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Since 2022, the SPK has established a new format for cultural education aimed at children and young people aged between six and 13 who have had to flee Ukraine. Accompanied by a Ukrainian-speaking and a German-speaking facilitator, they explore the collections of the Museum Island and try out artistic techniques in Haus Bastian, the centre for cultural education on the Museum Island. On a weekly basis, the participants discover unfamiliar places, gather new experiences and creatively translate these into their own works with the help of drawings, painting and printing techniques. The open programme has been further developed according to the interests and ideas of the group and has established itself as a regular meeting place for children and young people from Ukraine. The children are actively involved in developing the content and, together with the facilitators, develop transferable formats for other groups.

In addition to the museum club, workshops for adults and families from accommodation centres for refugees from Ukraine can also be offered thanks to funding from Sparkasse. Haus Bastian works together with the German Red Cross in Tegel for this purpose. This has already enabled the first groups from Tegel to come to Haus Bastian and the Museum Island.

Sarah Wedl-Wilson, Senator for Culture and Social Cohesion of the State of Berlin: "I am delighted to see how Haus Bastian and Berliner Sparkasse are welcoming children and young people from Ukraine to cultural Berlin with their commitment. The museum club is a great asset for cohesion in our city."

Gero Dimter, Vice President of the SPK, says: "Since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the SPK has shown solidarity with the country in many ways - for example with in-kind aid in the field of cultural property protection for Ukrainian cultural and scientific institutions and scholarships or with the exhibition from Odesa to Berlin. The museum club for children and young people is now an established format and shows how important continuous programmes are in supporting families who have fled the war and building bridges at the same time. I would like to sincerely thank Berliner Sparkasse for the further increase in funding."

"We want to awaken young people's interest and open-mindedness for the entire cultural diversity of the world. At the same time, we want to give them a cultural foothold in our country, as culture in Ukraine is threatened with extinction by Russia," explains Kai Uwe Peter, Managing Director of the Berlin Savings Banks Association.

"The Museum Club offers refugee children and young people from Ukraine a safe space in which they can express themselves creatively, exchange ideas and process their experiences. It's about experiencing community and building trust. Haus Bastian is the perfect place for this," says Philine Sollmann, director of Haus Bastian.

Further information can be found at
https://www.smb.museum/museen-einrichtungen/haus-bastian-zentrum-fuer-kulturelle-bildung/projekte/willkommen-museumsclub-fuer-kinder-und-jugendliche-aus-der-ukraine/

Press photos at:
www.preussischer-kulturbesitz.de/newsroom/presse/pressebilder.html