Selbstdarstellung englisch
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| Selbstdarstellung englisch |
| Culture on the Road |
| A project day |
| Surviving in Kreuzberg |
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"Are all skinheads right-wing? Are all Goths Satanists? Are students becoming more violent?"
Today’s youths are viewed two-fold: Either as subjects prone to violence or as objects for the sales-focused research of trend scouts. Both of these approaches capture only a part of the complex phenomena of youth cultures that have emerged over time: youth social formations that are constantly changing and which resist easy categorizations.
"Only those who give up the comfort of simple answers will be able to grasp reality."
The Berlin-based Archiv der Jugendkulturen e.V. (Archive of Youth Cultures) answers prejudices with refined expertise. So far, the archive is the only institution in Europe that collects materials from youth cultures (skinheads, punks, rappers, skaters…) and makes it available for researchers and interested parties in its own public reference library at no charge.
Currently, the 200 m2 archival library comprises more than
- 6,000 books and brochures
- 28,000 fanzines, magazines and newspapers
- 400 research papers, theses and dissertations
- 4,000 CDs, LPs, audio cassettes, DVDs and videos,
as well as tens of thousands of press articles and countless leaflets, flyers and posters.
Empfangsbereich
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Youth cultures are exciting, creative and usually wear colourful shirts – not brown shirts. However, right-wing extremists and racists can be increasingly found in various youth cultures. The project “Culture on the Road” addresses this area of conflict. It does so by exploring rather than resisting the youth’s interests in music, fashion and other free time activities. It enables them to participate in the fascinating world of these scenes and to explore their own creative potentials. Moreover, it also deals with the downsides of youth-cultural lifestyles.
Since 2002, “Culture on the Road” has been the idea behind one or several ‘mobile’ project days that take place in training centres, schools and youth centres. Political education on right-wing extremism, racism and other inhumane and intolerant attitudes among young people is combined with information on the history and origins of youth cultures. Scene insiders explain ideas, backgrounds, styles and forms of expression in practical ways. In numerous workshops, the pupils have the opportunity to get to know various forms of youth-cultural expression. We offer DJ equipment, microphones, fingertip dispensers, music and skateboards.
The “Culture on the Road” team consists of experts in the field of political education and of representatives from different scenes: Hip-Hop, Reggae/Dancehall, Skating, Techno, Gothic, Punk, Hardcore, Heavy Metal, Streetdance and Skinheads.
The continuously qualified scene members have a profound knowledge of their own and other relevant youth cultures, including a range of issues addressing right-wing extremism and racism. As authentic role models, they stand for tolerance, non-violence and equality. Minority youths form an essential part of the team.
“Culture on the Road’s” target audience is young people from the age of 14 and adults with youth-related professions (multipliers). We work with up to 300 pupils a day. Paralleling the programme on youth, we offer programmes for teachers, social workers, educators, committed parents, related initiatives and administrators in local politics.
Through cooperation with local initiatives, schools, training centres, community centres and youth clubs, “Culture on the Road” has helped to organize a network of local, regional and national organizations committed to tolerance.
Our goals are to communicate youth cultural diversity in a professional and authentic manner; to sharpen political awareness; to support tolerant attitudes; and to contribute to the prevention of violence and right-wing extremism.
“Culture on the Road” has already been awarded twice as “an exemplary project”:
2003 by the Alliance for Democracy and Tolerance
2005 by the Youth Forum in the Berlin City Parliament
You can find more information about our general structure and much more on our website: www.culture-on-the-road.de
This is how your program for a project day with about 100 pupils might look like:
| 08:00-08:30 | Welcome |
| 08:30-10:00 | Introduction to Youth Culture (in several groups) |
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1. Group: Skating |
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| 10:15-11:45 | Skateboarding: Theory and Praxis |
| 12:00-13:30 | Workshops: Skateboarding with extra programme for girls |
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2. Group: Hip Hop |
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| 10:15-11:45 | Introduction to the four elements of Hip Hop culture |
| 12:00-13:30 | Simultaneous workshops: Graffiti, Rap, DJing and Breakdance |
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3. Group: Gothic |
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| 10:15-11:45 | Introduction to the history of the Gothic scene |
| 12:00-13:30 | Lecture and talk with Jörn Ranisch |
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4. Group: Electronic Beats/Techno |
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| 10:15-11:45 | Introduction to the history of electronic music |
| 12:00-13:30 | Workshops: Techno-DJing |
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5. Group: Girls and Youth culture |
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| 10:15-11:45 | Introduction to girls in youth culture |
| 12:30-14:00 | Workshops: street dance, rap, DJing, skating, writing lyrics, trying band instruments |
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Multiplicator Training |
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| 12:30-14:00 |
Simultaneous training for teachers and student council members and/or school newspaper writers Possible Topics
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| 15:00-17:00 | Training for social workers at school and youth centres, street workers and employees of youth clubs |
| 18:00-20:00 | Parents’ meeting |
This project offers school classes the opportunity to participate in a project day dealing with the topic of “youth cultures” in Berlin-Kreuzberg. In workshops pupils learn about the history and current tendencies of youth cultures like Hip-Hop, Techno, Skateboarding, Skinhead, Punk or Gothic. These workshops help make clear that the majority of today’s youth culture emerged from hybrid and multicultural scenes, often as a reaction to unwanted violence, drugs and experiences with racism and other kinds of discrimination.
The first part takes place in the rooms of the Archive of Youth Cultures in Berlin-Kreuzberg. In the second part of the project day, the youths are sent out to fulfil a range of tasks based on the model of a “City-Rally.” The youths experiment in small groups –accompanied by qualified young members from our project partner Gangway e.V. – and learn how one “survives in Kreuzberg”. How is this achieved? – for example, by making recipes for an international buffet, without buying and without stealing; by discovering places in Kreuzberg where youths cultures congregate; and by finding out how many different cultures live in Kreuzberg.
This programme can also be offered for a period of 2 or more days. In this case, pupils could for example visit a music performance, the rehearsal of a break-dance group, or a youth theatre play on a topic concerning youth cultures and/or Kreuzberg.
“Surviving in Kreuzberg” imparts knowledge about Germany as an immigration country. The pupils gain knowledge through fun activities and everyday experiences – and in an appealing way that is different from the daily routine of schools.
The goal of “Surviving in Kreuzberg” is to overcome prejudices and increase intercultural awareness.
“Culture on the Road” and “Surviving in Kreuzberg” are parts of our general project “Migrantenjugendliche und Jugendkulturen” (Minority Youth and Youth Cultures)
At first glance, most youth cultures appear to be dominated by German males. However, youth cultures in fact usually include numerous boys and girls of immigrant backgrounds. How do they experience their scene? Are they as accepted as the Germans? Do they have to live up to different expectations? How do they gain access to scenes? What keeps them from participating actively? Do teenagers with German roots show a different attitude than minority youth towards family, peer-groups, drugs, violence, sex and relationships or religious and socio-political issues?
Especially German-Turkish and German-Arab youths become the focus of public debate when immigrant repeat offenders, violent “gangs”, the practice of forced marriage, debates over headscarves in schools, or anti-Semitic incidents are reported in the press.
In order to have a broader understanding of minority-adolescents in Germany that is not limited to prejudicial assumptions, foundation work on a national level is necessary. This work should address cultural codes; decipher the practices of youth cultures in conurbations, small towns and rural areas; and explain the influence of politics, society, religion and culture on the teenagers. Moreover, the practices of these cultures must be made understandable for outsiders.
On this topic, hardly any research has been conducted. There are few highly developed and field-tested models for youth culture-oriented pedagogy and political Education available. The Archive of Youth Cultures tries to fill these gaps with its “Minority Youth and Youth Cultures” project. The results of our research are also disseminated to many different target groups (youths, adults and public workers) via trainings designed especially by the Archive of Youth Cultures. By spreading this knowledge, we help to enrich and differentiate the discourse about the reality of the immigration country that is Germany.
The project “Minority Youth and Youth Cultures” is being supported by the Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (The Federal Ministry for Family, Seniors, Women, and Youth) and the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (National Centre for Political Education) by means of the “Vielfalt tut gut”(Diversity is good) project.
Archiv der Jugendkulturen e.V.
Fidicinstr.3, 10965 Berlin
(Subway: U6 „Platz der Luftbrücke“)
Opening hours:
Monday through Friday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Special opening hours for groups, events, and exhibits are possible.
Are you interested in youth cultures?
Then we are right for you.
The Archive of Youth Cultures also carries out its own research. Our research includes the following projects: the Projektgruppe Medienforschung (Task Force on Media Research) analyses daily two-dozen newspapers. A second group of scene-researchers participates in 50-80 events per year and conducts 200 biographic interviews with scene-insiders. Our third research group annually polls at least 1,000 adolescents from all over Germany. The study focuses on the following questions: Which youth cultures have prominence among adolescents today? What political/cultural positions do youth cultures represent? What identities can they offer? What roles do violence, drugs and right wing or racist stances play among students in general and concerning the acceptance/refusal of youth cultures by peer groups? Do youth cultures influence the attitude and the behavioural patterns of adolescents? Can youth cultures be used to promote an adolescent’s democratic and tolerant values?
If you want to learn more about the youth-cultural situation in your school, municipality or district, we can conduct such a survey for you.
Through its publication “Journal der Jugendkulturen” (Journal of Youth Cultures), the archive offers members and interested parties a professional magazine containing newsworthy scene-profiles, information about events and youth cultural literature, reviews of issues, tendencies and developments in youth research etc. It is distributed in the book trade, via subscription and in the online shop of the archive. Members receive the magazine automatically and at no extra cost.
“For a long time now, this journal has offered much more than the bare necessities for pedagogues or those who aim to teach and groom adolescents. It is truly a spokesman for youths in the adult world, where the opportunities to experiment, test oneself, and express oneself are limited. To mediate between adults and youths (on equal footing – and where possible, with authentic texts) was the aim of the “Journal der Jugendkulturen.” We can certainly confirm to the people running the journal that they have realize this goal in the service of youths.” Jochen Knoblauch in: Contraste
The archive of the youth cultures publishes the results of its research as well as autobiographic texts of scene members, novels, dissertations, diploma thesis and other notable scholarly and academic reports or essays in its own publishing series.
Every year roughly 6 titles are published. Among those in 2007:
Bernd Werse
Cannabis in Youth Cultures. Cultural-historical and empirical considerations of a Narcotic Drug’s Symbolic Role.
328 pages, hardback, 52 illustrations, 28 Euros.
Susanne El-Nawab:
Skinheads – Gothics – Rockabillies: Violence, Death & Rock n’ Roll
375 pages, hardback, 98 illustrations, 28 Euros.
You can find further information about all publications and our online shop on our homepage:
A yearly subscription fee of 48€ enables you to support the charitable work of the Archive of Youth Cultures. You can participate in a creative network that focuses on youth cultures and acquire a comprehensive library on the topic. Every member receives not only the “Journal der Jugendkulturen,” but also two books of his or her choice from our publishing series annually at no charge.
