Offene Kostümwerkstatt - erstes Treffen

In the organizer's words:

Costume workshop

January 31 - February 21, 2025

Fridays 15:30 - 19:30

We invite you to the open costume workshop in the Temporary Gallery! Costumes are artistically developed here. The Cologne Carnival can be thematized and prepared in a protected environment.

In cooperation with M*Treff Alte Feuerwache, ROOTS & ROUTES Cologne e.V., Rutfront Fastelovendsbund e.V. and the artists, costume and mask designers Hilma Bäckström, Brigitte Dunkel, Sarah Ferreira dos Santos, Nora Hansen, Jil Lahr, Christina Neuss, Paula Noller and Corinne Riepert.

In simple language: The open costume workshop runs from January 31 to February 21, 2025 and takes place on Fridays between 3:30 and 7:30 pm. Artists lead the workshop and help with the design. Everyone can sew costumes, build and be creative. The aim is to develop new ideas for the carnival. The workshop aims to challenge typical carnival costumes. Creative and individual costumes will be created. The art scene and carnival have a long connection: For example, artists* have always organized costume parties and incorporated political themes into carnival by designing carnival floats. In the costume workshop, we want to work together to ensure that everyone in the room feels comfortable and that no one is hurt. That's why we make sure that no one is excluded.

The open costume workshop takes place between January 31 and February 21 every Friday between 3:30 and 7:30 pm. The workshop is a temporary space led by local artists where costumes can be artistically developed. Everyone is welcome here to design, sew, build, learn and exchange ideas.

The Cologne Carnival can be prepared in a safe environment, and there is room for any questioning of the festival.

The costume workshop is intended to encourage people to think about the practice of dressing up and the transformative potential of costuming beyond the boundaries of stereotypical carnival costumes. For these are now part of the fast fashion movement - the cheapest materials are poorly made so that they can hardly be worn for more than one season. In addition, the selection of affordable costumes is very limited and characterized by a norm-binary, sometimes sexist and racist world view. The scope of possibilities and free fantasies - who or what one would like to dress up as - often seem limited, manipulated by the influences of the omnipresent consumer society and at the same time also a question of the social environment. In terms of content, the format deals with the practices of dressing up in the context of customs and tradition, but also wants to break away from many practices and gain its own perspectives. In this way, carnival can be viewed in a new light and artistically shaped.

The Cologne art scene and the Cologne Carnival, as a place of political debate and satire based on the democratic right to freedom of expression, have always been closely intertwined in the past - artists designed carnival floats, backdrops for stunt sessions and organized costume parties. The artists' festival Laange Ent (1920s), the activities of the Ahl Säu (founded in 1946), the Lumpenball at the Kölnischer Kunstverein and the DA BA DEE? carnival party at the Temporary Gallery (2020) are just a fraction of the avant-garde impulses that used artistic means and strategies to help shape Cologne's folk festival and, not infrequently and not often enough, to question and thwart militaristic, patriarchal structures.

Program:

Costume workshop January 31 to February 21, 2025

Fridays 15:30 - 19:30

February 7, 4:30 p.m.

Make-up workshop with Christina Neuss

(Registration is requested at info@temporarygallery.org)

February 14, 6:00 p.m.

DIE BLAUBERGER (1983-85) - A slide show with lecture by Brigitte Dunkel

February 21, 5:00 p.m.

Nubbel building workshop with Hilma Bäckström and Jil Lahr

( Please register at info@temporarygallery.org)

February 22nd

Joint participation in the ghost parade with interested costume workshop participants

February 28 - Save the Date!

Cadavre Exquis carnival dinner

More information will follow soon!

We are still happy about material donations! These can be dropped off on Mondays and Thursdays between 11 am and 6 pm and on Fridays from 11 am or picked up by arrangement within Cologne.

All are welcome! The costume workshop is free of charge and largely accessible without registration (see details). You can bring your own material or use and be inspired by our material pool.

Code of conduct in the Temporary Gallery:

The costume workshop in the Temporary Gallery aims to create an accessible, low-injury and barrier-sensitive space as a basis for our togetherness. We do not tolerate any form of racism, sexism, ableism, anti-Semitism, queer and trans hostility, or any other discriminatory, violent behavior.
All event participants agree to our code of conduct. All participants in our program want to feel comfortable and safe in this space. Therefore, we do not tolerate assaultive, transgressive and/or discriminatory behavior in any way and reserve the right to exclude people from the event if they violate our code of conduct (which will also be visible in the room). If you feel uncomfortable or witness assaultive behavior, please contact Lisa Klosterkötter.

Information on the accessibility of the events:

Relaxed atmosphere: The event is designed to be relaxed. This means that everyone is welcome in the room and can stay there even if they are not actively working on something. The rooms can be left and re-entered at any time. Hot drinks and water are provided. A variety of seating furniture (chairs, beanbags, stools) is available.

Physical access: The exhibition rooms are steplessly accessible, unfortunately there is no barrier-free toilet. The a&o Hostel, about 200 meters from the Temporary Gallery, offers barrier-free toilets.

Language access: The workshop leaders speak spoken German and English. The team is open to providing practical instructions via translation programs in various other languages. We also try to use simple language as far as possible. Questions of understanding are always welcome. Unfortunately, interpretation into sign languages cannot be offered.

Please contact us: If you have any further questions, needs or access requirements, e.g. pick-up service from a nearby bus stop, please contact us by e-mail at info@temporarygallery.org