Summer Newsletter: Crafting Futures

As summer settles over the Altmark, Rittergut Schönberg is alive with activity. This season has brought meaningful recognition, inspiring creative exchanges, and important steps forward in our work with young people. From international craft encounters to the opening of new creative spaces, we continue to nurture living heritage while looking ahead. Thank you to everyone who has been part of these summer moments.

Author

The ARCH
July 09, 2026

Table of Contents

Image credit: Christopher Schmid for Town & Country Stiftung

Triple Recognition and the Next Chapter for ZukunftsHandwerker

We are delighted to share three important acknowledgements that arrived in quick succession.ZukunftsHandwerker was chosen as one of only 12 Regionalpreisträger of the 12th Town & Country Stiftungspreis. An independent jury selected the winners from 300 prizewinning children and youth projects across Germany. In the large Nord region it was one of just four projects honoured. The gala ceremony took place on 9 May 2026 in Erfurt.

In a region where every seventh young person leaves school without a qualification, this recognition feels especially meaningful. Christian Treumann, Vorstandsvorsitzender der Town & Country Stiftung, summarised the impact of the project beautifully:

“Sinneserfahrungen und Perspektiven geben. Toll!”
(Giving sensory experiences and perspectives. Great!)

Kerstin Rice, who attended the ceremony together with volunteer Heike, said:

“It was a very touching moment to be among the 12 regional winners. Many of the other awarded projects are small initiatives that have been working with great passion for children and young people for many years. This recognition is a great honour and at the same time motivation to pass on our knowledge and experience.”

The nominees for the VNG-Stiftung’s Engagementpreis 2026: Our team of volunteers making ZukunftsHandwerker possible.

We are also proud to be one of three nominees in the category Culture & History for the VNG-Stiftung Engagementpreis 2026. The VNG-Stiftung Engagementpreis is an award that honours outstanding volunteer and civic engagement projects, with a focus on initiatives in Eastern Germany that strengthen communities and create lasting impact.

As part of building our structured youth programme, Lotto-Toto GmbH Sachsen-Anhalt awarded us €25,000 for high-quality materials and tools. So far, ZukunftsHandwerker has reached approximately 200 young people through volunteer-led sessions. With this support, we are now preparing the next chapter: ZukunftsHandwerker on Tour — a structured youth pilot programme designed to create regular, lasting engagement and real perspectives for young people in the region.

Workshop participants outside the late-Romanesque church of Schönberg. Image credit: Miles Rice

When Fabrics Speak – An Ecclesiastical Textile Art Workshop

On 1 May, we hosted the workshop “When Fabrics Speak …” in collaboration with the Landesheimatbund Sachsen-Anhalt. On a beautiful sunny afternoon, around 20 participants gathered in the late-Romanesque church of Schönberg. From there, we walked the short distance to the old knight’s estate — first mentioned in 1378 — which today is home to The ARCH and our community space. Along the way, we enjoyed views across the wide Wische region, passed the village pond, and were occasionally joined by chickens on our walk.

Parament Maker Gudrun Willenbockel, image by Miles Rice

Experienced parament maker Gudrun Willenbockel guided the group through the rich history and symbolism of ecclesiastical textiles. She explained how paraments have always reflected their time, tracing their development since the 12th century and exploring the meaning of the liturgical colours: violet for reflection and penitence, green for hope and growth, white for light and eternity, and red for the fire of the Holy Spirit.

In the afternoon, the practical session took place at the tractor workshop at the knight’s estate. Under the guidance of Kerstin Rice, participants created colourful thread cards while engaging in lively conversations about tradition, intangible cultural heritage, and the future of rare crafts.

Workshop participants creating embroided cards. Image credit: Miles Rice

Community gathering at recent community event.

Generations Hand in Hand – Wild Herbs, Willow Fences and New Community Gatherings

Our Generations Hand in Hand series continues with great joy. Recent activities have included hands-on sessions on wild herbs and traditional willow fence building, bringing children, young people and seniors together to share knowledge of nature and historic crafts.

Katrin, Marianne, Silvia, Silvia, Heike, Rainer and Bärbel proudly presenting the results of our recent beautification event.

Despite the 36-degree heat, volunteers recently came together for a lively beautification weekend at the new community space. As part of the Generations Hand in Hand project, they painted and set up colourful chairs and tables, creating a welcoming spot where young and old can gather to craft, repair, share stories and spend time together. A big thank you to all the dedicated volunteers who gave their time and energy despite the high temperatures. This work is supported by BEQISA, PiA e.V. and the State of Saxony-Anhalt.

On 1 July, Kerstin and volunteer Bärbel travelled to Halle to attend the BEQISA Fachtag 2026, where they had the opportunity to meet other funded projects. It was inspiring to see the great variety of initiatives and to connect with others working in similar fields across Saxony-Anhalt.

Homemade cake decorated with daisies by our lovely volunteer Marianne.

Looking ahead, we are excited to invite everyone to a Gemeinsames Garten-Picknick (communal garden picnic) at Rittergut Schönberg on Saturday, 25 July 2026, from 15:00 to 17:00. Under the motto “What’s growing in your garden?”, we warmly welcome seniors, families, children and adults to bring self-made treats from their own gardens — whether cherry compote, yellow plum cake, herb butter, garden salad or homemade jam — to share and enjoy together.

“We are especially looking forward to chatting with people and discovering what is growing and being cooked in gardens across the region right now,” says Kerstin Rice.

In addition, Generationen Hand in Hand is expanding its regular offer from mid-August. Starting on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, the Rittergut Schönberg will be open every second Tuesday afternoon in the old tractor hall. This new open gathering is for all ages — young and old — and offers space for conversation, playing and creative activities. A wide selection of games will be available for children, from building blocks and card games like UNO to classic board games.

Expert mosaic artist Paola Gortan demonstrating how to cut smalti.

Exploring Italian Mosaic Traditions in northern Germany

In May, Kerstin took the opportunity to attend a mosaic workshop in Eichstedt led by Italian artist Paola Gortan from San Daniele del Friuli. Organised by the Kulturverein Eichstedt, the course focused on traditional mosaic techniques from the Friuli region, one of Europe’s most significant centres for this highly specialised craft.

Mosaic making in Friuli represents a living tradition of intangible cultural heritage, with roots going back to Roman times and a particularly strong continuity through the renowned Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli in Spilimbergo, founded in 1922. The school is internationally recognised for its rigorous training in classical techniques using smalti (hand-cut coloured glass) and natural stone. This specialised knowledge — from precise cutting and colour selection to the intricate setting of tesserae — has been carefully passed down through generations and remains a rare and highly skilled art form today.

Workshop participant’s work using mainly colourful smalti.

During the workshop, Kerstin enjoyed the enthusiastic exchange with Paola and the other participants — a lively mix of experienced mosaic practitioners and those discovering the craft for the first time. The conversations highlighted both the technical challenges and the deep cultural significance of preserving such specialised traditions.

Dresden’s funicular railway created in smalti by a local Altmark artist.

We are very grateful to the Kulturverein Eichstedt for the kind invitation, which enabled this valuable cross-border exchange. It is inspiring to see how local initiatives help pass on these skills and foster meaningful dialogue between different generations and cultures.

Olaf Stoy in conversation with Kerstin Rice. Image credit: Annett Stoy

Dialogues in Linocut – Opening of the New Printmaking Atelier

A new creative chapter opened on 10 June when printmaker Kerstin Rice inaugurated her new printmaking studio at Rittergut Schönberg. The opening evening, titled Dialogues in Linocut — Nigg, Stoy & Rice, connected contemporary practice with the pioneering work of Ferdinand Nigg and the experimental printmaking tradition of early 20th-century Saxony-Anhalt. Contemporary artist Olaf Stoy joined the event, and participants had the chance to try historic paste-printing techniques using high-quality family linoleum blocks.

Printmaking studio at Rittergut Schönberg.

Through the opening of this dedicated craft space, The ARCH is now able to offer regular open studio events and workshops for both children and adults, and for novices as well as experienced practitioners. This marks the first step in building specialist training programmes aimed at teaching and passing on advanced skill levels in various crafts, starting with printmaking.

The new atelier will serve as a hub for hands-on learning, artistic exchange, and the preservation of traditional and experimental printmaking techniques. It represents another important milestone in the revival of Rittergut Schönberg as a vibrant place for culture, craft, and community.

Kerstin with volunteers Heike and Katrin at the celebratory event marking the 875th town anniversary of Seehausen (Altmark).

Recent Highlights and Looking Ahead

The ARCH was invited to the official celebratory event marking the 875th town anniversary of Seehausen, held in the historic St. Petri Kirche. Kerstin attended together with volunteers Katrin and Heike, representing The ARCH at the celebrations honouring the town’s long history. It was a meaningful moment to stand alongside other local organisations and citizens in celebrating Seehausen’s heritage. We were also invited to create a special jubilee postcard for the anniversary, which many visitors printed and sent to loved ones.

875-year Jubilee Postcard - Seehausen (Altmark). Design and print by Kerstin Rice.

At the recent Bauernmarkt in Wahrenberg, ZukunftsHandwerker offered mobile printing experiences to children and families along the Elbe dike.

Community printing along the Elbe dike in Wahrenberg.

We are pleased to welcome Cornelia Kläden as a new volunteer supporting The ARCH gUG. As Managing Director of Thesaurus Steuerberatungsgesellschaft mbH Prignitz and a qualified tax advisor, Cornelia brings extensive professional experience and has already supported us with accounting in the past. She has now offered to provide ongoing financial expertise to help strengthen our organisational capacity. We are very grateful for her commitment.

Looking ahead, we are developing ZukunftsHandwerker on Tour, our new structured youth pilot programme. With regular stops across the region, the programme will offer consistent opportunities for genuine skills development. We are actively seeking support to scale this work through craft kits, facilitator training, and eventually a dedicated vehicle, with the goal of creating a replicable model for other regions.

At the same time, The ARCH is developing tailored educational activities and workshops focused on rare crafts, intangible cultural heritage, and community participation. These initiatives will allow us to reach wider audiences and share the best practices developed in Schönberg and the surrounding area. More details will be shared soon.We warmly invite you to join our upcoming summer workshops and events. Details are regularly updated at here.

Thank you to all our partners, volunteers, and supporters for walking this path with us.

The ARCH’s Managing director, Kerstin Rice adds:

“These recent recognitions are a great honour and strong motivation. We will continue to share our knowledge and create spaces where handcraft, culture and community come alive.”

All image credits, unless specified otherwise: The ARCH

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