New Work. The Original #4: New Work and Youth Work

Deutsche Fassung

Using practical experience to explore personal meaning in life

By Rachel Beth Thoma

Beginnings in Mühlhausen — Learning by Doing

Frithjof Bergmann brought me to Mühlhausen in Thuringia (MHL) to establish local and international youth projects that supported the ideas of New Work. Looking back, the five years I spent in Mühlhausen were also a New Work youth project for me personally. I was 22 when I arrived. Frithjof Bergmann and the Mühlhäuser Initiative e. V. association provided a framework in which I could gain practical experience and meet people with whom I could reflect on it. These are the ingredients of good youth work in relation to New Work: a framework that enables life experience and reflection. On the prosaic side, this framework requires resources such as a reliable mentor, a physical space where people can meet and work, a supportive network and financial means. The difficult part is building it in a way that allows authentic relationships, personal ideas and real-life experiences — with all their unpredictability, disorder and time constraints — to be integrated and to grow. The resources are the prose; the experience of self is the living, breathing poetry.

Bergmann told me that Mühlhausen was an industrial, provincial town and that I should spend two weeks there before deciding whether to stay for a year. He gave me the contact details of the recently founded Mühlhäuser Initiative e. V. The founding members arranged a room for me and an interview at the adult education centre, where I could teach English — the paid work that would provide a basis for establishing youth work within the framework of New Work. I had just graduated from university in the United States and knew just enough German to get by. My background was in the humanities, and I came from a Californian public-school tradition that placed a high value on personal responsibility. The town, with its medieval centre, its East German history and its open-minded residents, enchanted me. After a week, I knew that I really, really wanted to stay and try to build something with the people there. I had some savings to support myself for a few months and enough confidence to turn possibilities into reality.

Exchange Programmes

At first, I supported two international programmes: creative-writing workshops and an exchange programme with a region in Michigan (MI), USA. Above all, both programmes brought young people into contact with other people, new ideas and, most importantly, new personal experiences. That is always a good starting point for New Work. The ideas for these programmes came from a partner organisation in the United States, the Huron Shores Writing Institute. Bergmann established the connection with the institute. During a town discussion, people in Mühlhausen had expressed the specific wish to have more links with the United States. It was an honour to be among the first people to support that connection.

I was able to contribute some experience because I had taken part in an exchange programme myself as a student. I designed a cultural orientation meeting and a reflection meeting for returnees, advised exchange students who came to MHL, coordinated the translation of creative texts from the writing workshops and accompanied delegations in both countries. Much of this was voluntary work, although some tasks were paid. The personal growth made possible by these varied responsibilities was priceless.

Local Youth Projects

Over time, I began to develop local youth projects. An informal group met to learn more about New Work. Most were the same teenagers and young adults who were interested in the exchange programmes. We got to know one another and talked at the municipal youth centre about practical philosophy and personal interests. One of them said, “When Rachel speaks, you have to listen very carefully.” This was a reference to the intricate questions I asked in my still rather tangled German. I probably sounded a little like Yoda when, for example, I asked, “When do you feel most alive?” From these modest beginnings grew the project “Meeting Point: School — and then?”, one of several youth-initiative projects. It created an informal atmosphere in which everyone could reflect on their personal interests and career orientation or at least speculate about possible next steps after leaving school.

The typical New Work question I was often asked at the time — “Are you already doing what you really, really want?” — was still a little difficult for me to answer. I believe I was being authentic when I said, “Not quite yet, but I feel as though I am getting closer.” The concept of a calling is not restricted to a single profession or position; it is more like a nirvana towards which one strives. To me, a calling is a living process, more verb than noun; one feels drawn towards it. Like other ideals, such as democracy, ideals must be sustained through new movements, policies and questions. The questions asked in connection with a calling are almost more important than the answers, which are valid only for a limited time.

Working and Living under One Roof — EigenArt e. V.

One concrete youth project that emerged at the time was called EigenArt e. V. As he had done with me, Frithjof Bergmann held many conversations with its principal initiators to help them clarify and strengthen their ideas, connect them with supporters and set them on their own path. They were a few young adults who were uncertain about what to do with their lives but dreamed of renovating a dilapidated half-timbered house with outbuildings and a courtyard. Once the decision had been made, they found a property that could be leased from the church for 30 years. The renovation was carried out as sustainably as possible, using traditional techniques with clay and other ecological materials. Through the project, they wanted to create housing and gardens to reduce their living costs, establish a recycling yard for reusable building materials to generate meaningful jobs and, finally, provide a space where young people could meet and organise local cultural and information events to build community. The project was successful in many respects and breathed new life into the former rectory.

During EigenArt e. V.’s early phase, a small group of founders, friends and supporters met for tea at Martha’s at least once a month. Martha was a local business owner who made the private flat above her tea shop available for the meetings. Although these gatherings were private and unofficial, some participants held official positions in the association. Current EigenArt matters were therefore usually discussed, but individual challenges, dreams and relationships also appeared on the unofficial agenda. We ranged in age from 16 to 40. Each of us was a dreamer in our own way, but also a doer. We were a small community that inspired one another to look beyond the obvious and try new paths. I was not the only person who valued these philosophical and practical discussions. We considered how institutions, buildings and other things had originally begun as ideas in people’s minds and how creating something new therefore requires new ideas. We reflected on the relationship between money, work and passion. To what extent is a passion — an artistic one, for example — lost when it becomes a profession and a financial necessity? Can a calling lead to financial exploitation? Debates followed about the benefits and pitfalls of depending on state funding and job-creation posts, and we drew parallels with dependence and independence in private relationships and divisions of roles. Several very practical initiatives designed to reduce living costs emerged from this group, including car sharing.

Unfortunately, a rift developed between the association’s original founders, leading to changes in personnel. Some members also moved to other towns to work or study. This reflects one of the main problems with such “youth projects”. A close community is often built without considering the need to recruit new members in good time so that the projects can remain sustainable.

Jugendinitiative Mühlhausen (JiM) — Projects for and by Young People

In between, I spent a year in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where I worked both with Frithjof Bergmann and with a local community organiser. During that time, I gathered ideas that I wanted to apply in youth groups. After returning to Thuringia, I began with a survey of the needs and wishes of young people attending secondary, vocational and grammar schools.

Through my contacts with English teachers and schools, I gained access to a wide range of pupils from year seven onwards. Sometimes I was given an entire lesson for the subject. I then used a trick I had often seen Frithjof employ: I took every idea very seriously. A group brainstorming session might go like this:

Me: Imagine you were the mayor. What would you do?

Voice from the room: Abolish school! (The class laughs.)

Me: Good, now there is no school. What happens next?

Voice from the room: Party!!! (Loud approval.)

Me: Great. What do we need for this party? (Suggestions include details such as music, dancing, a DJ and food.)

Me: And how long should this party last? Days? Weeks? And then? What would you do afterwards?

Only then could we truly brainstorm, because it was clear that every idea would be considered — in keeping with the principle that anything goes.

After the brainstorming, a written survey asked:

“What are you worried about?” and “What ideas do you have?” I compiled the results of almost 600 surveys. These were the five most important issues that worried young people in Mühlhausen in the 1990s:

• Career prospects

• The environment

• Drugs

• Earning money now

• Nothing for young people to do

The next step required a launch event to discuss everything that would follow. A group of interested young people connected with earlier MHL Initiative projects advised me on where and how the opening event could be made “cool”. We chose the basement of the Cadillac Inn. An art student designed posters bearing the words ARSCH HOCH! — “GET OFF YOUR BUTT!” — in enormous letters. They encouraged young people to attend an opening event that promised to bring together like-minded people ready to make something “move” in their town. Around 40 young people responded. Once everyone had refreshed themselves with a drink, we played a few introductory games, discussed the survey results and chose a name. We called ourselves Jugendinitiative Mühlhausen, or JiM for short, which also became the name of the association that grew from it. Finally, we planned the next meeting.

Both the survey and the naming process were intended to connect as many young people as possible with the project and create a sense of identification, community and purpose. The challenge was to strike a balance between room for individual initiative and the pooling of shared needs and interests.

JiM Projects

Over the following years, a group of about 30 young people and three adults, working part-time and voluntarily, carried out a range of projects. Some corresponded to the issues listed above:

• Meeting Point: School — and then? (career orientation)

• Art from Rubbish (promoting environmental awareness)

• An exhibition providing information about drugs

• A job exchange for female pupils (neighbourhood jobs such as babysitting and gardening to earn money)

• A summer festival with bands, including a successful local band and African drummers, food, drink and product stalls, and information stands

• The monthly “JiM, das Magazin” — the crown jewel of the projects, which survived beyond the association as an online magazine even after most contributors no longer lived in MHL

This list sounds simple. It was anything but simple. Some projects had many contributors, some had only two, and some people stepped in to help. Other projects merely drifted along, such as the job exchange. I know that the projects‘ subject matter was important, especially in motivating the people who conceived and carried them out. Yet the implementation process was where the real learning, particularly self-knowledge, grew. “School — and then?” also offered a chance to consider how that process can develop skills and resilience and help clarify interests.

At the beginning, there were long debates about what was needed first: finance or ideas. I was able to convince the participants that good ideas would, in time, lead to financial resources. We had to apply for grants, win sponsors and sell advertisements. Without concrete ideas, it would have been impossible to convince anyone.

Together, we learned about fundraising: where to find information about foundations, which was considerably harder before the internet, and how to write applications. A camera was sponsored by a German youth foundation, and the magazine’s reproduction was sponsored by a local copy shop. We sent out a swarm of salespeople to sell advertising space. The youth wing of a political party was asked to contribute funds for the summer festival. We applied for a part-time job-creation post.

Challenges and Growth at JiM

There were also bureaucratic obstacles to overcome. Fire regulations made it extremely difficult for us to collect rubbish for the art project in a basement. The summer festival was subject to many legal restrictions that had to be clarified with the appropriate municipal offices. There were even crises when a local politician felt insulted by an article in the magazine. The editors were sent to speak with him, accompanied by an adult, to resolve the matter.

Keeping young people involved was not always easy either. The first issue of “JiM — Das Magazin” looked amateurish. Some people were so embarrassed that they left. The next issue used a more professional computer-generated layout and was printed rather than photocopied. Some members were dealing with personal dramas at home and at school, which led to irregular attendance; others felt overwhelmed by all the responsibility. These problems were addressed in small groups or in informal one-to-one conversations.

All these trials and tribulations caused a degree of turnover among the members, but they also produced a committed core group whose shared experience of overcoming challenges drew them even closer together. The other side of the coin was that newcomers did not always feel welcome. I argued for creating a welcoming culture to recruit new members. This was a recurring issue and met with resistance.

Naturally, there were also more mature participants who truly used the opportunities offered by our programmes to pursue their personal dreams. One young woman, for example, was able to interview her favourite bands as a music journalist for “JiM — das Magazin”. As a youth worker, however, it is important to take young people as they are, wherever they are, and work with them to determine where they want to go from there. Do they want to contribute their own ideas? Do they first want to work with others and gain experience and confidence? Do they feel ready to lead a project and motivate others? Do they know what their project requires? How can they contribute? Where might they need support?

During the planning phase, we made a list using the following question words: What — project objectives, events and so on? Who — responsible for which tasks? How — finance, resources and so forth? When — timeframe? We then reviewed these plans whenever circumstances changed or new tasks arose.

In this way, self-organisation was encouraged and placed at the centre, even though outside support was available. This was possible only because the municipal youth centre provided us with an office with regular opening hours and meeting rooms. People could meet there at any time. A few members of the core group had access to a key to our office, which they obtained from the youth-centre desk. Snacks and drinks were available in the building. Some meetings felt like relaxed social gatherings; others were more focused and had a clear agenda. Both were important.

What Does Any of This Have to Do with New Work?

Were all these activities relevant to the young people’s professional futures? Not necessarily directly, but certainly indirectly. The skills they acquired were relevant not only to that one project but also to their personal lives. The main purpose of the activities was not merely to bring the young people closer to whatever interested them at the time. It was to give them the experience of being capable of pursuing and deepening their own interests in the future. It broadened their horizon of possibilities and gave them the confidence to move towards a new horizon. This path is rarely straight. It is a succession of attempts, advances, false starts and setbacks. Frithjof called this “rubbing up against the world”. Working on and within these projects built the resilience that helps young people cope with setbacks. I would argue that the process of carrying out these projects also creates a form of learned optimism that switches off, or at least turns down, the inner naysayer. Criticism is easy. Committing yourself to something when others claim it is “impossible” is not. Opening yourself to constructive criticism in order to improve what you do requires a willingness to recognise mistakes and learn from them, rather than simply avoiding them by never trying or by giving up. These projects broke through the myth that we must be lone fighters. On the contrary, we needed one another. Community, networks, mutual support and outside help are important if an individual or a group is to make progress. And doing it together is simply more enjoyable than doing it alone. Fun must not be missing.

As the facilitator of this kind of youth work, you have to embody these principles yourself, maintain this perspective in the face of challenges and support people in acquiring these tools. That means you do not always need to have the answers, nor do you make all the decisions. Instead, you encourage others to gather information. You provide as much input as possible and encourage the other person to find out more as well, so that they can make informed decisions. Then you let the young people make and implement those decisions, encourage them to reflect on mistakes when necessary and stand by them supportively afterwards.

It was fascinating to see how many former participants, at a ten-year reunion, had entered professions that were connected in part with the projects and responsibilities they had taken on at JiM. One of the initiators of the “Art from Rubbish” project, for example, trained as a sculptor and later became an interior designer. Another, who had worked on the magazine for years and developed its distinctive layout, remained in the field of communication and designs websites as a second occupation.

Ideas @ Work — an Extracurricular Project

Years later, after leaving Mühlhausen, I once again had the opportunity to launch a New Work-driven youth project. This project had the advantage of being supported by a foundation in cooperation with a comprehensive school in North Rhine-Westphalia. Most of the pupils were around 17 years old and in year 11. This voluntary extracurricular activity involved exploring personal interests more deeply and using those experiences for career orientation. The project lasted for one school year. It fitted very well that the pupils also had to complete a two-week work placement that same year.

The initial plan was for a teacher to support us. At first, I was open to the arrangement, but I quickly realised that, although the pupils liked her, she did not really trust their judgement. She assumed that some of them would be unable to develop their own ideas and that we should make suggestions to them. To me, this was diametrically opposed to the principles of New Work. I agreed with her that I would carry out the project alone.

There was an information event, after which the pupils had to decide whether they wanted to take part in Ideas @ Work. Twelve of the thirteen interested pupils stayed. From then on, we met once a week in the afternoon. The individual pupil projects, however, took place outside that time.

Their starting points varied enormously. Some already had interests; others had no idea what they might do. Some had healthy self-confidence, while others were rather uncertain and/or dependent on friends, family or even teachers. Some were already quite independent and helped at home. One young woman lived in her own flat. Many had migrant backgrounds. Some had pocket money, while others had none and occasionally came to our sessions hungry. A few participants already knew one another. One boy did not know anyone well and was somewhat socially awkward. One girl, a Muslim refugee, had never left her immediate surroundings; others were already travelling alone to nearby towns.

Our first goal was to build trust within the group. The first three sessions were used to get to know one another, understand the concept and clarify organisational details. As a facilitator, it is crucial to set the tone and create an atmosphere of acceptance and welcome. Everyone is taken seriously as they are, so that they feel at ease. Negative behaviour such as disparaging remarks or eye-rolling is stopped at the outset. In this way, they grew into an exceptionally close and supportive group.

We were extremely fortunate that our sponsor financed two weekend retreats, one near the beginning and the other towards the end of the programme. This greatly supported the group dynamic. On the one hand, the first retreat immediately gave us a shared objective: to shape the weekend according to our own needs and wishes. On the other, concentrated blocks of time allowed us to work out the details of the individual projects. There was, of course, also time to get to know one another and have fun together.

We booked rooms and a meeting room in a youth hostel. The group chose the location. We decided that going to the disco on Saturday evening was compulsory, although a few were less than enthusiastic. We travelled by train on Friday afternoon and returned on Sunday after lunch at the hostel. We had four time blocks for working on our project plans. The schedule also allowed for free time, meals and voluntary individual sessions. The plans were written as proposals, discussed within the group and revised in response to feedback. The financial plans were not unimportant: the foundation covered a defined amount, and certain legal procedures had to be followed to preserve charitable status.

The Individual Projects

Some people completed their plans quickly because they arrived with a definite idea. One group of four boys already had a hip-hop crew that performed at events, and they wanted to make a professional recording with a producer in a music studio. At the other end of the spectrum, one boy struggled to identify anything beyond computer games that interested him or that he genuinely wanted to do. Even after several personal brainstorming sessions with me, he was still at a loss. The breakthrough came in the final group session on Saturday, after we had repeated many of the questions we had discussed before. Eventually, one of the hip-hop artists verbally cornered him and asked bluntly, “Everyone is good at something — what can you do, man?” After a while, it emerged that he was rather good at programming. Slowly and after some hesitation, he then had the idea that he would really like to programme a robot, something he had never done before. It was a groundbreaking moment. From then on, events moved quickly. Over the following weeks, he managed to arrange a two-week placement at the local university, where he was actually able to programme a robot as part of a research project. This example shows particularly well what New Work relies on: when someone identifies with an idea, that person develops a will or commitment that often leads to the goal.

The proposals were written, shared and refined. They ranged from artistic projects — design and tailoring, photography and the hip-hop album already mentioned — to technical and social projects and work with animals. Some required more thought, while others had fixed dates by which particular goals had to be achieved. Many financial questions required further research; some projects needed no funding. We had worked very hard and earned both our pizza and the fun at the disco.

Each week, we supported one another in pursuing the next step in the plan or modifying the plan as needed. Some groups met outside the weekly session to pursue their projects. I arranged a meeting, for example, between the hip-hop artists and a professional producer. Unfortunately, the young producer was so intent on disciplining and professionalising the “crew” that, after the first meeting, they asked whether they could find someone else. To me, it was important that they were given that option: it was their project.

Other individual projects had to be shortened because of time constraints or other reasons. That was disappointing. The dream of designing an entire collection and staging a fashion show became an exhibition of designs and a selection of suitable fabric samples. The dog-walking business became a work placement followed by voluntary work at an animal shelter. None of this detracted from the valuable insights the participants had gained.

The final retreat had three main objectives:

• More time to reflect on the experiences

• Consideration of personal next steps after school

• Organisation of an exhibition documenting the projects, to be shown at a press conference at the school

The reflection and companionship were successful; the exhibition was prepared a little carelessly, in my view. Nevertheless, I would always give priority to the reflection process, because that is where genuine personal orientation takes place.

Surprisingly, only one of the four members of the hip-hop crew could imagine doing something with music, and not only rap, in the future. One of the frontmen wanted to study law and defend migrants. This suited him, because his lyrics gave voice to a concern for justice. He was an impressive organiser, leader and spokesperson. He was the person who confronted me about rejecting the first producer; he was also the one who cornered the uncertain programmer.

The programmer was the group’s greatest “outlier”. Until then, he had avoided groups, but in this one he found friends and support. During his placement, he discovered that getting up later in the morning made him more productive and focused — something with which he had always struggled at school. He was so successful at programming the robot that he not only received the praise he urgently needed, but the department also offered him a part-time job after school so that he could continue programming. When the hip-hop artists needed copies of their CD, he offered to burn them much more efficiently at home.

Looking Back in Order to Look Forward

What must be in place when working with young people according to the principles of New Work? What conditions are required?

• First, youth work must be voluntary and personally meaningful to the participants.

• The programme must have competent and reliable facilitators and a supportive, flexible infrastructure.

• The projects should also present a genuine challenge, bring joy, foster community and encourage reflection without becoming pedantic or ideological.

• New Work mentors must understand the concept well, be authentic and self-confident, and ask questions they have already asked themselves. At the same time, they should accept, respect and take young people seriously, especially when those young people are not yet so confident or inventive. This means both allowing them to experiment and fail and supporting them. It strengthens their relationships with the facilitators and within the group, as well as their identification with their own project, which is crucial for serious commitment and reflection. Not every dream can be realised in a youth project, but such a project can be a springboard on the way to a dream. Anyone who pursues it will do something fulfilling and meaningful.

• A stable infrastructure also requires basic funding for the overall programme. Individual projects can be financed by sponsors, private foundations or public funds. I once considered creating a community foundation for young people like one I had encountered in Michigan in the United States. There, young people apply for funding before a panel composed mainly of other young people. This idea, however, did not prove feasible.

When I came to Mühlhausen at the age of 22, I was, in a sense, creating my own youth project for myself. While I was in Michigan, I learned from the New Work school projects in Ann Arbor and from my work as a community organiser. Back in Mühlhausen, I was able to use that foundation to approach the ongoing youth work in MHL more systematically than before. Ideas @ Work was an extracurricular youth project characterised by individualisation and a connection with working life, and it therefore led to forward-looking results. The financial support available from the outset was extraordinarily helpful.

Today, I teach English to young adults at the University of Tübingen and offer a range of courses, several of which are very close to my heart. One course, however, stands out as a kind of calling because it combines several of my interests. I call it Storytelling Theatre. It combines playback theatre, a form of improvisational theatre, with intercultural exchange through the telling of personal stories. Many elements from my local and international youth work come into play here: learning to deal with the unknown and make mistakes, building a community of trust, fostering creativity and honouring personal biographical stories. I am convinced that I could not teach this course without my New Work experience and perspective. I can now answer the question “Are you already doing what you really, really want?” with an authentic “In part, yes! At least for now.”

A legendary image for the conditions of a fulfilled life, but also of good youth work, is Goethe’s wishing stone. In Weimar, not far from Mühlhausen, it stands beside Goethe’s garden house. The stone consists of a sphere mounted on a cube. The two parts symbolise what is necessary for a fulfilled life: both a stable foundation, represented by the cube, and a constantly changing, dynamic life, represented by the sphere. Legend has it that a wish comes true if you place your hand on the stone and make that wish. Metaphorically, New Work is this “laying on of the hand”: identifying one’s own wishes on the one hand and putting them dynamically into practice on the other.

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