Project proposal: youth arts education

Many middle to upper-class families in this country find it important to introduce their children to the arts at some point in their early childhood. A large portion of those children even continue to play an instrument well into their early teens, when they suddenly become defiant enough that their parent’s cannot force them to practice anymore. The teenagers that continue to practice their art are encouraged by the stories of their parents, who wish that they only continued their art of dancing or playing the piano throughout their high school and college years. Adults who were exposed to the arts seem to value their early arts education; and yet, here in America, the funding for arts education is slipping out of the grasp of many public schools, especially those in already impoverished areas. It seems unfair that only the wealthy are capable of enriching their lives, and the lives of others, with participation in the arts, and many institutions have sprung up over the last few decades to attend to this need. These institutions have seen a measure of success in helping children get in touch with a more artistic side of themselves, not only as a fun, free, activity, but also as a way of recovering from a traumatic home life. Having taught children in the arts, and even worked with such underprivileged youth, I was interested to discover and experience this aspect of the life of a young Berliner.
I was uncertain if there would be a parallel problem in the extremely artistic community of Berlin, especially because of the differences in German schooling methods from those that I grew up with, but I was quickly able to find the website of an institution called Fusion Street in Berlin. Situated just outside of Kreuzberg, Fusion Street serves just the purpose and population that I was searching for. Established in Berlin in 1996, the FUSION project began with incorporating young people of German, Turkish and Arabic origin, from Kreuzberg, Neukölln and Marzahn, into the Karneval der Kulturen, or the Carnival of Cultures. A few years later it went on to incorporate youth of Berlin into the well known LOVE PARADE. Around this time the group also branched into the “Manege” children and youth center. The goal of this youth center in particular is to make children aware of and responsible for their own activities, through the arts. In response to this wonderful find, I determined that my project would be centered around the youth arts project in Berlin, though a case study of Manege (as well as the founder, Fusion Street) and hopefully even through a few of the participant’s points of views, if they are within reach during our time in Berlin.
Through a series of interviews with the project directors of Manege, and a general survey for the participants of background and feelings towards the program, I aspire to develop a sense of how necessary and effective this group is towards the welfare of Berlin. I would like to do this through a case study of one of the directors of the programs there, as well as through the point of view of one of the young adults who regularly enjoys the benefits of Manege. In this way I will be contrasting the purpose of the program with the perceived outcome by the participants. Case studies would most effectively achieve this because I would get the chance to get to know someone who participates in artistic youth culture in Berlin, and even become close enough that I could ask slightly more personal questions, for example about family life. This leads me to the point that, as in any case study, I must be careful not to offend the people that I am interviewing, and keep in mind that my background and theirs will be quite different in some ways, though I may find interesting connections to American youth in places where I least expect them. I hope to find that artistic youth centers have brought together the young people of Berlin from different religious, cultural, and monetary backgrounds, reinforcing their confidence and self-awareness. This will, ideally, answer my question of how underprivileged youth in the vibrantly artistic city of Berlin are being given their opportunity to become educated in the arts with a resounding feeling of efficacy and value for youth arts education.

Potential Interview Questions:
How did you become involved in the Fusion Project?
How long have you been working with Fusion/Menege?
Would you encourage your own children to come here and participate?
What kinds of people can you meet when you come here (ages, ethnicities, temperaments)?
What kinds of opportunities do you find here?
What projects are coming up next?
How does participation affect the youth involved?
Are there many centers like this in Berlin? Who do they cater to?
Do children need to be educated in the arts/cultural community?
How have you benefited from working here?