House of Many

Imagine you could spend a week doing whatever you want and nothing else. What would you do? What rules would you invent; what rules would you throw overboard? How would you spend or distribute money? These questions will be asked those in our society who probably have the least means for holding a revolution: children. But they’re the ones who will have the reins in their hands in the not too distant future.

House of Many is a project by the Theater an der Parkaue – Junges Staatstheater Berlin in cooperation with Haus der Kulturen der Welt and Haus Leo. Sixty youngsters between the ages of 8 and 14 will move in together for one week and try out new ways that we can live together – or live at all – in the future. What’s possible if you’re given responsibility? The kids will occupy many different art spaces in Haus der Kulturen der Welt. They will ask similar questions as the parallel Wohnungsfrage exhibition and try to find answers in their daily lives together.

House of Many is an experiment in which children with different social backgrounds and from different countries ask questions about possible ways of living regardless of adult role models. In doing so, they will gradually shoulder more responsibilities every day for shaping this temporary cohabitation. Step by step they will be given access to more rooms, stages, halls, basements, corridors, restrooms, cloakrooms, interpreter booths and exhibition spaces. Visitors will recognize them by their outfits, hear their loud music, smell the food they are cooking and discover their belongings spread throughout the building. Outsiders will only be permitted to share their space at specific times.

The House of Many will open its doors to visitors and short-term cohabitants of all ages on Thursday, October 29 and Friday, October 30, between 3.30 and 5.30 pm.

CONCEPT AND DEVELOPMENT: Mirko Winkel is a visual artist and director. He developed a framework for the House of Many, the course of which is very unpredictable.
DRAMATURGY: Irina Barca, originally from Sibiu, Romania, is a theater educator at the Theater an der Parkaue and is now an accomplice in the House of Many.
HAUS KÜCHE: Daniel Schroller is a passionate cook who will give the young house occupants help and advice arranging and preparing meals.
HAUS SELFIE: Karen Winzer is a visual artist who will instigate various forms of observation, self-observation and documentation.
HAUS KLAMOTTE: Benjamin Klunker is a fashion designer who devised the starting point for a new kind of outfit for the occupants of the House of Many.
HAUS MUSIK: Charlotte Eifler is a DJ and visual artist who will keep the soundtrack going with the help of the occupants.
HAUS BAR: Katharina Burger is a theater-maker and art accompanist who will look after the personal concerns of the occupants.
HAUS KATZE: Malte Beisenherz is an educational consultant and cultural scientist. He will always be everywhere making sure that no ideas or processes dissolve into thin air.
HAUS MEISTER: Maura Meyer is a process moderator and production manager. She will coordinate communications between the various occupants of the house.

Funded by the Wege ins Theater program of ASSITEJ Germany as part of Kultur macht stark! Bündnisse für kulturelle Bildung by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research