out by 4 employees who give their all during the month of July. I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank the administrators who run AKDT on a voluntary basis.
This AKDT season, like all previous years, had to face new challenges.
First, a new coordinator. Myself. Who arrived in April to organize this session. New coordination also means a new style of communication and a new sensibility. I'm aware that I need to earn everyone's trust, and I'm working on it.
Secondly, the consequences of the school vacation reform. Internships start on a Sunday, 2 days before this date, some interns are still at boarding school and the management still needs their premises for graduation ceremonies and other parent meetings. In this respect, I'd like to extend my warmest thanks to the two managements of the Institut Centre Ardenne in Libramont and the Athénée Royal Neufchâteau-Bertrix, who welcome us on both sites, make their premises available to us and provide us with meals. We have found solutions to all our problems in an excellent collaboration.
Next year we'll be clarifying the issue of vegetarian meals, demand for which is becoming less and less anecdotal.
Thirdly and most importantly, the soul of AKDT lies in its after-courses. Evenings of exchange, jamming and dancing. A unique opportunity for all levels to progress for some and meet new professional partners for others.
The last few years have been difficult. The hall at Espace 29, which is graciously made available to us, is certainly very beautiful, but it's not suited to long, late-night conversations and crazy jams. We're all aware of that.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the local residents who authorized the extension of the noise hours, to the detriment of their sleep.
It's a disappointment for anyone familiar with wild parties. But the good thing about breaks is that they allow us to put things right and, as in every lasting couple, to re-establish excellent communication on a sound basis.
Both the municipality of Neufchâteau and the management of Institut Saint-Michel are making every effort to keep AKDT in Neufchâteau. Next year, we'll be holding our evenings at St-Michel again. We have an agreement in principle, and now only have to settle the organizational aspects.
I would also like to thank our external partners, such as the Walloon Parliament, the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, the Province of Luxembourg, WBI for the foreign scholarship holders who will be returning next year, and the towns of Neufchâteau and Libramont. These partners provide us with financial support, a mountain of equipment, work and internship space and visibility.
Thank you for making this 61st AKDT a success."
Christophe Vangoethem