The programme KRACH – Kreativraum Chemnitz (creative space of Chemnitz) aims to promote the establishment of companies and projects in the cultural and creative industries in Chemnitz. KRACH is based on a joint initiative of Chemnitz, CWE (short for Economic Development Corporation, City of Chemnitz) and the association of culture and creative industry in Chemnitz (Branchenverband Kreatives Chemnitz e.V.). Public and private owners offer commercial space, free of charge for three years, to the sponsored projects. On top, these projects will receive a start-up budget of 2,500 Euros, as well as expert support from business, law and marketing. The idea for the KRACH programme came from a similar programme IncrediBOL!. IncrediBOL! has successfully helped to locate creative and cultural projects in Bologna, Italy for several years. The first round of applications ended on January, 18th 2018, after which an international jury selected the winners for 2018 in two selection rounds. And we are proud to introduce the first eleven projects.
KRACH awardees
Theaterstraße 17 (WiC gmbH): CoBoLights
CoBoLights designs individual industrial style lamps made of concrete, copper tubes or things, that other people would probably discard. Founder Franziska Dörner studied in Chemnitz and started her business, which she still runs at home, three years ago.
Jakobstraße 46 (City of Chemnitz): ZFDK – Centre for Performing Arts
The Centre for Performing Arts (ZfDK) wants to enliven the arts and culture scene on the southern Sonnenberg in Chemnitz. In the space, donated by KRACH, the ZfDK wants to gather local and international performers and offer a place for projects, rehearsal and performing. The founders are Pascal Anselmi, a student of German Studies and radio journalist, and Hannah Saar, who studied Culture and Theatre Studies.
Altchemnitzer Straße 27 (Spinnwerk GmbH & Co. KG), office: Ulrike Sorge
Ulrike Sorge, currently employed at Schauspiel Chemnitz, coordinates various theatre projects, including production and a theatre group at a school in Chemnitz. She hopes that KRACH will provide her with a base from which she can organize her projects.
Altchemnitzer Straße 27 (Spinnwerk GmbH & Co. KG), workshop: prekär 017
prekär 017 designs and builds unique furniture. Rayk Pehlgrimm already has designed and manufactured prototypes of reasonable price and flexible use. The prekär 017 prototypes include kitchen and office furniture as well as shelving units.
Sebastian-Bach-Straße 16 (WiC gmbH): scorefab
The start-up scorefab from Chemnitz aims at revolutionising music. The times of notes printed on paper are over, instead, scorefab offers digital copies of notes for tablets and smartphones – easy to edit, optimized display for playing the music and controllable by a custom-made pedal, basically the admission to the digital world for sheet music publishers. The founders are Ulrich Halfter and Lukas Heinig.
Moritzstraße 20 (WiC gmbH): Stroh zu Gold
The project Stroh zu Gold (German for: straw to gold) is based on the hype over recycling and upcycling. Babette Sperling, fashion designer and tailor, dreams of developing her own label. She plans to use her KRACH space as an interactive studio, open design manufactory and atelier.
Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 21 (WiC gmbH): RWL Creative Coffee Hub
The founders of this project plan to develop the RWL Creative Coffee Hub, based on a coffee roasting company. The produced delicacies will be served and sold in an adjoined cafe and shop, they will also provide other creatives in the KRACH space, like a fashion designer, dance choreographer or musicians with new energy. The founders: Perez and Carolin Weigel, David and Janine Rozali and Tristan Lodge.
Leipziger Straße 51 (WiC gmbH): Holy Heart Design
The company Holy Heart Design was founded in 2015. They design soulful eye-catchers for space and body: pictures made of wood, posters and home textiles, all with unique designs. The products are sold across Germany and even abroad. Now the founders, Samuel Reinig and Jonas Thielemann, need an office, workshop and sales room.
Brühl 42, Laden 1 (Unger Unternehmensgruppe): Unknown Basics
Unknown Basics is still a young but nevertheless internationally renowned fashion label from Chemnitz, specialised in basketball-style streetwear fashion. The label cooperates with national and international artists. The founder is Andre Zimpel.
Brühl 42, Laden 2 (Unger Unternehmensgruppe): KOMBINAT LUMP
KOMBINAT LUMP aims at facilitating the first steps in the art scene for young German and international artists by enlarging their area of scope. The project plans to establish a subscription service for high-quality art prints. The project is coordinated by Anja Jurleit, from Dresden, and Marco Henkel, from Chemnitz.
Brühl 46 (Unger Unternehmensgruppe): Holzkombinat
Since May 2015 everybody can use the open workshop of Holzkombinat to work on their own wood and upcycling projects. Everybody is free to use the provided machines and tools and to benefit from the founder’s expertise. Now the Natürlichkreativ-Projektladen for workshops and various creative activities and a sales room shall be added.
Contact funding program KRACH
Chemnitzer Wirtschaftsförderungs- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH
Frank Schonfeld
Tel: +49 371 366 0233
Mail: schoenfeld@cwe-chemnitz.de
More information at www.krach-chemnitz.eu as well as in the social media channels Facebook, Instagram and Twitter under krachchemnitz.