Can creative disciplines be used to promote cohesion within society? How can we communicate without language? Is it possible to develop a deeper understanding of another culture by simply learning a traditional textile craft technique?
The "Talk to Strangers" project by fashion designer Cina Dilber in cooperation with EMMA - Kreativzentrum Pforzheim is dedicated to these questions. "Talk to Strangers" is an encouragement to enter into communication and co-operation with strangers. With the help of textile handicraft techniques, "Talk to Strangers" creates spaces for encounters in which cultural assets can be exchanged independently of language. Implicit knowledge in the form of textile handicraft techniques is passed on, enabling a dialogue far removed from language barriers. At the same time, "Talk to Strangers" is the search for a contemporary design strategy that puts people at the centre: Design by people, with people, from people and for people.

More information at:
www.talktostrangers.de

In order to revitalise and enhance the area on the north bank of the River Enz between the EMMA creative centre and the A.K.T., the planning department of the city of Pforzheim launched a design competition in 2019 in cooperation with the EMMA creative centre under the motto "Take a seat". The participants had two months to create a design for unusual seating furniture. The following criteria were taken into account: creative design, feasibility and functional concept. Only larch planks were allowed to be used as the base material. A total of ten applicant groups submitted their designs and presented them to the jury at the EMMA creative centre. The jury was made up of Marc Tell Feltl from the Department of Planning, Building, Environment and Culture, Head of the EMMA Creative Centre Almut Benkert, competition coordinator Christina Gegner (Planning Office), Shameet Ghelani (Planning Office), Vice Dean of the Faculty of Design at Pforzheim University Matthias Kohlmann and master carpenter Michael Baumann. The winner was the team from the Pforzheim association Leerstand als Freiraum e. V. with 25-year-old German teacher Theo Ferrera Gomes and Fabian Faylona with their project "Der Roland-Müller-Platz". Together with pupils from the Carlo-Schmid-Schule and students from Pforzheim University, they developed a sophisticated concept with a high level of process quality and were able to win over the jury. The multifunctionality of the various modules and the detailed elaboration of the design were particularly decisive for the win. The individual elements were built by the winning team during a workshop week in March 2019 and finally presented to the public at the Enz district festival on 12 May 2019.