The WESTWIND 2016 table talks will draw upon current topics and events which will be discussed amid children ´s and youth theatre makers from NRW. Each discussion round will kick off with a brief presentation on current trends to inspire ideas and stimulate debate. Ideally, these table talks will pave the way for the establishment of future networks able to examine these topics in greater depth.
Monday, 25 April, 11.15 to 13.00
Consol Theater, Basement Bar
All of the children ´s and youth theatres in NRW work together with schools in order to provide as many children and teens as possible access to art and culture regardless of social background or the type of school they attend. There are numerous successful "best practice" examples of such cooperations - yet on the other hand, the experience leaves many people with the realisation of just how difficult it is to make trips to the theatre and the examination of contemporary themes and aesthetics permanent fixtures in everyday school life.
After a short introduction by Brigitte Schorn, director of the department "Kulturelle Bildung in Schule und Jugendarbeit NRW" ("Cultural Education in NRW Schools and Youth Work"), which has made the development of sustainable collaborations with cooperation partners from art and culture one of its key objectives, participants may join in on the discussion. Particular attention will be paid to which structures would be necessary for theatres and schools to have in order to ensure more durable and sustainable partnerships. Renate Winkler-Kalbas from the state association for theatre in schools Landesverband Theater in Schulen NRW will round out the debate as a representative of the schools? perspective. In a second step, the discussion will move on to which educational and politico-cultural initiatives would be necessary to realise sustainable cooperations.
Tuesday, 26 April, 17.00 to 18.45,
Consol Theater, Basement Bar
Among cultural institutions, there has recently been a revival of the discussion of mainstream culture and the examination of the values that go along with it. Children ´s and youth theatres have many years of experience with intercultural work due to fact that their target audience has always been diverse as opposed to homogenous.
In spite of this, these theatres now increasingly face prompts to focus on integration and educational "value teaching" in light of recent immigration. The education researcher Max Fuchs, who served as director of Remscheid Academy until 2013 as well as president of Deutscher Kulturrat (German Cultural Council) until March 2013, will begin this table talk by providing a brief overview of the current debate.
In the subsequent discussion, participants are encouraged to address, debate and reflect on their own personal politico-cultural standpoints and artistic methods.
Thursday, 28 April, 20.30 to 22.30,
Consol Theatre
It is an all-too familiar situation: The independent scene is engaged in an ongoing juggling act - the struggle for funding that quite often ends in (self-) exploitation. And the situation at municipal theatres is not exactly peachy either. Artists should be able to earn a living with their work.
At this event, two recently founded initiatives - "Vereinigung kulturpolitischer Schauspieler" ("Politico-Cultural Actors Organisation") and "Ensemble Network" - will introduce themselves. In the discussion that follows, participants will have the opportunity to talk about their professional situation and personal experience. By joining forces and networking, no one will have to fight alone or be afraid to speak up anymore.