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04. May 2023

Integration Council

LWL Family Festival at the Bocholt Museum a complete success

The large family festival with an international touch on 1 May at the Museum Textilwerk in Bocholt was very popular. The organisers' association around the Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (LWL) welcomed around 5,000 visitors. The city of Bocholt and numerous associations and organisations supported the event.

Singer defies the thunderstorm

When Deputy Mayor Gudrun Koppers welcomed the guests in the morning, the sun was shining - everything was set for a great day. The festival then ended with a bang. However, singer Susan Albers was not discouraged by an approaching thunderstorm. She played songs like "Empire State of Mind" and "Let it be" by the Beatles. During the title song of the "Ice Queen", Albers brought the children out of the rain onto the stage and sang together with them.

20 international cultural clubs, organisations and associations presented themselves to the public at the family festival. Deputy Mayor Koppers thanked the Integration Council, the LWL Museum Textilwerk Bocholt and the Integration Office as organisers of the festival. "The Integration Council in particular is committed to equal opportunities and the development of potential." She especially thanked the representatives of the cultural associations: "For weeks, you have volunteered a lot of effort to prepare this beautiful festival. I am very pleased that so many people, including those with international family histories, have volunteered."

Family festival on 1 May

Long queues at the family festival on 1 May for face painting by the German-British Society Bocholt

© Stadt Bocholt

The following associations presented themselves under the motto "EUpdate - Living and Learning in Europe":

  • Afghan Cultural Association Bocholt
  • German-Syrian Association Bocholt
  • Italian Cultural Association Bocholt
  • Cultural Association Akdeniz-Alevites Bocholt
  • German-Turkish Society Bocholt
  • Turkish Parents' Association Bocholt
  • Croatian Cultural Association Bocholt
  • Centuro Cultural Espanol
  • International Mesopotamian Cultural Association
  • German-Chinese Society Bocholt
  • German-French Society Bocholt
  • German-British Society Bocholt
  • German-Albanian Society Bocholt

The following organisations and associations participated:

  • City of Bocholt
  • Technical Relief Organisation
  • Alliance for Family
  • Family Education Centre Bocholt
  • Omega
  • German Red Cross
  • Europe Direct Bocholt
  • European Union Bocholt
  • Integration Council Bocholt

"Visitors were able to experience international flair at 20 stands. We were very pleased with the high level of participation and the great commitment of the clubs and associations," summarised Bruno Wansing, Integration Officer of the City of Bocholt, who had taken over the main organisation together with Hermann Stenkamp and Jana Dames from the LWL Museum Textilwerk Bocholt.

Over 5,000 visitors

Guests were able to learn about different cultural circles and Bocholt's twin towns. Culinary specialities from all over the world, served in sustainable "dishes", spoiled the palate. Long queues formed at some of the stands, and face painting for children was very popular at the German-British Society. "I estimate that we welcomed well over 5,000 people throughout the day," said Hermann Stenkamp.

In keeping with the European leitmotif, the museum tours were offered in several languages. A member of a cultural association was present at each tour, translating the German explanations into French, English, Arabic, Albanian, Afghan, etc. "We reduced the tour to a few important points and then concentrated on the language," Stenkamp reported.

For the children, in addition to rides on the steam tractor, there were storytellers, a puppeteer and much more. The THW showed all its skills in two exercises, which it presented to the astonished audience. The THW youth also organised the car and bicycle parking.

Varied stage programme

Family festival on 1 May

A ride on the steam tractor was a "must" at the family festival on 1 May

© Stadt Bocholt

The programme on stage was as varied as the individual offerings of the cultural associations.

Presenter Martin Schmidt repeatedly combined the talks with the representatives of the associations and organisations with various performances. Monika Pacho showed her skills with the children's choir of the Biemenhorst school and the choir "Singsam". The Afghan Cultural Association and the German-Albanian Society thrilled the audience with spirited dance performances. Excited were the children of the international Mesopotamian cultural association, who were accompanied to their songs by a "Temûr", a Kurdish string instrument.

The contributions of the German-Chinese Society Bocholt were varied. While Yong Mei Su performed traditional Chinese songs, things got loud afterwards. A school band really let it rip, "headbanging" was the order of the day. "I can already see you at Rock am Ring," joked presenter Schmidt, "and you have to promise us that you will also play at future family festivals."

Municipality presents itself as an employer

The city of Bocholt presented itself with its own stand and took the opportunity to talk to the visitors and inform them about projects such as the intercultural opening of the administration and "e-learning".

"It was a great day - despite the rain in the evening - and we would like to thank the many helpers who made sure that it was an unforgettable day for everyone," Bruno Wansing from the City of Bocholt summed up positively.