ROOTS & ROUTES Cologne e. V. (RRCGN) has been active as a non-profit initiative in Cologne since 2013. We strengthen young artists* at the roots (ROOTS) and open spaces for them to discover new paths (ROUTES). RRCGN is a full member of the international ROOTS & ROUTES network, a recognized youth welfare organization and is funded by the City of Cologne as a specialized cultural education institution.
we design cultural education opportunities for all interested young people. With a focus on contemporary urban art forms and their contexts of global migration.
we create spaces for artistic exchange and encounter. Open, empowering, often international. Spaces where young artists can share ideas, create something new together and reach public audiences.
Re:CreateWe want to work for an open, inclusive society. For diversity-conscious thought and action: To reach and move people through art.
We develop ideas and project formats for an open and inclusive society. With young artists and with partners from our international network.
we provide young artists with platforms for their personal and artistic development. With international master classes, peer coach academies and seminars, we promote their professionalisation in the creative sector.
RRCGN organizes its own international exchanges in Germany and sends participants to exchanges offered by international partners. ROOTS & ROUTES exchanges combine diversity-conscious (youth) cultural work with political education, link different artistic disciplines and usually lead to joint productions: Sometimes as an interdisciplinary performance of the whole group (e.g. at The ROOTS & ROUTES Experience), sometimes as small results – films, songs, small performances, installations – of several internationally staffed Creation Groups (e.g. at our Baltrum projects).
RRCGN trains peer coaches for cultural-pedagogical youth work according to the curriculum developed in the international ROOTS & ROUTES network, which includes an intensive course phase (10 to 12 days block seminar), an accompanied practice phase (at least 60 own offer hours) and a final reflection. More information is available here.
ROOTS & ROUTES Step1 projects are generally open to all young people who would like to gain initial experience in one or more artistic fields. As instructors, professional coaches, trained ROOTS & ROUTES peer coaches as well as peer coaches in training are often on duty: for example, at our fall vacation workshop weeks in Bergisch-Gladbach and at our other local projects.
RRCGN coordinates local, national and transnational thematic projects, such as most recently Young Arts for Queer Rights and Visibility (2017-2019), since 2020 iJuLa – intersectional youth labs in the Veedel and since 2021 OASES for Change – Organising Artistic Self-Empowerment Spaces. With our international partners we often collaborate in projects on professional level to (further) develop ideas, approaches and methods.
Young Arts for Queer Rights and Visibility
he project workbook (2017-2019) with project presentation, background articles, suggestions and materials for pedagogical practice (55 pages, approx. 9 MB).
Generation Europe Mixed Reality Exchange – an international online youth encounter in Corona times
Article by the RRCGN team on the website of IJAB – Fachstelle für Internationale Jugendarbeit der Bundesrepublik Deutschland e. V.
DeTalks: Creative and non-verbal methods for approaching new languages
Working aid from the international project DeTalks (2018-2020) in German version; with methods from the seven project countries (105 pages, approx. 5 MB).
The future begins at the end of the world
Interview with Janna Hadler and Sascha Düx on the international encounter “Future Lab Young Europe 2019” (#FLYE19) on the North Sea island Baltrum, in: kubi – Magazin für Kulturelle Bildung, No. 19.
Art4Act – A Guide Book for Youth Workers
Working aid from the project “Art4Act – Art in Action for an Inclusive Society” (2016-2018), available in English only (104 pages, approx. 5 MB).
Would you like to work with us? RRCGN will be happy to work with you to develop customised offers for your institution, your organisation or your event.
The five-member RRCGN team is made up of educational and artistic professionals, cultural and educational scientists. Our focus is on international youth work, diversity, art and cultural education.
With our many freelancers and peer coaches, we can cover a wide range of artistic disciplines and styles: from dance and music to theatre and visual arts to filmmaking and media arts. From hip-hop and urban culture to contemporary performing arts.
In our peer coach projects, we are always training young performing arts and media artists who would like to pass on their skills to their peers and younger people.
This is why we are well-positioned for a wide range of workshop offers, further education and training projects; our team members, freelancers and peer coaches can adapt to individual formats, such as:
Please send your request and ideas to:
info@rrcgn.de