unikat (club)

To begin, with, the unicat(club) is just a room, but a very special one and quite unique. Located in the heart of Witten, it is a meeting place for students of all faculties, platform for creative ideas of all kinds and genres, laboratory for culture management in practice, space for encounters and experiences. In a university that encourages students to take the initiative and make personal visions come true, the unikat(club) is the ideal place for project activities. It is moreover a link between the university and the cultural scene in Witten. 

In 2001, two lecturers at Witten/Herdecke University, Karen and Jörg van der Berg, redesigned the former waiting hall of the main railway station in cooperation with the Slovenic-Dutch artist Apolonija Sustersic and with the backing of the communal business development authorities. They turned the unused room into a lively club with a charming atmosphere. The neglected area around the main station filled with new life. 

Interdisciplinary student teams assumed charge of the unikat(club) from the onset. UW/H students and staff members regularly organize exceptional cultural events with considerable commitment and passion. The room serves as lecture hall, theatre stage, cinema, eating place or club; the inspiring atmosphere invites traditional and experimental formats alike. Young authors recite from books, movie makers present their work for subsequent discussion. The unikat(club) hosts concerts of all musical styles, theatre  improvisations, exhibitions or student parties all year round. 

Among the highlights of the last semesters were a recitation and cooperation project of UW/H students with author Juli Zeh, regular premieres of radio play workshops with author Ulrich Land, or concerts with renowned performers like Steve Savage from Tennessee, the Tora Bora Allstars from Göttingen, or Bernd Bergemann, grandee of the so-called Hamburger Schule. 

Performances with drama students of the Düsseldorf theatre and UW/H students’ own productions like “unterwegs” were further noteworthy events. In addition there were and are joint projects with the Witten Chamber Music Days, Studiostellwerk e.V., Goldbug Entertainment Bochum and others. Not least the successful band Herr Paschulke is proof that the unikat(club) offers room for many creative moments where a number of artists feel at home. 

Mainly funded by Wittener Universitätsgesellschaft in recent years, the unikat(club) has become a fixture for the university and cultural life in Witten. So the current organizers were shocked to learn that the rental agreement with Deutsche Bahn ended by December 2010 making the unikat(club) homeless. But the student team is determined to carry on, with the backing of the Faculty of Humanities and Arts. The heart of cultural student activities will beat in several new locations until a new domicile is found. The unikat(club) is more than just a room, its spirit will live on. 

more:
www.unikatclub.de