Filmabend in St. Anna mit "Herr Bachmann und seine Klasse"

Manifesta 16 Ruhr, the 16th edition of the European Nomadic Biennale, will bring vacant churches in the four host cities of Duisburg, Essen, Gelsenkirchen and Bochum to life from June 21 to October 4, 2026. The focus is on the conversion of post-war churches and the question of

the question of how they can be transformed into something new through artistic and social interventions against the backdrop of the architectural and social changes of the post-war period.
transformed into something new. Together with international and local artists, architects and designers, the desecrated spaces will be rethought so that they can act as places of community and as hubs for sustainable cooperation with and for the surrounding neighborhoods.

for sustainable collaboration. The Manifesta 16 Ruhr warm-up program will take place from autumn 2025 until the opening and will transform the empty churches into places of encounter through participatory events.

into places of encounter through participatory events.

In the documentary film by Maria Speth from 2021, the teacher
Mr. Bachmann brings life to his lessons and creates a real community together with his pupils. The children's diverse life stories and language skills become an enrichment for the whole class. As if by chance, the audience also learns about the history of the small, West German industrial town, which has been shaped by migration since the Nazi era.

Those interested can find the Manifesta 16 Ruhr warm-up program at: manifesta16.org/warm-up.