The exhibition Britta Marakatt-Labba – Stitched Tracks explores how art can open up new approaches to themes and content. The visual narrative on fabric is Britta Marakatt-Labba’s method for posing questions and finding answers to existential reflections. Fragile worlds emerge in a fascinatingly precise and meticulous manner. The precise placement of scenes, the interplay between background and motif, and the tension between emptiness and visual action make Britta Marakatt-Labba’s work unique. They demonstrate a phenomenal sense of pictorial space, of action, and of silence. Thousands of stitches form landscapes and narratives about a vulnerable world and its inhabitants.
Objectives of the Training
Utilizing extracurricular learning sites as creative learning spaces in the classroom
Experimenting with creative methods for various subjects
Gaining new inspiration for inquiry-based and participatory learning formats
Target audience: Teachers of all subjects, school administrators, and educational staff.
Date: June 1, 2026
Session 1: 10 a.m.–1 p.m. with Erik Schmelz and Helen Jilavu
Session 2: 2–5 p.m. with Marco Jodes and Stefanie Manhillen
Venue: Kunsthalle Mainz, Am Zollhafen 3–5, 55118 Mainz
Note: You can register for one workshop or two workshops (one in the morning and one in the afternoon).
Cost: Participation is free of charge.
Workshop descriptions: Detailed workshop descriptions will follow after registration.
Registration: Sign up now!
Email: weber@kunsthalle-mainz.de
Generation K
Generation K is a professional development program for cultural education in Rhineland-Palatinate that specifically integrates artistic perspectives and ways of thinking into school learning processes. A multidisciplinary team drawing on the fields of art, performance, dance, media, and school development creates creative, exploratory, and participatory formats for schools. The goal is to strengthen educational processes that enable participation and foster a vibrant learning culture.
Workshop Facilitators
Stefanie Manhillen is a mixed-media artist, trainer in creative teaching practices, and workshop facilitator at schools and museums. In her workshop, she introduces various artistic techniques and materials. Her goal is to help workshop participants develop their own artistic approach.
Helen Jilavu is a visual artist, photographer, and LTTA Artist. Since 2015, she has been working in cultural education as a workshop leader and provides professional development for various institutions, including the Mainz Academy of Fine Arts, elementary and secondary schools in Rhineland-Palatinate, as well as in adult education and teacher training. She is a co-founder of Kartenraum, an artists’ collective.
Marco Jodes has been working as a performer since 2002 and as an educator since 2006 in various institutions, including universities in Mainz and Koblenz, as well as at many elementary and secondary schools, youth centers, and theaters nationwide. As a dancer, dance therapist, and LTTA® Mentor Artist, he creates experiential spaces for teachers and individuals in the education and cultural sectors where they can engage in dance-theatrical movement and explore scenic ideas. Since the summer of 2025, he has also been working as a specialist therapist at the State Hospital and is particularly involved in the continuing education of teachers in the field of mental health.
Erik Schmelz is a visual artist, coach (EASC), and LTTA-Artist® who has been working at the intersection of art, education, and social innovation for over 15 years. In his work, he combines artistic research, social prototyping, and structured process facilitation. This creates spaces for learning and development with dynamic formats where people can discover creative work as a shared and individual resource.
With the kind support of the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Education, the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Family, Women, Culture, and Integration, and the Rhineland-Palatinate Cultural Education Service Center
