The Echoes collective worked together throughout the year with Project manager Annelies van Rijen, going through accounts of European history and Brussels archives with the mission to find untold stories and narratives that they felt were missing from the permanent exhibition.

Together, they discussed, researched, made decisions and got creative. They went out into the city and brought back personal accounts of migration and belonging, which they transformed into an exhibition which raises their roots into the light. 

Annelies van Rijen: “We launched this project with clear conditions: the House of European History opened its doors, gave space and resources to a group of young people. We encouraged them to think critically, to look for those invisible histories that were missing. We also asked them to engage long-term with this project, and paid them for their contribution.” 

The benefits of the Echoes project are manyfold; the visible joy of the participants, the dynamic and contemporary contribution to the museum, as well as transformative learning for all involved. Above all it confirms the place of the museum as a community space for dialogue, critical thinking and citizen engagement.

It is not a coincidence that Raising our Roots occupies the “Europe Now”  space on the sixth floor of the museum, one that is dedicated to pressing present day topics, such as climate change or ongoing war. 

Come and see for yourself! Raising our roots can be visited until 31 October.