IKEA recently sponsored a performance piece staged by the theater troupe led by BCB second-year Veronika Rišňovská (HAST). The challenge? Create an engaging, interactive performance — in a shopping mall. How to go about such a project, in a site like a shopping mall, where interactions with strangers are typically minimal and people arrive to
Author: Claire August
“Tread Softly”: The City, Migration, and Memory (A Collaborative Review)
Spatial memory is a term often used to describe the neurological process of recalling where something happened or where an object was placed. This type of memory is also used to project into the future, to plan a route to a desired location. It is hard to consider spatial memory without invoking a poetic light.
#6 Let’s Talk About Pankow Conversations
The first of the three planned Pankow Conversations took place on October 9th, 2017. This civic engagement project is a collaboration between BCB students, faculty, staff and alumni, various activists across Berlin (such as the Berlin Storytelling Arena), and the Pankow Bezirksamt. Every event is translated into German, English and Arabic. In this podcast, we
#5 From a Day or Two in Sarajevo (a podcast by Claire August)
In the center of town, a group of men played oversized chess. H. told me how, after the war [*1], many countries donated trams to Sarajevo, and this is why the trams came up and down the narrow street in various shapes and colors: they were from Germany, Japan, and Switzerland, to name a few.
#4 Settling In: Language and Thinking 2017 (a podcast by Claire August)
Students from all corners of the globe arrived in Pankow this past August to participate in a two-and-a-half week writing intensive called the Language and Thinking program. These academic exercises were at times trying, new, or unusual, but certainly left an impression on students and teachers alike. Over dinner in the cafeteria, we chatted about
#3 The Awful German Language (a podcast by Claire August)
The BCB Summer Language German Intensive Program came to a close earlier this month. From the 10th June to the 10th July, a handful of students from various universities immersed themselves in the German language and took part in cultural events across Berlin. This podcast includes snippets of conversations with some of the participants on
#2: Where to find 23 cans of tuna on the BCB campus (a podcast by Claire August)
With the allure of all-inclusive cruises and Harmony Korine’s 2013 film “Spring Breakers,” spring break has certainly entered into its own mythological status. So what did BCB students do during their week off in April? We talked to Hanna Bargheer, Lily Cummings, Shua Bauer, and Stella Burke to find out. Featured songs, in order of
#1: On the History and Lore of the Döner Kebab (a podcast by Claire August)
The döner kebab is a ubiquitous street food and a staple for many Berliners and BCB students alike. Despite its popularity, this functional fast food has ambiguous origins and is claimed by multiple creators. Follow Claire August and Hana Bargheer as they trace the history and reception of this food of legends, checking in with