Art project »The three brushstrokes«

Art piece created by children from the after-school care center at the Kunstforum, inspired by the Japanese Kintsugi technique with golden repair lines — Kintsugi-Inspired Children’s Art at the Kunstforum – Creative Work from the After-School Center

In April 2018, the August Hermann Francke After-School Centre launched the art project »Die drei Pinselstriche – ein illustrierter Kunstkrimi« (The Three Brushstrokes – An Illustrated Art Mystery) as part of the programme »Kultur macht stark. Bündnisse für Bildung« (Culture Makes Strong. Alliances for Education) funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

The aim was to use artistic means to give children from different backgrounds access to their environment. The project was initiated by Kulturwerk Bildender Künstler Sachsen-Anhalt e.V. (Saxony-Anhalt Association of Visual Artists), which also acted as a cooperation partner for the educators at the Francke Foundations. The KinderKunstForum was responsible for the conceptual design and implementation.

More than half of the pupils cared for in the children's facility live in families with roots in other cultures. They live in the city centre of Halle, in Glaucha, south of the market square. The project »Die drei Pinselstriche – ein illustrierter Kunstkrimi« (The Three Brushstrokes – An Illustrated Art Mystery) aimed to give them access to what is often a new and unfamiliar environment for them in Germany. Until March 2019, artists Josefine Cyranka and Karoline Peisker came to the daycare centre every Monday between 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. to explore crime scenes in the pupils' immediate surroundings in the city centre with them: What is going on in the city? How do people behave at the tram stop, how do cyclists or dog owners behave? What does the greengrocer sell and where does he get his apples from? The Francke Foundations' facilities, with their collections, libraries and university faculties, offer a unique field of activity: What do the employees write at their desks? What do they talk about in the canteen? What do they carry in their bags? What do they do in the chapel?

Girl crafting a ship in a bottle; the sail reads “Mädchenclub” in colorful letters – creative activity at the after-school care center — Mädchenclub – Creative Project at the After-School Center

Instruction sheet showing step-by-step guidance for creating an artwork, prepared for Kunstforum – the creative event at the after-school care center — Creative Art Project Guide

Woman at the Kunstforum arranging sheets of paper for an art activity or creative project — Art Preparation at the Kunstforum – Woman Arranging Sheets of Paper for a Creative Project

Colorful paper chickens made by children from the after-school care center, displayed at the Kunstforum — Paper Chickens at the Kunstforum – Created by Children from the After-School Center

The children asked questions and recorded information everywhere they went. As part of their illustrated research, they sketched their observations using various graphic techniques and then turned them into illustrations using a variety of artistic techniques.
MDR also reported on Josefine Cyranka's project in its series »Glaubwürdig« (Credible).

Here you will find an overview of the latest art projects at the after-school care centre (2019-2020):

Art events September - November 2019

Art events December 2019

Art events February 2020

Art events May-June-July 2020

Art events September-October-November-December 2020