from November 2023
to June 2024
PLAY! zu gast
creative workshops for children staying in social housing in Berlin
context
social housing is the first place all refugees go when they arrive in Berlin. Sometimes communities are mixed, other times an entire hotel or dormitory is designated for citizens of a single country. Living conditions, time and reasons for being there vary, but one thing is the same for most of the families: there are much fewer opportunities to provide additional activities for their children
what we do
we offer free play and creative activities in the social housing to support children and teenagers living there. Our aim is to help them feel more at ease, to understand new environments, to learn skills with joy, and most importantly, to explore their emotions and relationships
framework
a series of weekly art workshops held directly in social housings. The workshops were put together in a program of nine meetings and curated by artists or artistic-educational collectives with refugee or migrant experience. We presented the results of our work through the season at open festivals hosted by our partner platform, Uferstudios
financial support
Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion
Nov-Dec 2023
1st season
Centro Park Hotel (Neukölln)
curated by the PLAY!Berlin collective
over 35 children, aged 5 to 13, from Moldova, Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, and Ukraine took part in the first season. Through a variety of workshops and games, they created an experimental newspaper embroidered on a large cloth canvas, and produced photos and videos. The season culminated in an art installation, which was showcased at a large festival on Christmas Eve
Feb-March 2024
2nd season
social housing in Marienfelde
curated by artist Anna Nowicka and Maria Chernyshova
the second season involved residents primarily from Turkey, Kurdistan, Afghanistan, and Syria, with strong support from the local Kids Klub. Around 35 children, aged 5 to 12, participated in activities focused on movement, sound practices, storytelling, and crafting with various materials, all inspired by the children's dreams. The season ended with a festival featuring games and activities developed with the children, alongside their crafts, which were transformed into colorful, dreamlike installations
April-June 2024
3rd season
for children from the social housing Hotel Home&Care, hosted at the family center Villa Lützow
curated by dance artists Masha Shalagina and Andrii Romanenko
in the third season, we worked exclusively with a Ukrainian community, engaging around 30 children aged 6 to 13 each week. Through a series of games and workshops, the children collaborated to create an experimental film The House of Creatures (“Дiм Створiн”) with touching reflections on feeling of home, friendship and wishes for the future
