Reflections on my
experience in Germany!
The Beginning:
It all started when I received the
application for the Goethe Institute’s six-week Cultural Management Training
program. As I glanced over the application, I visualized myself partaking in
the program. It was a stressful day, I had to deliver a presentation, prepare
for an important visit and then apply for this training. Had hesitated one
moment on completing the application, I would have missed out on the
opportunity to participate in a vital training in cultural management in
Germany.
Fatima Goes to Berlin:
It was a Sunday morning and I woke up
excited to start the adventure. I arrived in Berlin and was lucky to witness a
beautiful sunset partially covered with clouds. “It is Summer in Agadir and it
is Autumn in Berlin,” I told my host when I met her for the first time. The
next day I woke up at 6:30 a.m. to get ready for the first day of the training.
We rushed through breakfast, I learned that I had a commute of almost 45
minutes to get to the Goethe Institute. I had to take three different trains
and though it was stressful, I felt exhilarated to be lost in the large,
maze-like subway system of Berlin. I was fascinated by the city’s design and
cultural life. I didn’t mind the long commute.
Homestay:
In Berlin I stayed with a family: two
women, a filmmaker and a painter. As I was busy with the program I did not have
much time to socialize. We interacted
each morning over a cup of coffee and the delicious German bread. The
encounter enriched my perspectives of German life. After Berlin, I moved to
Munich to continue my training and live with a new host family in a new city.
In Munich, my host was extremely welcoming. Our conversations consisted of discussions
of articles we read, exchanges of intimate stories and long walks on Sundays. I
saw the city of Munich through her eyes. I learned much from her and we continue
enriching our friendship beyond this German experience.
Oktoberfest in Munich:
After finishing four intensive weeks of
training in Berlin and getting used to the daily lifestyle with all the
participants, we had to say goodbye to each other and continue our internship
in the different cities of Germany. My transition to life in Munich was had its
challenges but I was excited to discover a new part of the country. In Munich I
worked with the Digital Analog film festival learning all about cultural
projects within the city.
Soon after I settled into Munich,
Oktoberfest began, the world’s largest annual fair and the city’s most
well-known social and cultural event. Upon my arrival, the station was so
crowded and incredibly colorful. Men and women were celebrating Oktoberfest with
traditional clothing, dancing and drinking locally brewed beverages, such as
Germany’s renowned beer variety. It was the first time I witnessed such a huge
celebration with thousands of people. It Ambulances everywhere and police
helping people who were experiencing some physical discomforts. My host told me
that some local residents in Munich leave the city during Oktoberfest because
it’s too loud; perhaps they’ve experienced too many Oktoberfests to enjoy this
time of year. During Oktoberfest, Munich becomes a destination for all the neighboring
countries and even those across the oceans.
Frankfurt, the Book Fair
and Arabness:
After Munich, the participants, who came
from different parts of Germany, reunited for a day. We laughed together and shared
delicious Indian food. We attended the international book fair in Frankfurt,
where the whole world seemed to be present, everyone sharing their literary
works and networking with one another. This fair is one of those rare spaces
where you get to walk for half an hour and pass by several continents and
hundreds of countries. I wished I could have walked slowly and spent time with
each country, but we had to get through the fair quickly in order to attend a
panel entitled “How do Arab Artists Shape their Cities?” The panelists were
three young activists and artists representing Libya, Egypt, and Iraq. The debate was very intense and fruitful.
Cultural Management:
The participants were from all over the
MENA region, representing the institutions they are working with. Hearing
everyone speaking about their cultural projects, film festivals, cinemas, and
theater productions enriched my dreams and boosted my motivation to create an
art project which I will take the lead for. We spent four weeks learning about
project management, consulting, budgeting and fundraising. I visited several
creative and innovative art galleries, cinemas, art schools and museums. Fusing
theory with practice is a vital approach to learning. Learning that the feasibility of a project
depends at first hand on the motivation of the people, knowledge and the
know-how. The feasibility conveys the relationship between one’s competences
and resources and the goal one wants to achieve. For instance, we visited a
festival called survival, this initiative started with a group of young
ambitious artists using an old train station as a venue for their events. The
station serves also an art workshop and work venue for painter, theater
rehearsal and concert space. All the artists have part-time jobs to survive and
use the rest of the time to sustain their art project. Another example is a
couple who built a cinema in the basement of a building. The cinema has 30
seats, with a small bar. I have not seen such initiative at least in the places
where I have been in Morocco. The
practical side of the seminar was a display of what our trainers speak about.
Study tours and being able to speak with the owners of projects was an amazing
opportunity for all of us who are in the pre-preparation phase for our cultural
and art project. We would have a seminar about funding opportunities, public
relations, and marketing strategies. We would chose one of our colleagues
projects and design a marketing plan and get feedback from our trainer. I
believe that theory is important and an essential part for any project but
practice is what puts the acquired knowledge into reality and sharpens one’s
skills the more one learns about real projects.
I am grateful to take part in such a fruitful experience thanks to the
Goethe Institute. I am grateful for all the people I met, because they all positively influenced my life and thoughts! I am thankful to Dar Si
Hmad who encouraged me to pursue my dream and opened up the space to make this
training possible.
Fatima Matousse
