The Children's and Youth Art School Wartburgkreis has officially opened its second location in Eisenach, marking a significant expansion after 16 years of operation. The new facility, housed in a former retail space on Waldhausstraße, aims to make art education more accessible to residents while establishing itself as a barrier-free and inclusive creative center for all ages.
The opening kicked off with the first "Children's Atelier" class on Tuesday, where eight children gathered around course instructor Bea Berthold in a cozy corner of the new space. The youngsters were creating shadow theater figures after listening to a story, with some choosing magical giraffes with wizard hats and cats as their preferred characters. "Dare to try new things," Berthold, who serves as the school's artistic director, encouraged the children as they sketched and cut out their designs on cardboard.
Parents and grandparents who accompanied the children expressed enthusiasm about having this artistic opportunity closer to home. One father told MDR KULTUR that his daughter has always loved painting, and they wanted to support and improve the quality of her artistic development. Another mother admitted she had always been envious of Schweina, where this program had been available for years, noting that the distance to the original location had been prohibitive for many Eisenach families.
The original Children's and Youth Art School Wartburgkreis was established 16 years ago in Schweina near Bad Liebenstein through a parent initiative. The nonprofit organization has since acquired the former elementary school building, a spacious 19th-century structure where classrooms have been transformed into studios and workshops for pottery, woodworking, textiles, and painting. The attic houses a comic workshop and media center, providing extensive space for working with large groups and full class sizes.
The school offers art programs for people of all ages, including school projects and summer courses. Funding comes from the Wartburgkreis district, which provides the municipal portion for state funding, while the school also applies for project grants and engages in open youth work. Business manager Susanne Mechau emphasizes that what makes the school special is not just its rural Thuringian location, but the community of people who support it and feel responsible not only for children and youth but for the entire locality.
The Schweina location features additional community elements, including a café that opens twice weekly on the ground floor, serving as a meeting place where people can craft together, eat lunch, or enjoy coffee. This space is particularly popular with older residents and reflects the school's philosophy of treating people as equals. "We take every skill and knowledge seriously and try to provide the best possible support so that creativity finds its way into the world," Mechau explained.
The school's operations are supported by 20 to 30 volunteers who work alongside an 11-member core team. While the school had already been active throughout the county, the Eisenach location is designed to make the program more visible and accessible. Mechau considers the retail space ideal because it is barrier-free and located in a traffic-calmed area, easily accessible via the train station, bus terminal, and parking garage while remaining centrally located in the city.
Accessibility represents a crucial focus for the new Eisenach location, with plans to develop it into an inclusive art studio serving children, youth, seniors, and adults alike. The facility began operations with the Children's Atelier program, where participants like eight-year-old Maja have already expressed excitement about returning regularly. After playing with their shadow theater figures, the children demonstrated clear enthusiasm for continuing their creative journey at the new location.
Regular courses at the Eisenach location range from 19 to 40 euros per month, making art education affordable for families throughout the region. The expansion represents the school's commitment to breaking down barriers to creative expression while fostering an inclusive environment where artistic talents can flourish regardless of age or background.
