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iJuLa – intersectional YouthLabs in Cologne

January 1st 2020 – December 31st 2024

The iJuLa project opened up space, in which young artists can work on intersectional themes: sexual and gender diversity/queerness, racism, the interaction of different forms of discrimination – and we invited young artists from cologne, to design these spaces with us and fill them with life and ideas by coordinating their own program within it.

Photo © Yves Sanwidi

“You are 16 to 27 years old, artistically active and interested to implement ideas for/in the space, together with other young artists and local youth? Come over to our iJuLa space in Herthastraße 50 in Cologne Zollstock!” – is how we approached young people within the city of cologne for 4 years and which brought us a fruitful collaboration with our wonderful young curators.

On July 2nd, 2021, the iJuLa youth lab in Cologne-Zollstock could finally officially open with an open day: The sun was shining, people came by throughout the day, there was screen printing, live music and live dance on the open stage, collective painting… and from now on there will be regular activities in the space, at least until the end of 2024!

What has happened so far in the iJuLa project:

  • About 30 young artists (16 to 27 years old) could be recruited for the iJuLa youth curatorship starting in 2020: They plan offers and events in the space, which are implemented with the support of the project team. Interested people can join the group of curators at any time!
  • In July 2020, there was a first weekend workshop with the iJuLa curators; then in October, the 10-day iJuLa Kick-off Academy took place in Heek-Nienborg. Here we deliberated: What kind of space do we want to rent, and what should happen there?
  • On December 1st, the first iJuLa space was rented: An old commercial hall in the back of Herthastraße 50 in Cologne-Zollstock. RRCGN team and iJuLa curators put a lot of work into renovating and equipping the space – because of Corona, it went much slower than planned.
  • In early 2021, the three-part film series “Let’s talk about Queerness” was released, which is part of the Andy Warhol exhibition and was created in cooperation with the Museum Ludwig; the films can be seen further down this page.
  • In July 2021, a ROOTS & ROUTES Peer Coach Academy took place as part of the iJuLa project. 10 young curators and 10 other young artists were supported to train as junior instructors.
  • In Augusts 2021 we started hosting first regular workshop-events in the Space
  • On the 18th of September 2022 iJuLa hosted the first queer Musicfestival “Kölnchella”, which then was continued on in the following years.
  • 2 Issues of the intersectional youth magazin “sec*”, which combined the voices of people all over germany, living in different situations, have been printed.

The iJuLa project ended in December 2024; whether we will remain in Zollstock, is yet to be determined!

Dates

sec*

intersectional youth magazine

“sec*” Magazine was created within the iJuLa-Project. The 2 issues that existed by the end were both published and distributed all over cologne for free.

The second edition was rewarded with the Dieter Baacke Price in the category “inclusive and intersectional projects”.

A magazine-page with both magazines as pdf’s (in german language) as well as selected articles of no.2 that have been translated to the english language and can be read via screen-reader are available via the button.

iJuLa News

Statements from Participants

Funding

iJuLa is a RRCGN project and is funded by the program “Demokratie leben!” by the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth; additional funding comes the Youth Ministry of the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, DOHLE Foundation and the European Solidarity Corps.
In former years, iJuLa was also funded by Fonds Soziokultur within the BKM programme “NEUSTART KULTUR”, and by Deutsche Postcode Lotterie.

Diversitätsfonds NRW

Funders from former years