As part of their seminar ‘Culture for All: Kulturbuddies Collaboration Project’, students on the Social Work degree programme, led by Maike Berndt-Zürner, are working together with participants from the Campus Asyl association to organise their own cultural activities and projects in Regensburg. With the start of the 2026/27, the collaboration is now entering its fifth year.
What do Kulturbuddies do?
There are often numerous barriers to accessing cultural events, for example for residents of social care facilities. These can be financial in nature, or relate to mobility, communication, language or even access to information. ‘Culture Buddies’ accompany individuals or groups to cultural and leisure events in order to create more opportunities for participation in the city’s cultural life through shared cultural experiences. The seminar brings together ‘Culture Buddies’ – social work students from OTH Regensburg – and participants from Campus Asyl e.V.
Participation at the heart of the Kulturbuddies
It is precisely participation in the city’s culture and its cultural institutions that fosters a sense of belonging and empathy; it can promote critical discourse, social cohesion and, not least, democracy.
Two semesters of impact
The seminar runs over two semesters. The first part focuses on a theoretical examination of issues relating to participation and human rights, approaches to migration education, and project planning. Topics discussed include a critical examination of buzzwords such as ‘Leitkultur’, the problems associated with cultural attributions, as well as students’ own motivations, intentions and privileges when implementing cultural projects.
In the second part, students, in collaboration with Campus Asyl and other partners, jointly plan, prepare and implement visits to cultural events – such as a street music festival, an art exhibition or a concert – as well as their own creative initiatives.
Numerous cultural projects realised
The Kulturbuddies’ projects are diverse: for example, they developed their own city tour, during which both the students and the participants from Campus Asyl enthusiastically and enjoyably introduced each other to their favourite places, thereby opening up new perspectives on Regensburg for everyone. Other projects included a joint stall at Regensburg’s long-established flea market at Protzenweiher, which attracted a great deal of interest, and theatre education workshops at the Sprachcafé, followed by a guided tour of the Regensburg State Theatre.
