Girls_Studio (Mädchen_Atelier)
From 2013 to 2023, KUBO sought to create a safe space for girls* and young women* through the Mädchen_Atelier, offering a variety of workshop formats (see below). This space was designed to allow participants to explore and expand their artistic abilities free from gender-based expectations and performance pressure. The diverse artistic formats gave participants access to different thematic areas and allowed for a multifaceted engagement with their personal experiences and surroundings. The aim was to open up spaces for creative freedom through artistic processes and exploration—spaces in which participants could express themselves independently, take initiative, and strengthen their self-confidence and autonomy. The project focused on empowering girls* and young women* to assert themselves in a society shaped by patriarchal structures.
Participating artists: Anja Fußbach, Doris Weinberger, Lena Holts, Hanna von Zelewski, Sophia Hoes, Jo* Szymanski, Sabine Kohn, Lennart Wolf, Claudia Kunze, Leah Hillmer, Bonnie Wenzke
Girls_Studio (Mädchen_Atelier)
In 2023, the Mädchen_Atelier took place as part of an Art and DJ workshop, where participants were able to overcome hesitations around working with technical equipment through knowledge-sharing led by FLINTA artists.
Format:
MIXTAPE / Art & DJ Workshop / Date: October 16–20, 2023 / With: Sabine Kohn, Leah Hillmer, and Bonnie Wenzke
During the fall break, participants created their own mixtapes and designed matching covers and visual stories using various artistic techniques. They learned what equipment is needed for DJing, how to use it, and how to create basic transitions. In a gender-homogeneous group, the participants were able to freely express themselves and explore their creativity on their own terms.
Förderung:
Senator for Health, Women, and Consumer Protection
Girls_Studio (Mädchen_Atelier)
From 2020 to 2022, the Mädchen_Atelier focused specifically on the theme of Upcycling. The emphasis was placed on a topic that has gained visibility, not least through the Fridays for Future movement, and encourages us to take action ourselves.
Formats:
NO WASTE! – Upcycling / October 12–16, 2020 / With Sabine Kohn and Claudia Kunze:
Making the world more colorful using everything it has to offer? During the autumn break, participants imagined, designed, and created art objects from everyday items, found materials, discarded or broken objects. With needle, thread, and sewing machine, they brought their ideas to life.
PLASTIC FANTASTIC / October 18–22, 2021 / With Sabine Kohn and Claudia Kunze: In a compact autumn break week, participants used yogurt cups, PET bottles, glass jars, and buckets as casting molds for flower pots, vases, bowls, and other containers. The vessels, cast from concrete, could later be painted and enhanced with macramé hangings and decorative elements.
I USED TO BE A WASHING MACHINE / October 17–21, 2022 / With Sabine Kohn and Claudia Kunze
Under the motto "from scrap to sparkle," participants turned various metal parts—such as washers, nuts, and gears—into rings, earrings, and pendants during the autumn break. These pieces of jewelry were further enhanced with a variety of other materials. It was full of BL!NG and shine!
Funding:
Many thanks to GEWOBA and the District Office Mitte for their support!
Girls_Studio (Mädchen_Atelier)
In 2018 and 2019, we continued the “Mädchen_Atelier” with an artistic focus at the intersection of art and technology in cooperation with the Beratungs- und Bildungszentrum für Mädchen:* und junge Frauen:* Gewitterziegen e.V. and Fab-Lab Bremen e.V.. During a compact week in the fall vacations, the participants were able to discover their approach to science through art. Together with professional artists and scientists, the participants developed artistic works with a technical background.
Formats:
October 08–12, 2018 / Makerspace: Art & Technology / Designing and programming SMARTCLOTHING: In 2018, the topic of designing and programming smart clothing/‘wearables’ was the focus of active art creation. The participants were introduced to the world of simple coding (programming) together with Sabine Kohn and Lennart Wolf from KUBO and programmers from mobile_game_lab under the motto “Electronics lab meets art studio!”. Using special microcontrollers, conductive yarn and sensors, the participants created wearables, clothing or accessories that could light up and be programmed.
October 07. – 11, 2019 / Makerspace: Art & Technology / (LASER)PRINT: In 2019, the “Mädchen_Atelier” took place in cooperation with the Fab_lab. Equipped with a 3D printer, laser cutter and cutting plotter, the space invited participants to get started right away and create designs for 2D stencils and gravure plates. These were digitized using a computer program and either cut out or engraved by the laser cutter. The templates were then printed or sprayed for further artistic realization. This resulted in an artistic series in variations.
Funding:
by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research funding program “Kultur macht stark - Bündnisse für Bildung” as part of „Ich bin HIER! Herkunft – Identität – Entwicklung – Respekt“ of the German Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband - Gesamtverband e. V
Girls_Studio (Mädchen_Atelier)
In 2016 & 2017, the “Mädchen_Atelier” changed from an art workshop to a vacation project. In a compact week during the Easter vacations, the aim was to enable the participants to deal with their personal issues in a multi-layered way and to enable them to become active themselves through creative and design processes, the discovery and experience of art. The participants were able to meet at eye level and were taken seriously with their individual resources and topics, without any pressure to perform or school assessment. The focus was on the participants' origins, identity and realities of life, as well as a consumer-critical examination of the topics of fashion, femininity and consumer society. The themes of the project were determined by the wishes and living environments of the participants and developed together with experienced artists.
Formats:
March 18, 2016 & March 21 - 24, 2016 / Mädchen_Atelier (Girls_studio): Screen printing workshop / With Sabine Kohn and Jo* Szymanski: In a temporary workshop, participants were able to learn about serial printing processes: from creating their own motifs for t-shirts and so on as a basis, to professional exposure and preparation of the screens, to squeegeeing on textiles or paper. The free workshop took place at the Künstlerhaus Güterbahnhof Bremen.
April 8, 2017 & April 10 - 13, 2017 / Mädchen_Atelier (Girls_studio) goes Graffiti / With Sabine Kohn and Jo* Szymanski: In 2017, the focus was on graffiti and street art: together with professional sprayers / stencil artists, the participants were able to design their own motifs in street art style and learn how to transfer them to the wall using spray cans.
Cooperation:
The “Mädchen_Atelier” took place in cooperation with the “Beratungs- und Bildungszentrum für Mädchen:* und junge Frauen:* Gewitterziegen e.V.” and the “Mädchen_treff Hastedt”.
Funding:
by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research funding program “Kultur macht stark - Bündnisse für Bildung” as part of „Ich bin HIER! Herkunft – Identität – Entwicklung – Respekt“ of the German Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband - Gesamtverband e. V
Girls_Studio (Mädchen_Atelier)
We came up with the idea for the “Mädchen_Atelier” through existing contacts with the BDP Mädchenkulturhaus (MKH), the Beratungs- und Bildungszentrum für Mädchen:* und junge Frauen:* Gewitterziegen e.V. and the Deutscher Kinderschutzbund Landesverband Bremen e.V. (DKSB).
From 2013 to 2015, girls and young women between the ages of 10 and 16 were invited to take part in an art workshop in the form of one-day events or a combination of half and full days. The content was determined by the participants themselves according to their interests and wishes. This resulted in a specially developed range of activities in the areas of stencil art, printing processes, painting, object construction, photography, ceramics, (manga) drawing and animated film. Within the project, the participants had the opportunity to experience art through creative and artistic processes and in an examination of artistic working methods and materials, as well as to question and discover themselves.
ARTISTIC FOCUS:
Animated film, ceramics, painting, stencil graffiti/street art (2013 & 2014)
Sculpture and object art (2015)
ARTISTS:
Anja Fußbach, Doris Weinberger, Lena Holts, Hanna von Zelewski, Sophia Hoes
FUNDING:
by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research funding program “Kultur macht stark - Bündnisse für Bildung” as part of „Ich bin HIER! Herkunft – Identität – Entwicklung – Respekt“ of the German Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband - Gesamtverband e. V