Following hot on the heels of its opening, the Rock and Pop Zentrum (RPZ) was home on Sunday for the workshop presentations of Bad Godesberg’s ‘I You We’ project promoting Youth Culture in Bad Godesberg.
It seems like everything I read about Bad Godesberg in the local paper these days is negative. Particularly where a growing ‘multi-culti’ youth population is concerned. Truth to tell of course bad news ultimately gets more publicity than good.
Putting that right this weekend was the presentation at Rock and Pop Zentrum of the Creative Workshops under the name IYouWe that took place between 10th and 23 October. The projects, put into place by organiser Magdalena Bahr for the M.Kultur Agency, were an interesting and varied collection offering instruction to 115 youngsters in total: From the more traditional Dance (Modern and Breakdance), Photography, and fashion design to the edges of youth culture itself with Comic/Cartoon, Hip-Hop and Graffiti workshops. Quite an appealing choice – sadly I was a little bit too old to participate (age range was 13 to 18 years old) but I would have been sorely tempted to make my mark on Benjamin Sobala’s 80 metre long graffiti wall near the presentation hall (finding the wall was easy, just follow my nose to the spray paint smell and the lines of teenagers trekking between Hall and Wall in brightly spotted overalls).
Jan (or the artist known as NAJ)
Had it existed in my youth, I might also have opted for a spot of Hip Hop history and method under the watchful eye of Henning Kramer. There was something for every youngster to get interested in for certain, and Mirjam Siebenlist of Bonn’s Kulturamt was pleased with the interest shown by local youngsters – the graffiti wall project places were especially popular, snapped up with particular relish I hear. It’s not everyday that a local Art Gallery offers you a wall to spray in broad daylight and without fear of a police ‘presence’.
Putting it all together – Cynthia’s Workshop Band deliver their own song
Then again I might just have trailed my old Yamaha acoustic down to the Rock/Pop workshop held by local music heroine Cynthia Nickschas – whose song ‘Generation Blöd’ sums up the whole project for me:
“Kreatives Krachen lassen … auch kleines Licht kann Feuer schaffen”
(Explode with creativity…even the smallest flame can light a fire)
For many of the participants in this years workshops this was a first small step to a creative occupation, but as the saying goes, even the greatest of adventures starts with a first simple step. Somewhere out there is maybe another Banksy, Sido or indeed Cynthia in need of a little instruction and a place to ‘explode’ their creative talent!
