Ruhr Kunst Nachbarn
"RuhrKunstNachbarn is a three-year model project aimed at ensuring that children and young people do not perceive museums as closed institutions, instead learning to read them and reflect upon them in the context of the city and urban society. 18 art museums and numerous schools from the Ruhr area are involved in the project. Here, particular focus is also placed on the local environment – the neighbourhood in which the museum is located. Questions surrounding the role and task of an art museum in an urban society which is constantly changing are also addressed here."
(Inez Boogarts, Director of the Zukunftsakademie NRW, 2017)
Getting children out of school and into the urban, museum space: this three-year mediation programme, RuhrKunstNachbarn, projected to run until June 2019, takes an innovative approach – culture to the children! Join in, get involved, discover. After all, education starts with creativity. And this is where the RuhrKunstMuseen extend a helping hand to schools in the area. So that educators can work together as partners to introduce children and young people to the multicoloured diversity of different arts and cultures on site. The process is determined by what is meant by one's own identity, what is meant by foreign identity, and what is meant by a shared identity.
Museums and Schools working together
The events provided by the RuhrKunstNachbarn, free for all types of school and all age groups, are a continuation of the Collection Tours which were created as a result of the Ruhr area's appointment as European City of Culture in 2010 under the RUHR.2010 campaign. These art bus tours profited more than 20,000 adults, young people and children. To this day, a mobile network which spans cities and which connects contents and themes is something which continues to be in demand. The aim is to experience urban spaces as spaces of action – to use art displayed in museums as a visionary pool for one's own ideas. To this end, two RuhrKunstMuseen each form a partnership and offer workshops on a common theme.
Kultur-on-tour
A phrase which means: getting people into the museum of their home city. And, following this, into the museum of their neighbouring city. In addition to the visit to the museum, there are also outdoor trips within the public space, mapping activities, interview activities or photo activities on offer. The RuhrKunstNachbarn Kultur-on-tour programme is aimed at exploring cultural spaces, as well as nooks and crannies in spaces both indoors and outdoors.
Ruhr Kunst Nachbarn
Special, educational ideas and concepts for conveying culture have been developed for the RuhrKunstNachbarn project. Adapted to fit with the reality of the lives of children and young people and provided in a mobile space where school and museum work together, these help to break down any fears of entering cultural spaces, to promote an interest in art, as well as to get across a sense of enjoyment for culture, for being in a neighbourhood, and for participating and integrating. Those who participate receive a personal museum pass, with school classes receiving a certificate.