Fun times!
This was THE EXPERIENCE for a total of 70 young and young-at-heart Düsseldorfers and refugees aged 12 to 16: participation in the Shrove Monday parade at Carnival 2019 in Düsseldorf!
In 2019, in addition to the long-term vision “Free access to culture and education for ALL children” for the 10th anniversary of the association, we also had the short-term vision “Point out children’s rights at the carnival!”.
The idea was implemented with the own motif wagon “ARCHE NOAH” under the motto “Children have rights. The young people were involved in the motif float construction under the direction of the Jacques Tilly team. The young participants were prepared for the KRASSen Karnevals appearance in a total of eight different workshops/measures and contributed numerous ideas of their own for the construction of the ARCHE NOAH and the choreography of the dances as well as in the selection of music and drum pieces during the parade.
Colorful, loud artistic was the credo of the carnival project – not only for the Ark, but also for what it houses: In various workshops, the animal participants study dance – choreographies, practice music and drum pieces. Since December 2019, every Sunday afternoon was dedicated to elephant ears, tiger paws and giraffe tails, stitch by stitch, the most diverse animal costumes were created in the KRASSen KinderAtelier in Oberbilk. In the process, refugees and Düsseldorfers worked hand in hand – creating new friendships and achieving sustainable integration. Claudia Seidensticker, founder of KRASS e.V., is particularly pleased that language barriers were overcome through active cooperation and collaboration, thus strengthening the sense of community and the relationship to each other.
Nothing stood in the way of the successful implementation of the project, because in addition to the dedicated kids and instructors, the association can look forward to several generous sponsors. But read for yourself:
No less than 7 dedicated employees from METRO-NOM, the tech unit of METRO AG, have not only actively supported the project supported the project actively and voluntarily, but also successfully CSR program “We help” successfully organized financial support for float construction and entry fees. organized. “Our goal was to help refugee children get acquainted with our culture in a creative, fun way. Behind us are great working days, but now the anticipation of the big day prevails,” says Jens Voss, METRO-NOM employee, carnival enthusiast and now also volunteer float builder float builder, costume designer and choreographer.
The success was also due to the intensive partnership between KRASS e.V. and the long-established Düsseldorf-based company Sonnen Herzog, which was which has existed since December of last year. The basis was created by the leading wholesale company for paints, wallpapers and floor coverings with 15 branches in North Rhine-Westphalia made a Christmas donation. Instead of customers presents at Christmas, Sonnen Herzog KRASS e.V. made a donation of on behalf of all employees and customers a sum of 10,000 euros. “We are happy to make a contribution to the cultural support of disadvantaged children in our city and are thrilled about the diverse projects that KRASS e.V. sets up. We are already very much looking forward to the Shrove Monday procession”, says Managing Director Margarete Sonnen, who is the fifth generation to run the family business. fifth generation. Sonnen Herzog also regularly supports the work KRASS e.V. regularly with donations of materials. At the Düsseldorf Sonnen Herzog headquarters at Pinienstrasse 20, private customers can also make purchases.
The team around Renate Hirschmann, founder of Elsa hilft GmbH is pleased to be able to use this generous donation to provide the children with many creative workshops and carefree, colorful hours. The fun of the children to spend an unforgettable day with Noah’s Ark at the Düsseldorf are motivation enough to continue this great project of Krass e.V.. of Krass e.V. to support.
