(DE) - UfaFabrik
The International Cultural Center UfaFabrik was established by a group of young people who occupied a factory that was slated for demolition. What started in 1979 as a squatted factory developed over the years into an alternative multicultural meeting space: a place for communal living, creativity, art and sustainability.
The center offers a wide cultural programme, including theatre and dance performances, concerts, cabaret, variety and more. These cultural events take place in its theater hall, open-air stage and circus. The center also hosts Café Rudi & Rosa, a restaurant specialized in regional cuisine, and since 1980 the UfaBäckerei, a bakery that produces ecologically sustainable breads, biscuits and cakes. One of the center's main concerns is sustainability and its relation to social, economic and cultural issues. It frequently organizes seminars, conferences and workshops on ecological technologies and construction. For its efforts and achievements, the UfaFabrik received the 2004 UN-Habitat award for “Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment”. The center also hosts activities for toddlers and their parents, like Kangatraining and a music garden. For older children, it provides workshops in juggling, acrobatics, percussion and more, and the Children Circus Festival, which is organized twice a year. Additionally, there is a children's farm with available pony rides and a petting zoo and the Berlin Free School primary school.