The Sponsorship Initiative: Art and Schools

The cultural education programme has the chief aim of encouraging greater interaction between artistic and educational institutions in Berlin.

It was initiated in 2006 by the Berlin Council for the Arts (Berliner Rat für die Künste), following discussions led by the Senate and involving many experts in the field, which resulted in Kulturprojekte Berlin being assigned coordination of the project. The project communicates long-term collaboration as the basis for exchange and seeks to establish a concrete framework to open up new institutions to future youth projects.

Since the beginning of 2007 about 50 schools and 30 art institutions have joined this project. As a result, about 25 active sponsorships have developed by agreement upon a close cooperation for a period of three to five years.This partnership includes: supporting the schools with the development of their school profile, providing pupils with an insight into artistic production processes, presenting cultural institutions as potential workplaces, supporting the schools in special activities, planning project classes together with teachers and providing internships/ mentorships. While these tasks will of course differ from institution to institution, the common element will be the binding character of long-term collaboration.

As far as possible all types of schools in all districts of Berlin should be encouraged to develop a collaboration with an artistic or cultural institution, as supported by the team at Kulturprojekte Berlin. However,benefits are expected not only for schools and their various members: the arts institutions get to interact with a younger audience, forming experiences which are only too rare amongst artistic and cultural planners. In order to fit the programming of the different houses to their target audience, detailed knowledge of each other’s everyday life is essential.

Patron of the sponsorship initiative is Lothar Zagrosek, Chief Conductor of the orchestra Konzerthausorchester Berlin, who in February 2007 rewarded the newcomers with a magnificent concert at the concert hall at Gendarmenmarkt.

Zoom 10 Patenschaften (Zoom 10 Sponsorships)

The PwC Foundation offers financial support under the scheme Sponsorships for School and Art.

Further information [in German only]