Culture Cooperative Ruhr
The Kultur Kooperative Ruhr (KKR) was founded in October 1974 as the first interest group for independent artists in the Ruhr area in Dortmund . In 1976 and 1978 the KKR produced two revues for the young forum of the Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen . These productions also go on tour nationwide. In 1979 the KKR organized "Kulturrummel" in Dortmund and Münster, where all member groups were presented. In the same year she produced the book Making Culture Itself , a tool for cultural youth education.
In 1981, the KKR founded the "Kulturwerkstatt", a further training facility for cultural further and further education. In the following years, the KKR initiated and implemented a large number of projects that are exemplary for the work of the independent cultural scene. In 1984, Peter Möbius directed “Burning Wishes-Flaming Hearts”, an overall artistic production in the Fritz-Henßler-Haus in Dortmund; 1987 the “Ball of the Dream Pirates” directed by Augustin Upmann. As early as 1988, the KKR used industrial wastelands such as the former Zeche Zollern II / IV.
Intercultural work has been a focus of the KKR since the late 1980s. With the group "Windrose" - under the direction of Karl Adamek and Peter Bursch - the first German-Turkish music ensemble is founded. Adamek is later the initiator of il canto del mondo .
In 1992, the KKR launched the musician project rocksie, thereby offering young women the opportunity to prepare for a career as rock and pop musicians. In the same year, on the initiative of the KKR, the vulture evening takes place for the first time, the “Westphalian answer” to the stunks meeting in Cologne. This alternative carnival is becoming an absolute hit, which is now visited by more than 20,000 "junkies" every year. Franziska Mense-Moritz (ex-night shift) and Martin F.Risse (Mr. Schmöll) take part in this carnival revue, along with many others.
In addition to artistic work and further education and training, the KKR has also been active in cultural policy since the beginning. She has contributed to the development of funding concepts for the independent scene, and has co-initiated other cultural-political interest groups such as the Dortmund Cultural Council or the Independent Theater Cooperative and the NRW Office for Independent Cultural Work .