Inclusive musical project at NMS Gassergasse
Workshop on BODYGUARD, violence prevention and safer internet
As part of the cultural outreach programme of the VBW musical division, an inclusive musical project based on the current musical production "Bodyguard" by Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, a Wien Holding company, took place last week at NMS Gassergasse. A similar, extremely successful project was already carried out there last school year by VBW Cultural Outreach.
In cooperation with the "Weisser Ring" and the school itself, a week-long workshop was held with pupils aged 10 to 14, working in a wide variety of areas under the motto "I am my own bodyguard". As part of the lessons led by VBW cultural outreach, the children spent a whole week working on the production. Every day, they danced, sang, improvised and played. The pupils also worked on two choreographies and developed scenes based on their own personal experiences on the themes of "I am my own bodyguard", "Bodyguard for others" and civil courage. The results of the last few days were then presented to teachers and parents in a grand final presentation.
In preparation, NMS Gassergasse and Weisser Ring organised a workshop day in advance to teach children and young people about topics such as self-defence, violence prevention, dealing with social media, cyberbullying and internet safety. In addition, with the kind support of Wien Holding, VBW invited 160 children to the musical production at the Ronacher theatre after the project, which was received with enthusiasm by all.
Promoting creativity and personal development
Christian Struppeck, VBW Musical Director: "Through our cultural outreach, we want to awaken a love of music and theatre in young people and encourage their interest in the musical genre. Through the integrative work within our workshops, we also want to strengthen their self-confidence. We want to open up a 'playground' to show them that creativity can be expressed at any age. We also want to give those who might not otherwise have the opportunity a glimpse into the world of theatre."
Andrea Walach, Director of NMS Gassergasse: "The cooperation with the VBW is characterised by professionalism, determination and perfect organisation. The enthusiasm, creativity and vigour of the team have a very positive effect on our children. They begin to embrace the new, slowly come out of their shells and ultimately get carried away. Creative resources are awakened and can unfold in a way that would not be possible in everyday school life. They are particularly looking forward to attending the musical, and preparing for it is an important prerequisite for a better understanding. Even if our children cannot verbalise everything, emotions are awakened in them that are of significant importance for their personal development."
Dina Nachbaur, managing director of Weisser Ring, was impressed by the students' commitment: "The pupils participated in the workshops with great enthusiasm. It was a pleasure to see how actively they engaged with the very difficult topics of violence and prevention."
VBW Musical Cultural Education – a space between stage and audience
As part of its cultural education programme, the musical division of Vereinigte Bühnen Wien offers a wide range of activities, including workshops for schools, musical workshops, artist talks and social and integrative projects, with the aim of inspiring children and young people to take an interest in musical theatre and encouraging their creativity. In addition, the cross-genre matinee "Musical Meets Opera" and the concert for promoting young talent "We are Musical – The Next Generation" take place annually in the VBW's musical theatres. The aim is to create a space between the stage and the audience, to inspire young people with musical theatre, to introduce them to the diverse world of musicals and to bring them closer to the magic of theatre.
