Introduction
Hello, my name is Luke Schutter, and I have been a community curator at Kulturschöpfer since March. I am originally from Ohio, where I met the director of KS, Christopher, for the first time. I was studying in Berlin for the semester and decided to reach out to Christopher to talk to someone I already had a relationship with. I was craving a conversation with someone that did not involve introductions. I arrived in Berlin on January 31st, spent the entire month of February meeting people for the first time in my courses, and learned how to find my way around the city with the U-Bahn. My study abroad program is great because it's full of Americans from all over the United States studying German together in Berlin. Unfortunately, that meant starting from square one; I had to start making friends and talking to people. I knew Christopher was in the area, so I reached out to have a conversation that did not begin with my name, major, homeschool, or the one thing I was most excited about for the semester.
The Big Three - Engage, Create, Inspire
When Christopher and I met over coffee, he took me to see Kulturschöpfer in person, and it did not take long for me to fall in love with the organization and its goals. KS is built around three pillars; Create, Engage, and Inspire. Creating begins with the hands and involves creating beauty with what is given to us. It also involves collaborating with others to create something bigger than ourselves. Engage deals with learning, growing, and staying open-minded. Engage also looks at empowerment and encouragement of others. The third pillar is inspiration, which uses our senses to create stories and culture and serve the community in a way that our hearts desire. Because the more that we help others in a meaningful way, the more our hearts become connected to those that we support. Inspire was the pillar that caught my attention the most. I wanted to communicate with others, share my story with them, and have their stories shared more profoundly than the previous surface-level conversations I had been participating in. I was initially not looking for a place to volunteer because this was my semester abroad, and I wanted to travel and explore Berlin. Fortunately, my initial impression of KS was so strong that I had to get involved. When Christopher walked me through the space, I could see photos of prior community engagement in the area and artworks from some artists renting rooms at KS. These things helped me realize how special Kulturschöpfer is.
I was struck by how many different types of people could find a way to work here: artists, volunteers, community members, and people on staff. Everybody had a way of being involved with each other, the storytelling, and the culture-building that was going on. This tour of the center led me to volunteer as a community coordinator. In my very brief time here, I got to experience a gallery opening, have a community lunch, and brew several liters of coffee. At KS, the skill of coffee brewing is essential, but learning to create conversations about beauty and culture over a cup of coffee has been especially beneficial for me.
Melting Pot
The most significant impact that Kulturschöpfer had on me was the positive way other cultures interacted with me. KS is such a melting pot of people worldwide that there is no place for hate in the environment. When I go to work, smiles greet me, and people talk to me. I saw behind the scenes and experienced why this organization has thrived for ten years. Everybody interacted with each other respectfully and encouragingly.
I appreciated how KS uses its network to provide learning opportunities to those they work with. The artists in the gallery had to give a "why" for their artwork; they had to express how their experiences influenced what they created. It was fantastic to see how emotions and past life experiences were so prevalent in the artwork and how the people that viewed the art were also affected by the experiences conveyed. Opening night for the gallery was coincidentally on the same night as an informational meeting for future volunteers. After the session, we all visited the gallery and enjoyed the art and the atmosphere. It was here that I started talking with a girl from Poland that I had met an hour prior at the volunteer meeting. Together we walked around the room as she pointed out paintings that made her feel anxious or reminded her of when she would visit her grandparents as a child. I could agree with her and see firsthand how some artworks may have affected her; I realized they also affected me in the same way emotionally, even though we had grown up in different cultures on different sides of the world.
Reflection
I interacted the most with the other community curators who were part of the Kulturschöpfer internship program, and I could see them make visible contributions to the organization. They helped run social media accounts and planned events, for example. Unlike other places where I have volunteered or interned, we could contribute and work alongside others who have been here longer.
When I go home at the end of the semester, I will remember my time at KS because of the conscious choice made by everyone to be open and engaging with a team that is so diverse. My whole experience was positive, and I was able to learn about art in terms of galleries and in terms of connecting with the community. I experienced the creation of beauty with my hands in the gallery, and I experienced the storytelling of the artists who could share their work. I was also able to experience the creation of culture when I saw everyone in KS work together to make sure opening night went well while also introducing new volunteers to the center. Kulturschöpfer also allowed me to learn more about German culture from people who have lived in Berlin for longer than I have. I had the opportunity to learn German paper sizes and go to the print shop and provide quality control for the A6 business cards that KS needed. If you ever stop by Kulturschöpfer, don't forget to admire my handiwork!
I am thankful I reached out to Christopher because I looked forward to volunteering every week, and I'm grateful I was allowed to help.
Sincerely,
Luke Schutter