A New World

Showtime for the Summer Children’s Program at the Jewish Museum Berlin

Friday was showtime at the museum: the children in the summer break program had their big debut, presenting their plays and animated films. The whole week they had developed and rehearsed them, built sets, filmed, and added sound tracks. Everything was focused around the theme: What would a new, better world be like?

Die neue Welt und der Luchs (The New World and the Lynx) is one of the animated films shot as part of this year’s summer holiday programme.

The curtain opens and a colorful Noah’s ark appears. Elephants, tigers, cats, and dogs crowd the deck of the ship. Paul* (7 years old) the dove flutters around the fore. "How long until we finally get there?" asks Mia (7) the cat impatiently. "Now!" Liam (9) the elephant answers, and right away the side of the ship opens up toward the shore. "Hooray!" cry the children and jump happily down into the new world.

Die Monsterinsel (Monster Island)

The children rehearsed their pieces with great enthusiasm. Berlin theater pro Steffen Reck provided the theater groups with support. The media educator Alina Simmelbauer aided the film groups. Performance and applause: the parents were impressed and the children were very proud.

Die geheimnisvolle Insel (The Mysterious Island)

Program director Léontine Meijer-van Mensch is thrilled: "For children, new beginnings are the most natural thing; their ideas are open and free. They astonish us adults, with our heavy baggage of knowledge and assumptions."

Die Sache mit der Seilbahn und dem Elefant (The thing with the cable car and the elephant)

Summer Break Program 2018

WORLD.LABORATORY – Experiments and Visions
In week-long workshops, the children researched, discovered, and tested out opportunities for a new world that they can create themselves. Their questions, ideas, and experiments contribute the design of the new children’s museum at the Jewish Museum Berlin (read more about the summer vacation program).

In cooperation with Jugend im Museum e.V. and with the friendly support of Freunde Jüdisches Museum Berlin.

Die geheime Insel (The Secret Island)

In cooperation with Jugend im Museum e.V. and with the friendly support of Freunde des Jüdischen Museums Berlin.

Nadja Rentzsch is responsible for the Summer Break Program 2018. She was amazed by the children’s presentations and can’t wait for the next summer program.

(*The names of all children have been changed.)

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