Echoes in Ink

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ECHOES IN INK: The Art of Remembrance

ECHOES IN INK: The Art of Remembrance 14 December 2025 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Full Moon Gallery On 14 December 2025, we cordially invite you to the presentation of the graphic novels created as part of the ECHOES IN INK project. The Full Moon Gallery will showcase the creative works of young people who, together with artists, historians and educators, have embarked on a special quest: How can memories be made visible? How can stories from the past and present be told in pictures?The launch event will not only open the exhibition of the best graphic novels, but also mark the release of the e-book documenting the diversity of the results. In addition to a keynote speech on ‘The Art of Remembering’, you can look forward to contributions from the young people themselves, who will present their work and talk about their experiences.Together with members of the Jewish communities, artists and experts, we want to engage in conversation – about the power of images, the telling of stories and the importance of a vibrant culture of remembrance. PROGRAMME 6:00 p.m. – Welcome & introductionOpening of the evening by the project managementPresentation of the ECHOES IN INK project 6:15 p.m. – Keynote speech by Doreen Siegmund ‘The Art of Remembering’Reflections on the significance of memory culture in art and society 6:30 p.m. – Lecture by Francesca Mele ‘Decolonise our cities, question our history’ (in English)Public spaces carry memory and meaning. How are our cities perpetuating discrimination in monuments, streets, and squares? We encourage communities to rewrite narratives and shape inclusive cities. 7:00 p.m. – Presentation of the graphic novelsYoung people present their works and report on their experiences in the project 7:30 p.m. – Discussion & exchangeWith artists, historians, members of the Jewish communities and the audience: How can images keep history alive? 7:50 p.m. – Outlook & e-book launchPresentation of the digital anthology with the resulting works 8:00 p.m. – Closing & opportunity for exchangeIndividual conversations during a free tour of the exhibition. We look forward to sharing this special evening with you and cordially invite you to be part of the premiere of ECHOES IN INK. A project funded by the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) and the EVZ Foundation.

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Open Call – Graphic Novels

Good day and warm greetings from Jugend- & Kulturprojekt e.V.! As part of our project ‘Echoes in Ink – The Art of Remembrance’, we would like to invite you to forward the following call for entries to interested teenagers and young adults. Until 30 October 2025, young people aged 12 and above have the opportunity to submit their own graphic novels that creatively address the culture of remembrance and current social issues. A selection of the submitted works will be presented in an exhibition at the Full Moon Gallery Dresden (December 2025), published in a print and online publication, and used nationwide in an educational context. Details and criteria for submitting graphic novels Graphic novels should be submitted in A4 portrait format. The graphic novels can be created either digitally or traditionally drawn on paper and then scanned. Submissions should be sent as PDF or JPEG files via email to doreen.siegmund@jkpev.de or anna.melchior@jkpev.de. Entries should be at least one page and no more than five pages long. The deadline for submissions is 30 October!   Possible topics for the graphic novel The art of remembering – against forgetting and the reinterpretation of history The works can explore how memories are preserved, passed on or even distorted. There is an opportunity to reflect creatively on historical events, to make the past visible and to contribute your own perspective. The topic invites reflection on responsibility towards history, the significance of memory for the present, and the role of remembrance culture in today’s society. Jewish culture and history in Dresden/Saxony – then and now This topic offers space to explore the diversity of Jewish life in Dresden/Saxony: from everyday life before 1933 to the Nazi era and today’s forms of Jewish culture. Biographical research, historical events or current references can be creatively processed and artistically translated into graphic novels. There is room for personal interpretations, reflections, continuities and breaks, but also for highlighting perspectives and stories that are underrepresented in the public consciousness. Free choice of topics within the project In addition to these focal points, creative approaches of your own are also possible: family histories, artistic interpretations of memories or current social issues can be included. ‘Echoes in Ink’ provides the framework for making your own story visible and dealing with historical topics in a personal, artistic way. Interdisciplinary work The graphic novels can be created in an interdisciplinary manner and establish creative links between different school subjects, such as English, ethics, history or art. Teachers also have the opportunity to recognise the submissions as a special achievement in the context of their lessons, thus acknowledging the commitment of their pupils.   We would be delighted if you could forward this call for entries to creative pupils, teenagers and young adults. Your support will help to inspire young people to take an interest in history, remembrance culture and creative work, and give them the opportunity to share their ideas with a wider audience. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We thank you for your support and look forward to receiving many inspiring entries!

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Five memorial walks, five creative workshops, and the question: What does it mean to remember?

Five memorial walks, five creative workshops, and the question: What does it mean to remember? Our three-week ECHOES IN INK series of memorial walks and graphic workshops has now come to an end. At the core of our project “ECHOES IN INK: The Art of Remembrance” lies the connection of two elements: historical education and artistic creation. The thematic memorial walks with city guide Katharina Michael offered participants in-depth insights into the Jewish history of Dresden. Starting with the foundations of Jewish life and central sites of religious practice, the walks traced the path through persecution during the Nazi era, the destruction and reconstruction of Dresden, and today’s culture of remembrance. Participants not only gained historical knowledge, but also engaged with personal stories, current memorial sites, and questions about the future of remembrance. The walks combined historical information with creative and reflective approaches, enabling a multifaceted understanding of Jewish history in Dresden. In the subsequent graphic workshops with artist Nazanin Zandi, participants learned the basics of creating a graphic novel. Under professional guidance, they step by step explored all essential elements—from character development to image composition and perspective work, which fosters shifts in narrative viewpoint, to the atmosphere of places and their emotional depiction. Finally, they applied dramaturgical techniques to structure their graphic novels narratively and to develop their personal “voice of remembrance.” In this way, individual first ideas for visual storytelling emerged, making historical content accessible in creative and multi-voiced ways. The strength of Echoes in Ink lies in this special connection: history is not only conveyed, but placed in dialogue between past and present, and translated into a personal artistic form of expression. This revealed the diversity of individual approaches—regardless of whether participants brought prior historical knowledge or drawing experience.Throughout the process, a wealth of ideas emerged. Taken together, they make visible what Katharina Michael also emphasized in her tours: engaging with history in a lively way brings forth new stories—if one is willing to look and to tell them. Following this, five graphic novel workshops will take place, in which participants will create their own stories. First concepts may emerge, or already existing ideas can be further developed. The graphic novels will be presented this autumn at the Full Moon Gallery, published as both a print and online edition, and made available for educational use throughout Germany.Registration is possible here: https://forms.gle/nnEdxU4oDjeoNAdK9 A project funded by the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) and the Foundation EVZ.

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Memorial Tours

Memorial Tours with Katharina Michael Five themed memorial tours through Dresden immersed participants in the diverse Jewish history of the city – from the early community to today’s culture of remembrance. Through interactive methods, reflection and creative inspiration, we worked together to develop personal connections to historical sites and their significance today. Memorial Tour: ‘Introduction to the Jewish history of Dresden’ Friday | 15.08.2025 | 16:00 – 17:30 The first tour, ‘Introduction to Jewish History in Dresden,’ offered a basic introduction to Jewish history in Dresden – from its beginnings to the Nazi era. The focus was on key locations of Jewish life and religious practice. In the workshop that followed, participants creatively processed their impressions of the city.   Memorial Tour: ‘The persecution of the Jewish population during the Nazi era’ Saturday | 16.08.2025 | 11:00 – 12:30 The tour ‘The Persecution of the Jewish Population during the Nazi Era’ shed light on the systematic exclusion, disenfranchisement and deportation of Jewish citizens during the Nazi era in Dresden. Participants encountered specific sites of injustice and remembrance.   Memorial Tour: ‘Destruction and reconstruction after the Second World War’ Friday | 22.08.2025 | 16:00 – 17:30 The third tour, ‘Destruction and Reconstruction after the Second World War,’ focused on the destruction of Dresden and its reconstruction after the Second World War. Participants explored the question of how Jewish history is remembered (or overlooked) in an urban space shaped by war. Memorial Tour: ‘Culture of remembrance and current memorial sites’ Saturday | 23.08.2025 | 11:00 – 12:30 The tour ‘Culture of Remembrance and Current Memorial Sites’ took participants to central memorial sites in the city of Dresden and addressed how the victims of the Holocaust are remembered today. It focused on forms of remembrance, public responsibility and the role of urban and civil society actors.   Memorial Tour: ‘The Future of Remembrance’ Friday | 29.08.2025 | 16:00 – 17:30 Finally, the focus turned to the future: What does Jewish life look like today – and how can we remember in the future? The tour ‘The Future of Remembrance’ focused on encounters with places of Jewish life today, educational initiatives and questions about the role of the participants themselves.

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CREATIVE-WORKSHOPS

CREATIVE-WORKSHOPS with Nazanin Zandi In a series of creative workshops, participants learned how to tell stories using images and text – from panel layout to character design. They developed their first scenes and image ideas, discovered their style and worked on their own narrative about memory, persecution, Jewish life or questions about the future. ‘Visual storytelling’ Friday | 15.08.2025 | 18:30 – 20:00 | KulturCentrale In the creative workshop ‘Visual Storytelling’ with Nazanin Zandi, participants creatively processed their impressions of the city. Through initial drawing experiments in the style of graphic novels, historical content was made emotionally and visually accessible. The connection between place and image served as an introduction to the connection between history and artistic expression.   ‘Characters & Perspectives’ Saturday | 16.08.2025 | 13:30 – 15:00 | KulturCentrale In the creative workshop ‘Characters & Perspectives’ with Nazanin Zandi, the focus was on developing a character who can represent an individual fate. The change of perspective – telling the story ‘from the character’s point of view’ – promoted empathy and the creative interpretation of historical complexity.   ‘Places & Atmosphere’ Friday | 22.08.2025 | 18:30 – 20:00 | KulturCentrale In the creative workshop ‘Places & Atmosphere’ with Nazanin Zandi, the impressions from the tour on the destruction and reconstruction of Dresden were translated into atmospheric scenes: places were made tangible as carriers of memories, using visual language, symbolism and emotional expression. ‘Narration & Dramaturgy’ Saturday | 23.08.2025 | 13:30 – 15:00 | KulturCentrale In the creative workshop ‘Narration & Dramaturgy’ with Nazanin Zandi, participants used dramaturgical techniques to structure their graphic novels and turned what they had worked on so far into a coherent narrative.   ‘Your Voice of Memory’ Friday | 29.08.2025 | 18:30 – 20:00 | KulturCentrale In the final workshop, ‘Your Voice of Remembrance’ with Nazanin Zandi, historical reflection was creatively processed and the graphic novels were completed. The result was a collection of personal artistic contributions to the culture of remembrance – a bridge between history and the present.

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Graphic Novels Working Sessions

Graphic Novels Working Sessions with Olga Yocheva & Doreen Siegmund & others In several sessions, participants worked on their graphic novel. They received support from artists, historians and educators. At the end, they had their finished story – and the opportunity to showcase it in an exhibition, a public presentation and a printed publication.   ‘Jewish Life Before 1933 – Diversity and Everyday Realities’ Thursday| 04.09.2025 | 18:00 – 19:30 | KulturCentrale The first working session provided insights into the diverse lives of Jewish citizens in Dresden before 1933. The focus was on individual biographies, social roles and cultural contributions. Based on this, ideas for graphic novels were developed: possible characters were sketched, perspectives were discussed and narrative approaches were collected. ’Persecution and Exclusion – Local Dimensions’ Thursday | 11.09.2025 | 18:00 – 19:30 | KulturCentrale Using local examples such as the ‘Judenhaus’ (Jewish house) or the Gestapo headquarters in Dresden, the concrete implementation of anti-Semitic measures was discussed. In the working phase, historical places and situations were translated into initial scenes, narrative approaches were reflected upon, and perpetrator-victim relationships were creatively realised. ’Places of Remembrance and Forms of Remembrance’ Thursday| 18.09.2025 | 18:00 – 19:30 | KulturCentrale This working session highlighted contemporary forms of remembrance, such as stumbling stones or the memorial room in the regional court. The examination of symbolism and impact flowed directly into the artistic work. Existing scenes were revised, places of remembrance were integrated into the storylines, and feedback was gathered in groups. ’Creative Transformation – How Do You Tell History as a Graphic Novel?’ Thursday| 25.09.2025 | 18:00 – 19:30 | KulturCentrale The focus was on creative implementation: the basics of comic storytelling, such as panel structure, image-text ratio and character design, were taught. Participants then developed visual sketches of important scenes, tried out different stylistic devices and received feedback on their graphic designs.

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