My First Project:
A Theatre and Music Stage for Children

I immediately liked the concept of the day nursery “Lustige Spatzen” (meaning “Happy Sparrows”) in Berlin-Reinickendorf. It is situated at 14/15 Auguste-Viktoria-Allee and run by the family centre Sonnenlicht gGmbH. Paul Bolsunow, the managing director, is very versatile, has several children and plays numerous musical instruments himself. He believes that the pedagogical care of children is only complete when it contains all relevant elements. “Our nursery ‘Lustige Spatzen’ is a home for 80 children from their first year of life until they start school. It is an innovative educational project for the mental and emotional development, language development, imagination, motor coordination and perception of the body. I envisage running more nurseries and a private school,” Mister Bolsunow told me about his ideas.

Thus his nursery aims to awake the children’s abilities in music and theatre and to foster those. The results are plain to see, also at the biannual performances which take place twice a year in the theatre and concert hall with 200 seats. Every time when the little artists sing and dance or perform in a fairy-tale and put all their heart and soul and abilities into it, when they seem to lose themselves in their roles, and happy music fills the room, then they can be sure that the audience will applaud from the heart and under the impulse of the moment. The “Little Sparrows” have almost everything that is needed for theatre and music: a convincing concept, talented and eager children, a costume studio and performance hall. Just a stage is missing. The plays have been running so far on a ground-level surface, which puts the audience at a disadvantage, especially the visitors in the back rows cannot see properly.

That’s why building a stage is my first project. And I want to do the job properly. It should be a moveable stage made out of wood, stable and slip-proof and, of course, it should meet all the security requirements so that it withstands the intensive use by the children at all times.

Each donation for this project will be very much appreciated by the children and me.

Renate Günther


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