Youth art school starts in Chemnitz

Green light for the establishment of a youth art school in Chemnitz: with a funding commitment from the Saxon State Ministry of Science, Culture and Tourism (SMWK), the project of the Chemnitz Adult Education Centre can be realised. Accordingly, the Free State of Saxony is subsidising the establishment and teaching of the youth art school for the current school year with up to 24,960 euros.

Classes are scheduled to start on 4 March 2024. Applications can be made from Monday 4 December via the Chemnitz Adult Education Centre.

The establishment of the Chemnitz Youth Art School will create an important segment of cultural education in Chemnitz. This committed endeavour by the Chemnitz Adult Education Centre aims to encourage and inspire young people with an interest in the arts and enable them to create culture. With this aim in mind, extended lessons specialising in different art disciplines are offered in addition to art education at school. In addition to their creative and experimental character, the profile classes at the youth art school are intended to give pupils the opportunity to orientate themselves and prepare for a desired apprenticeship or course of study in the artistic field.

Who realises the youth art school?

The cultural education programme is supported by the decades of experience and professional expertise of the adult education centre in the field of further education as well as the proven expertise of selected cooperation partners. Michael-Paul Milow, a graduate actor, independent director and theatre educator as well as artistic director of various festivals, has extensive experience in cultural education and is responsible for programme coordination at the youth art school. He has been working as an educational assistant and course leader at the Chemnitz Adult Education Centre since 2019.

Who can learn at the youth art school?

The programmes offered by the youth art school are aimed at young people between the ages of 14 and 18. It is particularly aimed at pupils with an interest in art and the desire and motivation to develop their artistic potential and find their own creative expression.

What profiles does the youth art school offer?

The courses offered by the Chemnitz Youth Art School are divided into subject profiles, each of which has been developed in close cooperation with institutions such as the Faculty of Applied Arts Schneeberg, the Chemnitz Film Workshop, the Neue Sächsische Galerie, the Metropol cinema and the cultural association Klub Solitaer.

The four profiles, from which separate classes are formed, are

- Fashion and surface design

- Film and media

- Photography

- Creative writing

How is teaching at the youth art school organised?

The artistic and technical training is organised into learning modules that are tailored to each profile. In the first year, lessons in the individual profile classes comprise 62 teaching units of 45 minutes each. There is a maximum of 15 places available in each class.

The fixed teaching content is supplemented by a varied selection of practical workshops and open genre formats such as film and reading clubs. These events can be attended by students on an optional and interdisciplinary basis.

The final highlight of the school year for each class will be a final presentation of the training results - in the form of an exhibition, a film screening, a performance or a fashion show, depending on the profile.

Who guides and teaches the young people?

In each profile, a class leader accompanies the students as a contact and moderator. At the Chemnitz Youth Art School, this role is taken on by the graduate designer Kathi Halama for fashion and surface design, Torsten Neundorf from the Chemnitz Film Workshop for Film and Media, the photographer Franziska Kurz for photography and the spoken word artist Jessy James LaFleur for creative writing. The classes are organised exclusively by teachers with an artistic biography and a professional career in the subject.

When do the lessons take place?

Classes at the Youth Art School will take place during the second half of the 2024 school year. When organising the timetable, consideration was of course given to everyday school hours. Therefore, lessons will take place regularly once a week in the afternoon for approx. two to three hours (3 to 4 lessons). The specific times vary depending on the profile class and will be announced in due course. Some of the practice-orientated additional courses will also take place at weekends. In addition, an intensive workshop is planned for each class in the first week of the summer holidays to prepare for the final presentation.

Where do the lessons take place?

The basis of the youth art school is the Chemnitz Adult Education Centre, which offers ideal learning conditions for the students in the TIETZ with well-equipped classrooms and workshops. The teaching radius of the youth art school is extended by the studios and laboratories of the co-operation partners. All learning centres are located in the city of Chemnitz.

How does enrolment at the youth art school work?

Registrations for all profile classes are possible from Monday, 4 December, either online at www.vhs-chemnitz.de or in person during the service hours of the adult education centre (Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.). All registrations are made by the parents or legal guardians of the pupils. The participation fee for the entire school term is 140 euros. This includes all courses of a profile as well as all workshops and genre formats.

Where can I find more information about the Chemnitz Youth Art School?

On Monday, 4 December, the courses offered by the Youth Art School will be activated online at www.vhs-chemnitz.de and can be accessed at www.vhs-chemnitz.de. All course contents are described on the course pages of the corresponding profile subjects. The contact person for interested parties is Michael-Paul Milow - by telephone on 488-4332 or by e-mail to milow(at)vhs-chemnitz.de. General enquiries about the Youth Art School can also be sent to jugendkunstschule(at)vhs-chemnitz.de.