Stage Instead of a Desk Job
A theater freak, him? Pascal Wegner laughs. "Before my volunteer service I had barely ever been to the theater," he says. Even so, when applying for the Voluntary Social Year (FSJ) in Culture, he ticked five stars under the "Theater" category. "It's something completely different, a small, manageable world," the high-school graduate thought — and promptly landed an FSJ placement at the Munich Kammerspiele. Lucky break. Since mid-September 2016, the 18-year-old has been closer to the stage than ever before in his life: every single day. In the Kammerspiele's video department, he helps set up screens, projection surfaces and projectors before performances, and sometimes he's allowed to film shows. His newest project: recording and editing the graduating-class productions of the Otto Falckenberg School of Performing Arts. By now he does that entirely on his own. "And whenever I have a bit of spare time, I sit in on rehearsals and plays," says Pascal. "I had no idea beforehand that I'd enjoy it this much." Once he finishes his FSJ in the summer, he wants to find an apprenticeship as an event technician. He's already sent off his first applications.
Nico Hemmelmann, his supervisor and head of the video department, explains that the Kammerspiele has been employing FSJ volunteers since the 2003/2004 season, and in the video department since 2007/2008. "It's a give and take," he says. Of course, more time has to be invested in people at the start. But the theater benefits too, especially since the volunteers stay for a full year. "Either way, it's an extra pair of hands to help out," says Hemmelmann. No one has ever dropped out of the voluntary year so far. Hemmelmann stays in touch with all former volunteers. "Many of them have continued on a career path in culture — one became a director, another a cameraman, others studied stage design, design, or media technology," says the media technician.
About 1,700 young men and women, most of them between 18 and 21, choose to do an FSJ in Culture after finishing school. The 1,660 placements are spread across the whole of Germany, with most offered by the populous states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg. Berlin is one of the most popular locations: the capital receives up to 800 applications a year, but currently only a little more than 140 positions can be awarded. That's why the FSJ Culture office advises applicants to also apply in other states. […]
Speaking of money: volunteers receive 320 euros a month. You can't live on that. Many also have to find and pay for a room of their own. As a result, many rely on financial support from their parents. Child benefit continues to be paid. […]
For smaller cultural institutions in particular, an FSJ volunteer is an important support. Take the Hans Fallada Museum in Feldberg, Mecklenburg. "For us, it's a great way to get a full-time helper at a good price," admits museum director Robert Knüppel. Johanna Luchterhand, 19, his current FSJ volunteer, looks after the museum's collection, does some cleaning, writes invoices, designs flyers and works the till. "It can get lonely here in winter," says Knüppel, "and you need to be able to handle that too." Johanna has no problem with that. "I come from a small village myself," she says.