A brighter future built by “soft skills”
How do we make children strong for the future? How do we teach them skills that will enable them to better cope with the consequences of the pandemic and at the same time mature into active, open, empathic members of society? The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which has been measuring the learning progress of students in natural science subjects for many years, now emphatically emphasizes the high relevance of lessons in sports, art, and music for child development.
That is why the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, with its children's opera house in Berlin, and Germany's largest basketball club ALBA BERLIN, with its ALBASpross all-day school program, have entered into a partnership: At the Albert Gutzmann School in Berlin-Wedding, where ALBA BERLIN has been a private sponsor since 2020 Since this school year, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden has been getting kids moving with musical theater, too, with the after-school care area designed in an educational and sporty manner.
Both partners jointly pursue the goal of strengthening the competence areas of music, sports, and fine arts and supporting schools in promoting social and emotional skills. Because it is precisely in these subjects, which are often overlooked in the public eye, that the children learn the so-called "soft skills" that are essential for their personal development.
Matthias Schulz, Artistic Director of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden: “I learned the piano myself and played basketball for a long time as a hobby. With my own children, too, it is important to me that they all try out a sport and an instrument - because I am convinced that both are incredibly important for child development and that both value team spirit, perseverance, and fun. Therefore, I am particularly pleased that our children's opera house is cooperating with ALBA BERLIN starting this school year and that we are working together to promote self-confidence, creativity, and social skills in children!”
Henning Harnisch, Vice President & Head of Youth Work ALBA BERLIN: “School subjects such as sports, music, and art teach learning a game, finding one's role in a group, and experiencing community positively. All children should be able to have these experiences, regardless of their social background. At ALBA, we are convinced that a different culture of education and learning is possible. And for this, sports clubs and cultural institutions have to get together and set up appropriate programs for school children. I'm all the more delighted that this idea is now being implemented in concrete terms with the Staatsoper Unter den Linden at our partner school in Wedding."
The children's opera house of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden is now firmly established as a cultural education project at 11 elementary schools and four children's opera houses in six Berlin districts. ALBA BERLIN works with more than 200 partner schools and kindergartens, is an independent sponsor at the Albert Gutzmann School in Wedding and employs 25 full-time educators there.
The cooperation at the Albert Gutzmann School invites all interested children from the 3rd grade to take part in a children's opera working group, which opens up low-threshold access to the world of music theater. Under the guidance of professional music theater educators, the children gain their first theater experience in the areas of performing and singing in basic exercises. At the end of the school year, they present the projects they have developed in the school's internal worksheets. In this way, concentration, creativity, empathy, linguistic expression, self-confidence, perseverance, and determination are trained through play. The children's abilities are encouraged and they are supported and strengthened to face a changing world with curiosity, creativity, and resilience.