The first KRACH award winners have been announced

Eleven projects from the cultural and creative industries received the first "KRACH - Kreativraum Chemnitz" funding awards, which come with a start-up budget of 2,500 euros, free use of space for up to three years and a comprehensive range of advisory services. The award ceremony took place on 14 April 2018 as part of the second Maker Faire Saxony, which is currently being held in Chemnitz. Private and municipal landlords act as space providers for the KRACH award winners.

"We were delighted to receive more than 50 applications in the first year of the programme. The high number of submissions from the Chemnitz region, but also from Germany and abroad, showed us that our programme is very attractive for young makers. It was no easy task for the international jury to select the award winners from the many high-quality submissions," explains Sören Uhle, Managing Director of Chemnitzer Wirtschaftsförderungs- und Entwicklungs GmbH (CWE).

The projects awarded the prize reflect the breadth of the cultural and creative industries: the winners include, for example, producers and marketers of art, software developers, a coffee HUB, theatre makers and manufacturers of a wide range of design objects from lamps and T-shirts to kitchen furniture.

"We hope that the projects will generate a lot of creative input in the KRACH spaces, in the surrounding neighbourhoods and throughout the city - and we see great potential for development in many of the projects.
and also see great development potential in many of the projects that can radiate far beyond Chemnitz," says Sören Uhle.

The degree of innovation, development potential and sustainability of the project, the expertise and motivation of the founding team and the impact of the project on neighbourhood and urban development were among the criteria used by the judges to make their decision. The Capital of Culture Office "Chemnitz 2025" donates a sponsorship award. Further sponsorship awards are provided by supporters from the business world, e.g. Haus E / alltag & anders and Digital Color Service GmbH.

Between October 2017 and January 2018, over 50 applications were received for the "KRACH" sponsorship award, which was initiated by the City of Chemnitz, the CWE and the industry association Kreatives Chemnitz e. V. as part of the city's bid to become European Capital of Culture 2025. An international jury initially selected 27 projects, which were able to familiarise themselves with their future premises and the city over a weekend. After scrutinising the applications, the jury finally selected the winners.

The jury consisted of experts Giorgia Boldrini, project manager of the IncrediBOL! Bologna programme, Cecilé Houpert, project coordinator of the EU Culture for Cities and Regions project, Steffen Roth, professor at La Rochelle Business School and Yerevan State University, Fátima São Simão, Development Director of UPTEC PINC Porto, Christian Rost, Director of the Saxon Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries - Creative Saxony, Frank Müller, Chairman of the Creative Chemnitz e. V. industry association, Frank Müller, Director of the Creative Chemnitz e. V. industry association and Frank Müller, Director of the Creative Chemnitz e. V. industry association. V., Sören Uhle, Managing Director of Chemnitzer Wirtschaftsförderungs- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH and Grit Stillger, City Planning Office of the City of Chemnitz.

The "KRACH" award winners 2018

Theatre Street 17: CoBoLights

"CoBoLights" designs individual "industry-style" lamps from moulded concrete, copper pipes or things that other people would throw away - using real craftsmanship. Founder Franziska Dörner is studying in Chemnitz and currently runs her business, which has been in existence for three years, largely from home. In the KRACH space, she wants to professionalise her work and, in addition to the internet and flea market, also target walk-in customers in future.
customers, but above all to process initial enquiries about large orders faster and better.
The KRACH room at Theaterstraße 17 is provided by WiC - Wohnen in Chemnitz GmbH.

Jakobstraße 46 (public utility company): Centre for Performing Arts

The "Centre for Performing Arts" (ZfDK) aims to strengthen the art and culture scene on the southern Sonnenberg. In its KRACH space, the ZfDK wants to bring together local and international independent theatre makers, train them in workshops and introduce them to Chemnitz in residency programmes and provide them with project, rehearsal and, in the medium term, performance venues. The founders of the ZfDK are Pascal Anselmi, a German studies student and radio journalist who lives in Chemnitz, and Hannah Saar, who studied theatre and cultural studies in Munich and London and now works independently as a director and producer in the theatre sector.
The KRACH property at Jakobstraße 46 is provided by the City of Chemnitz.

Altchemnitzer Straße 27 (Spinnereimaschinenbau), office space: Ulrike Sorge
After several years as an assistant director - most recently at Chemnitz Theatre - Ulrike Sorge ventured into self-employment. Several theatre projects, including directing work and the founding of a theatre club at a Chemnitz school, are already in preparation. In the KRACH competition, Ulrike Sorge was looking for an office space, a base from which she could organise her projects, but also devote herself to her second passion, radio drama.
The KRACH room at Spinnereimaschinenbau is provided by Spinnwerk GmbH & Co.

Altchemnitzer Straße 27 (Spinnereimaschinenbau), workshop: prekär 017

The "prekär 017" project is dedicated to the design and construction of special living and working furniture. In particular, Rayk Pehlgrimm has already developed and prototyped inexpensive yet flexible kitchen, office furniture and shelving systems - the "prekär 017" product line. The designer, who graduated from the Faculty of Applied Arts in Schneeberg, focusses in particular on the use of prefabricated parts and semi-finished products, such as those found in most DIY stores. Pehlgrimm is also involved in the development of electricity-free refrigerators and mobile showers.
The KRACH room in the spinning mill is provided by Spinnwerk GmbH & Co.

Sebastian-Bach-Straße 16: scorefab

The Chemnitz-based start-up "scorefab" wants to revolutionise music-making. Instead of sheet music on paper, it wants to offer digital copies for tablets or mobile phones - editable for musicians, displayed in a way that is optimised for playing and controllable via a specially developed pedal, and entry into the digital world for music publishers. The project, which was funded by an EXIST start-up grant and an SAB technology start-up grant, was developed at Chemnitz University of Technology. For the founders Ulrich Halfter and Lukas Heinig, the KRACH room will be the place where product development and marketing are driven forward in future.
The KRACH room at Sebastian-Bach-Straße 16 is provided by WiC - Wohnen in Chemnitz GmbH.

Moritzstraße 20 (Das TIETZ): Straw to gold

The "Straw to Gold" project follows the trend towards recycling and upcycling. The multi-award-winning fashion designer and tailor Babette Sperling, who trained in Schneeberg, wants to develop her own label. For her
KRACH space, she is planning a combination of hands-on workshop, open design manufactory and studio. Here, new, unique products are to be created from existing waste or waste generated during the textile chains, but also from rubbish - both in her work as a designer and with the support of visitors to her shop.
The KRACH space at Moritzstraße 20 is provided by WiC - Wohnen in Chemnitz GmbH.

Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 21 (Die Glocke): RWL Creative Coffee Hub

The "RWL Creative Coffee Hub" team wants to fill a KRACH space with energy, creativity and the smell of coffee. The project is based on a coffee roastery. The specialities produced here are to be served in a café and sold in a shop - and at the same time give energy to other creative minds in the KRACH space, including a fashion designer, a dance choreographer and musicians. The international team currently consists of five people: Perez and Carolin Weigel, David and Janine Rozali and Tristan Lodge.
The KRACH room at Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 21 is provided by WiC - Wohnen in Chemnitz GmbH.

Leipziger Straße 51: Holy Heart Design

Founded in 2015, the company "Holy Heart Design" creates atmospheric eye-catchers for rooms and bodies: they now sell wooden pictures, posters and textiles with self-designed motifs throughout Germany and abroad. They combine modern design with Christian faith and thus serve a target group whose size should not be underestimated. In their KRACH space, founders Samuel Reinig and Jonas Thielemann want to produce more of their products themselves in future - and at the same time offer them to regional customers in a shop.
The KRACH space at Leipziger Strasse 51 is provided by WiC - Wohnen in Chemnitz GmbH.

Brühl 42, Shop 1: Unknown Basics / Unknown Studios / Unknown Sports

"Unknown Basics" is a young fashion label from Chemnitz that has already gained international recognition and specialises in basketball-related streetwear. The label works together with national and international artists. "Unknown Studios" sees itself as a service provider for medium-sized and large companies that place particular value on modern and progressive marketing. "Unknown Sports" is a basketball management agency. Behind all three concepts is founder Andre Zimpel, who has already worked for international brands such as Adidas, Nike, FIFA, Sony Music and Louis Vuitton after completing his studies in Applied Media Management.
The KRACH space at Brühl 42 is provided by the Unger Group.

Brühl 42, Shop 2: KOMBINAT LUMP

Giving young German and international artists a wide reach and thus facilitating their entry into the art market - that is the aim of "KOMBINAT LUMP". The project is planning a subscription service for high-quality art prints, through which customers can get to know the still "fresh" artists - who participate directly in the sale of their works via the subscription. The project is being planned by Anja Jurleit from Dresden and Marco Henkel from Chemnitz, who want to both reproduce and present art in their KRACH spaces.
The KRACH space at Brühl 42 is provided by the Unger Unternehmensgruppe.

Brühl 46: Holzkombinat

The "Holzkombinat" is already an established player on Brühl: since May 2015, anyone can work on their own wood and upcycling projects in the open workshop and use the expertise of the founders as well as the existing machines and tools. A "Natürlichkreativ project shop" is now to be added, which will provide additional space for workshops, lectures and creative activities on the one hand and offer space for the sale of ecological paints, wood stains and work materials on the other. Behind the project is the four-person team from Holzkombinat GbR, consisting of Mario Haustein, Philipp Salzmesser, Sebastian Czebe and Caroline Krügler.
The KRACH space at Brühl 46 is provided by the Unger Group.

Contact the KRACH funding programme
Chemnitzer Wirtschaftsförderungs- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH
Frank Schönfeld
Tel: +49 371 366 0233
Mail: schoenfeld(at)cwe-chemnitz.de

More information at www.krach-chemnitz.eu and on the social media channels Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at krachchemnitz.