Hooray! We’re offering a brand-new workshop! Participants will soon be able to produce their own radio plays. Through this creative workshop format, our education coordinator Karin Pirhofer and artist Boris Jöns draw attention to the mysterious, invisible processes taking place in the soil and among its living creatures.
Our workshops are primarily aimed at young participants between the ages of 15 and 30. Whether it’s a project week, a field trip, or as part of youth programs, we can accommodate groups of 10–20 participants. Interested individuals are also welcome to register. We also offer training in this method to educators.
In soil ecology, the totality of all soil organisms is called the edaphon—a term with a fascinating phonetic association (“phon” as in telephone, microphone, xylophone…?).
In our workshops, we convey knowledge about the various inhabitants of the soil in a vivid and engaging way: from relatively large animals (macrobiota) such as mice, earthworms, woodlice, and beetles, to medium-sized (mesobiota) animals such as springtails, nematodes, or mites, all the way to the microbiota—bacteria and fungi. What roles do they play in the soil? Who eats whom? Who works together (symbiosis)? How does the climate affect soil inhabitants?
So that we don't get too caught up in the theory, we'll jump right into the practical work. We'll take soil samples using a core sampler, examine them under a microscope, and determine the pH level and other interesting parameters. Last but not least, we'll listen to the actual sounds coming from the soil, which are recorded by our soil microphone.
That’s exactly what the next step is all about. The participants will apply their knowledge and experience to develop ideas for radio plays. We’ll provide a brief introduction to the medium of radio drama and facilitate the formation of groups, each of which will collaboratively bring an idea to life. A voice coach will show participants new and unexpected ways to use their own voices.
Finally, we record the participants’ contributions using professional mobile audio equipment.
In the end, the recordings are edited together into finished radio plays—short and snappy or a bit more epic, depending on what the participants have come up with.
Each workshop consists of three modules, each lasting approximately 3–4 hours. Participation is free of charge.
1. Soil as an ecological system vulnerable to climate change
2. Radio plays as a medium for telling soil stories (brainstorming, dramaturgy, and voice exercises)
3. Recording radio plays—live on-site recording with professional mobile audio equipment
We’d be happy to discuss the exact timing of the program with interested participants and group leaders.
Contact: bildung(@)weltacker-berlin.de
Since 2022, the Weltacker Youth Council has been working with us—an exciting project that brings young people in Berlin together. They all share one goal: a voice in Berlin’s food policy!