The enercity network – A platform for young people in Hanover bursting with of positive energy

The enercity network has been initiating and supporting projects for young people in Hanover since 1998. The main concern of the initiative is the young people themselves, who serve as actors and partners for dialogue. The design and content of the projects reflect the young people's interests. The aim is to provide these young people with an environment, in which they can discover who they are, steer their own life, meet friends and have fun. Whether sports, music, economics or new media – there is a multitude of different activities on offer.

More quality of life with positive energy

The individual projects are linked to a network under the umbrella of the enercity network. The enercity network for young people fits in perfectly with the philosophy of enercity: The relationship with the customers and open co-operation form the focus – positive energy that does not just come out of the power socket. The enercity network sees its role as contributing to improving the quality of young people's lives and in turn enhancing the lives of everyone in the region.

It is not the aim of the enercity network to win customers in the short-term with its offers, but rather to achieve a sustained improvement of the social environment for youths in the city and surrounding region. Michael G. Feist, Chief Executive Officer of Stadtwerke Hannover elaborates here: „We are a public company with social responsibility. It is important for us to have a positive influence on the young people's future.“ Values and attitudes are predominantly formed during adolescence. The company would like to create a positive environment for this to take place. The enercity network aims to contribute to a good start in life for young people by providing positive energy: „It is wonderful to see time and again just how creative, committed and imaginative the youths involved in the projects of the enercity network can be. A real network has now been set up,“ says Gernot Hagemann, Head of Communication Department and Spokesman for the Stadtwerke Hannover AG, about the initiative.

Over 1,000 young people take part in projects and activities organised by the enercity network every year. This gives the 14 to 20-year-olds access to a networked world in which they can meet many new people, work in a performance and target-oriented way, try out new skills and find ways to express themselves. The motto of the enercity network is: No pleasure without achievement but rather pleasure through achievement.

Here is a selection from the projects which have taken place in recent years:

„HEROES! ‚The Odyssey’ with young people from Hanover“ (2008)

26 adolescents between 14 and 20 years on and behind the stage tell the heroic epic of the odyssey in a completely new way. Director relocates the olymp in a greek snack bar and shows how Odysseus son Telemachos tries everything to find his father. But Odysseus has to endure many adventures until they finally meet. “HEROES!” marks a new milestone in the successful cooperation with junges schauspielhannover.

„Romeo and Juliet“ – Grand opening of junges schauspielhannover (2007)

The probably most famous love story in the world has been translated into a modern and contemporary version by the stage director Marc Prätsch. 21 young actors on stage and further 8 young costume director, sound engineers and lighting technicians behind the stage were working on this production.

The premiere of the play was also the grand opening of the new branch of schauspielhannover especially for young people: junges schauspielhannover. enercity is acting as first partner and main sponsor. By the end of January 2008, “Romeo and Juliet” was played 20 times – every performance was sold out.)

„jobpower: From school to business with energy“ (2005)

„Show people what you've got“ – that was the motto of the 2005 project. The enercity network developed a special training programme together with the management consultancy firm Kienbaum to prepare young people for job applications and the world of work. Young people took part in application training sessions in assessment centres and carried out role play tasks such as the development of a marketing concept and a competitive presentation. Each participant received a certificate, which can be used to their credit in their future job applications.

create! acting: Workshops and youth production of „Summer Night's Dream“ (2003/2004)

350 young people took place in ten free-of-charge acting workshops. They then auditioned in a subsequent casting session for a part in „Summer Night's Dream“. This youth production by the enercity network and the schauspielhannover has since been performed on various occasions in the schauspielhannover – most recently in January 2006. Besides the „Summer Night's Dream“ production, all create! acting participants were also offered an array of cultural activities at the same time: Performances, theatre tours and visits by professional actors: Guest coaches included Felicitas Woll („Berlin, Berlin“), Jessica Schwarz („Verschwende deine Jugend“) and Dominique Horwitz („Stalingrad“).

Writing workshop: 105 young people learn the art of journalism (2003)

Whether feature, squib or headline – 105 young people found out what goes on behind the scenes and how they can write them themselves at a writing workshop initiated by the enercity network and the BILD national newspaper. Guests in August 2003 included renowned journalists from newspapers (BILD, Die Welt) and magazines (Der Spiegel), as well as the Head of the Axel Springer School of Journalism in Hanover. Young people experimented with different types of writing in afternoon workshops supervised by university students. Over 30 per cent of participants went on from this workshop to join the online editorial team of the enercity network „powerzine“.

create! dance: Developed with choreographers from the Thoss Dance Company (2003)

Young people experienced with the professionals from the Thoss Dance Company how the choreography for pop and rock music is created and got to know the world of the dancers. They were also given the opportunity to meet interesting people, dancers and choreographers. The young people performed the results of the workshop on two evenings in the „ballhofeins“.

create! music: What makes singing under the shower different from rap (2003)

Young people learnt from musicians from the MusikZentrum Hannover how DJs play around with sound and what makes singing under the shower different from rap at the create! music workshop. The youths gave their ideas free reign, playing together in a band, rapping, DJing and scratching the turntables in the „vocals, voice and singing“ workshop. The youth people then showed off their talents on two different evenings in the „ballhofeins“.

Presenting alternatives for sports – midnight sport

Midnight sport is a project for the prevention of violence, which is recognised nationwide and met with enthusiasm by those young people who cannot afford any expensive commercial leisure activities. Midnight sport offers youths a real alternative to just „hanging around“ on the streets. In addition, they learn social behaviour skills and how to get on with each other in a fair way. The enercity network was the main sponsor of midnight sport in Hanover from 1999 until the end of 2002.

Fit for the media future – media laboratory

Approximately 50 youngsters from Hanover experimented with new media technology in the enercity network „real“ media laboratory from October 2000 until June 2001. Assisted by media experts from the Centre for Media Education, they developed video films, created their own website and a multimedia CD-ROM on the issue of „forests“. The aim of the project was to make young people fit for the (media) future and at the same time to make them aware of and sensitive to their own environment and natural surroundings.

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