The “Atelier Freistil” (translation: Studio Freestyle) was founded in 2013. It is a work and employment project of the GSHN (Society for Social Assistance in Northern Germany) and KJSH (Children, youth and social aid foundation) where people with mental disabilities who are unable to join the primary job market can gain access to meaningful activities nonetheless. Here they create art and crafts with expert guidance that takes into account individual limits.
Persons responsible
There are three artists who are leading the project: Timo Schulz, Elsa-Sophia Ascherl and Andrea Lingnau. They visit the Atelier several days a week and give advice and support to the participants of the project.
Next door to Atelier Freistil is “Café Vielfalt” (translation: Café Diversity) which is run in combination project, which brings the total sum of participants to 20. Participants have full control of their schedules and there are part-time and full-time positions. No artistic education is required or needed.
The atelier is open from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm Monday to Friday.
There are several different artistic activities that can be done, including painting and drawing with acrylic, oil, chalk, watercolours and pencil. There are also opportunities to sew, crochet, knit, work with soapstone and to sculpt.
Participants and offers
Work schedules and topics can be chosen freely. Sometimes the artists accept commissioned works, if they are interested in the topic. Paintings can be either bought or rented, depending on the size of the picture. That means that a small painting (30 cm x 40 cm) will be 35.00 Euro while a large picture (80 cm x 100 cm) costs 110.00 Euro.
Atelier Freistil also exhibits their paintings regularly at places like the AWO, a physiotherapy surgery office, a car dealership, at “Artegrale” (another atelier for culture and art) and in the Café Phollkomplex for exhibition on a regular basis. Furthermore, there are plans to have an exhibition at the Landeshaus (country house) Kiel. Some motifs are used for postcards and calendars that are then made for sale.
