Experiencing a surge of strength following this past week.
In the heart of Refrath, the Kreativitätsschule Bergisch Gladbach e.V. played host to the Krea-Kultur-Sommers 2025, a fully booked summer holiday project for children and youth aged 8 to 15.
The project, funded by the Landesjugendamt of LVR Rhineland, was a five-day interdisciplinary creative workshop series, where participants engaged in various workshops focused on societal topics and cultural expressions through dance, art, music, and singing.
The series culminated in a lively outdoor presentation of their projects, attended by family, friends, and around 120 enthusiastic spectators. Krea-Leiter André Eigenbrod moderated the event, emphasizing collaborative work, joy, and active social interaction without distractions like mobile phones.
The Urban Dance workshop, led by Daniel Richartz, saw participants creating their own choreography, ranging from flick-flack to breakdance. The Vocal Coaching workshop, led by Elisabeth Waanders, began with the song "Big yellow taxi" and focused on the theme of the environment, exciting the young participants both in content and musically.
In the Music Production workshop, participants created their own songs, beats, and loops, under the guidance of Jasper "JazzP" Beckmann. The open studio featured various experiments, including creating a "fun" picture from one's name, portraits on canvases, and innovative sculptures made of spray foam and wood, led by Carolyn Gates & Markus Parnow.
A lot of fun and enthusiasm was "worked" in the project by the children and young people. The communal lunch during the Krea-Kultur-Sommer served to expand communication and was described as always delicious by the 'village store' from Refrath.
More than half of the participants have been attending the vacation project for years, a testament to its success in fostering young people's passion for diverse forms of artistic and cultural expression while providing a community space for creativity and connection within Bergisch Gladbach’s creativity school located in Refrath.
André Eigenbrod's goal for the project week was to encourage children and young people to participate in cultural formats and develop their skills. With the Krea-Kultur-Sommers 2025, it seems he has achieved just that, providing a platform for the next generation of artists to shine.
- The summer holiday project, Krea-Kultur-Sommer 2025, provided a platform for children and youth to explore their interest in various aspects of lifestyle, such as fashion-and-beauty, home-and-garden, and relationships through creative workshops.
- The communal lunch during the project served not only as a means to satiate hunger but also to foster relationships and conversations among the participants, making the food-and-drink experience more than just a meal.
- André Eigenbrod, the Krea-Leiter, emphasized the importance of active social interaction, aiming to promote the development of skills and participation in cultural formats, aligning with the vision of the school—Bergisch Gladbach’s creativity school located in Refrath.
- As the project week comes to an end, travel plans and shopping lists may be next on the agenda, as participants embark on new adventures inspired by their newfound skills and enthusiasm for the arts and cultural expression.
