Walter Gropius (1923): Scheme for the structure of teaching at the Bauhaus.
Young People Discover The Potential Inside Them.
The curtain is raised. Light on! Rashid, 23, from Iran, enters the room and, beaming with joy, presents the designer object he has invented to his family, friends and acquaintances who have gathered here. It is a speaker made from a truncated glass bottle shaped into a horn as the output and a piece of copper pipe with a hole as the pickup. Dock your smartphone, put your music on and enjoy. Steve Jobs, eat your heart out.
Rashid is one of around 250 teenagers and young adults, who in the last eight years have passed through our Bildungsmanufaktur (‚education factory‘). They have included pupils from all types of schools in the school system. People with or without a migration background. Young people bursting with energy alongside those who don’t know what their next move is.
They all come here over a period of several months to meet each other and, with the help of experienced artists, craftspeople and designers, come up with design ideas and then actually make them. The formal term for it is ‚vocational guidance‘. We prefer to call it a personal journey of discovery. And by the end of it everyone knows what’s hidden inside them. And that’s what counts.
The role model: In the 1920s the artist Johannes Itten designed the ‚Bauhaus preliminary course‘. Anyone who wanted to train as an artist, architect or designer at the Bauhaus art school in Weimar was first required to pass this manual skill-oriented introductory course. Many art schools worldwide still take their inspiration for their basic vocational training programmes from the Bauhaus model.
The Bildungsmanufaktur was established in 2010 and was initially primarily geared towards young refugees. The idea is to help participants to get settled, to allow them to catch up on anything they may have missed out on, and to build up their trust and confidence in new surroundings. Every morning up to 60 youngsters come to S27 from their school gyms or temporary accommodation, from Monday to Friday, for seven months.
Each day begins with a one and a half hour German class. This is followed by four hours in the creative workshops, ‚die Kochinsel‘, ‚Clan B‘ or ‚die Macherei‘. There they practise working with wood, metal, glass, ceramic, textiles, plastic, paper and food – within the projects there’s always a new material for them to discover, try out, design and invent.
The workshops also offer the ideal surroundings to improve one’s linguistic and mathematical skills along the way, both of which are key requirements in order to enter the school or apprenticeship systems. Participants also get a certificate from the Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer) for each module they complete.
Open doors. Make friends. Gain confidence. We go on visits to Berlin businesses to work towards achieving these goals. The participants cook, eat and have fun together, and at the end of each course they can proudly present their work to their family, friends and acquaintances.
Photo 1,2: Burkhard Peter & Michele Caliari // Photo 3: Yvonne Wadewitz // Photo 4: Michele Caliari // Photo 5: Luis Krummenacher // Photo 6,7: Milly Reid // Photo 8: Aris Kress-Kallidromitis // Photo 9-15: Maximilian Dreusch, Federica Teti // Photo 16,17: Luis Krummenacher
„Clan B“ in the scheme of the „Bildungsmanufaktur“.
Loosely based on Walter Gropius, „Schema zum Aufbau der Lehre am Bauhaus“, 1923.
CLAN B
We’re a group of young people from different countries who started an initiative in June 2018 to support people in need. We ourselves know difficult times and difficult situations in life, which is precisely why we want to be active and help others. We call ourselves “Clan B” – the name stands for alternative, sustainable forms of life and at the same time for friendship and support: We try out creative forms of backing that we want to offer ourselves and other young people in need.
TO BUILD
We work in workshops with professionals from the craft and design sectors; in the meantime, we have already built our own headquarters for our group. We are working on do-it-yourself strategies against dependence on the consumer world.
EXCHANGE STATION
Cooking, making music, discussing – that brings different scenes and cultures together. We are currently building a mobile kitchen to be present at parties and in public places.
HELP
Whether at the children’s party or in the homeless shelter, at the neighborhood party or in the retirement home – we like to lend a hand where support is needed.
More about the project HERE!
Photos: Milly Reid, Aris Kress-Kallidromitis, Alaa Hassan, Luis Krummenacher, Wesam Karema
„Die Kochinsel“ in the scheme of the „Bildungsmanufaktur“.
Loosely based on Walter Gropius, „Schema zum Aufbau der Lehre am Bauhaus“, 1923.
DIE KOCHINSEL
We are an initiative of young people, who have traveled from all over the world, with many different talents and special knowledge. We are united by a passion: we dedicate ourselves to the art of cooking with curiosity and dedication!
DAILY MEETING POINT
We meet in the mornings around the large kitchen counter, right in the heart of the S27. We plan, cut, wash, stir, discuss, laugh and improve our German. We combine cooking with fresh, healthy and, if possible, seasonal ingredients. The result: healthy pleasures that bring guests and groups of the S27 to one table.
COOK TOGETHER – GROW TOGETHER
We remember our homeland and create something new! We exchange recipes, stories and traditions at the stove and experiment with visionary ideas of a world cuisine. We see ourselves as a sustainable and transcultural project with the goals of perspective development, professional orientation and a large portion of empowerment. A competent social team accompanies and advises us on our way into the future.
OUTSIDE WITH YOU: CATERING AND SOCIAL MEDIA
On request, other project teams, groups and companies can also enjoy our fusion kitchen – we design individual catering and finger food concepts. A cooking blog has been set up on Instagram to share our favorite recipes and experiences with you (@diekochinsel). Good Appetite!
„Studio Ƙarfi“ in the scheme of the „Bildungsmanufaktur“.
Loosely based on Walter Gropius, „Schema zum Aufbau der Lehre am Bauhaus“, 1923.
STUDIO ƘARFI
„Ƙarfi“ is hausa and stands for strength, power and empowerment. With the tools of art, we take a critical, decolonial look at society, the world and realities of life that we want to change.
DECOLONIAL AND ANTI-RACIST
In this way we deal with discrimination and racism that we have experienced ourselves and with colonial continuities (streets, squares, places of remembrance) that surround us every day – in our shop at Schlesische Straße 10/11 we develop and design our artistic interventions!
THE COLONIAL WAITING ROOM
In a first action we create the installation „The Colonial Waiting Room“. We understand the waiting room, especially the one we know well of the German immigration authorities, as a colonial space and invite people to join those who are stuck in the „waiting room of history“. The Decolonial is now. The next project will focus on our own production of clothes using upcycling techniques and will thematise the movement of old clothes from Europe to Africa. The results of our collective work will be shown to the public.
Fotos: Luis Krummenacher / Marc Waldow
The course with OSZ „Hans-Böckler-Schule“ in the scheme of the „Bildungsmanufaktur“.
Loosely based on Walter Gropius, „Schema zum Aufbau der Lehre am Bauhaus“, 1923.
On the way to vocational training (IBA)
Do you want to catch up on your school-leaving certificate or spend a year preparing for vocational training? The S27 and the OSZ Hans-Böckler-Schule cooperate and make it possible.
WORKSHOP OF OPPORTUNITIES
Furniture making and design teaching have been the main focus of our workshops for many years. At the centre of our work is a curiosity for handicraft experiments and a great appreciation of resources. We investigate materials and traditional techniques and test methods for creative processes. Our project is inspired by the old Bauhaus preparation course, where students learned how to work with materials and basic design principles in various studios.
CRAFT, DESIGN, SCHOOL
Since summer 2021, young people and adults have been prepared in a new cooperation model to participate in a course for Integrated Vocational Training Preparation (IBA) at the Hans Böckler School Upper Level Centre and are later accompanied as students. Handicraft techniques that are intended for vocational preparation during the IBA course are taught in artistic learning settings in the S27 as well as in well-equipped metalwork workshops of the OSZ. It is a motivating experience to develop design pieces yourself. It also gives the self-confidence to engage in the challenges of learning.
CONCRETE:
-Specialised courses in metal technology and design
-Introduction to other craft professions
-Certificate BBR, eBBR and MSA possible
-Two internships of four weeks each
-Individual support options in specific subjects
-Support from our experienced social team
Participation requirements:
German level at least A2.2, interest in crafts, motivation and time.
Duration: One year of school
Mondays to Fridays in the S27 and at the OSZ.
Participation is free of charge.
Contact: bildungsmanufaktur@s27.de
The various course groups are separately funded by:
- Berlin Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family (“Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Familie”)
