Specialist day brings cultural education to the surface throughout Münsterland

"The topic of cultural education must become visible and continue to surface," said Andre Sebastian, head of the Münsterland Cultural Office, yesterday at the region-wide symposium "Cultural Education in Münsterland" in Greven. Participants came from as far away as the Ruhr and Rhineland to get input and exchange ideas with other representatives of municipalities, cultural, educational and youth leisure facilities as well as artists.

Because cultural education is more important than ever, agreed the organisers from the Münsterland Cultural Office, the Working Group on Cultural Education, the Münster District Government and the City of Greven. "Music, dance, art, theatre, acrobatics - all of these strengthen the personal development of young people in particular. All actors must pull together so that we can offer this opportunity to as many children and young people as possible," Sebastian appealed to around 80 participants. "There are already numerous offers, but they need to be more present and also better interlinked. Our symposium contributes to this."

Scientific support came from Professor Max Fuchs from the University of Duisburg-Essen. Under the title "Why cultural education?" he described cultural education as a fundamental right. Culture sets people apart from other living beings and makes them complete.

Things then got concrete in several workshops and at theme tables with different focal points. Cultural actors from the Münsterland and other regions of NRW reported on their experiences and thus got into conversation with the participants. Among others, the Pablo Picasso Art Museum, DA, Kunsthaus Kloster Gravenhorst, the Pink Pop e.V. youth art school and create music were present. All participants made intensive use of the many opportunities for exchange and networking at topic tables, in speed dating sessions or short breaks.

Peter Vennemeyer, mayor of the city of Greven, Georg Veit from the district government of Münster and Brigitte Schorn from the Arbeitsstelle Kulturelle Bildung NRW were also available as contact persons.

Finally, the participants expressed the common wish to see cultural education more firmly anchored in the consciousness of municipal decision-makers. It should not only be about short-term funded individual projects. Personnel structures must also be secured for the long term.

Andre Sebastian drew a positive balance: "The symposium showed us how great the need for culture is and motivated many actors to anchor cultural education more firmly in their work in the future. We were able to bring the participants up to date, present new programmes and findings, and can now move on from there."