For the past 10 years, Umicore has been sponsoring theater workshops for children
Lights out. Spotlight on. Everyone watches the stage with anticipation. Where fairy-tale characters usually run amok, theater-loving children and teens can take the stage once again this year. After an intense week of memorizing lines, practicing breathing techniques, sourcing costumes, and crafting props, the stage belongs entirely to them.
The Brothers Grimm Festival is making this dream come true again this year for theater-loving children and teens. With the start of summer vacation, the Brothers Grimm Festival is offering three theater workshops for children (ages 6 to 12) and teens (ages 12 to 18 or 20). They will take place from July 25 to 30, 2022, and August 1 to 6, 2022. Rehearsals will be held at the Gebeschus School in Hanau.
(C) Grimm Brothers Festival in Hanau
This educational program is made possible by the generous support of Umicore. This year, the festival and the materials technology and recycling group are celebrating the tenth anniversary of their partnership.
“At a time when we are faced with limitations everywhere, when we are all experiencing what we cannot do right now, it is especially important for the development of our children and young people to have spaces where they can explore and experiment freely and without restrictions,” explains Dr. Bernhard Fuchs, CEO of Umicore AG & Co. KG. “These workshops allow them to practice teamwork as well as test their own abilities.”
Teamwork is also key for Umicore’s more than 900 employees at the Wolfgang Industrial Park—the international group’s largest German site. In Hanau, the focus is on particularly clean technologies such as automotive catalytic converters, fuel cells, and battery recycling. The group’s mission is “Materials for a better life.”
“With Umicore, we have a reliable partner by our side. Thanks to their support, we are able to offer our workshops with renowned instructors and present them at the highest possible level,” emphasizes Artistic Director Frank-Lorenz Engel. “I am particularly pleased this year that, with this support, the musical workshop can now take place again.”
The program of the STAGE TIME musical workshop is open-ended: “As a lecturer, working in the musical workshop is simply exciting. Because what will be seen on stage is determined by the children and young people themselves,” explains Markus Syperek, the festival’s long-time musical director, who provides musical accompaniment for the workshop. In recent years, he has arranged French chansons, well-known musical numbers, songs from the festival’s productions, and choreographed ensemble numbers specifically for the workshop. In the workshop, he works side by side with choreographer Regina Weber: “We coach the young people and support them in developing their own creativity and trying new things, so they can discover their own strengths and express themselves through all forms of art. Together, we learn as a group to work toward a common goal. And that’s just incredibly fun.” In a playful way, the participants learn breathing and vocal techniques, develop body awareness, dance skills, and, last but not least, improvisation. After all, they provide most of the props and makeup themselves. This also applies to the two acting workshops led by author and acting instructor Dominik Meurer. In the “Role-Play” workshop, he rehearses the fairy tale “Cinderella” with the younger participants, and in the “Spotlight” workshop, the fairy tale “Sleeping Beauty” with the older ones.