In this special, uncensored episode, we step inside the world of the German National Youth Ballet, the BJB, an extraordinary ensemble comprised of nine professional dancers between the ages of 18 and 23, trained in both classical ballet and modern techniques. One of the very special features of the BJB is that they perform not only on professional stages, but everywhere dance can forge a connection - in schools, museums, nursing homes, swimming pools, and even prisons. Their work demonstrates that dance speaks across generations, backgrounds, and life experiences, creating unity through shared artistic encounter. This episode, made possible by the generous support of the Charlotte Uhse Stiftung, offers a candid look into the power of communication and collaboration at the heart of the BJB. It begins with a spirited conversation with Artistic and Pedagogical Director Kevin Haigen, one that starts with a small disagreement and unfolds into a passionate, thought-provoking exchange. It includes  contributions from all nine dancers of the BJB, who answer questions from young amateur dancers from Kansas City. And it concludes with Ballet Master Raymond Hilbert’s reflections on connecting with audiences, the question of how a dance style is understood, and some of the most sensitive issues faced by the dance world. This episode promises to give you intimate insight into the philosophy, purpose, and daily reality of this remarkable ensemble. Thank you Kevin Haigen, Raymond Hilbert, Bronte Barnett, Eleftherios Sarafis, Hannah McCloughan, Miguel Alves Oliveira, Oskar Weissel-Hetzel, Taissa Pache Pimentel, Kohanna Williams, Javier Martinez, and Zofia Jabłońska for the interviews.bundesjugendballett.decultureum.com

An intimate chat with the woman who has paved the road for Third Culture Kid research and has influenced our views about multiculturalism and global mobility over the past 4 decades. It is with immense pleasure that I bring you this very personal interview that allows you to get to know the person behind the admired researcher and writer. cultureum.com      cultureumdrj Just a quick note – this is the last episode I am bringing out this year. I am taking a brief hiatus to gather creative energy, to write two books that I have been meaning to bring out, and to rethink and restructure the podcast a bit. But, I will be back with new episodes sometime in the spring or summer of 2025. Thank you for listening, Dr. J

Die Geigerin, Orchesterleiterin, Autorin und Pädagogin Gesine Mielitz spricht mit mir über die Zusammenhänge zwischen Sprache und Musik, über das Spektrum, in dem sich Musik und Sprache bewegen, über die interessante Übersetzung, die beim Wechsel zwischen verschiedenen Kunstformen stattfindet, über die Auswirkung der Nationalkultur auf den Stil von Autoren und Musikern, sowie über die Doppelrolle des kreativen Schöpfers und Pädagogen aller, die als Künstler sowohl in der Musik als auch in der Literatur tätig sind. Ein sehr interessantes Interview, das es wagt, schwierige Fragen zu stellen, dessen Antworten jedoch für die zukünftige Entwicklung von Sprache und Musik sehr wichtig sind.cultureum.com       @cultureumdrj

This is an interview with one of the leading experts on Shakespeare, Felicia Londré, who also happens to be a personal friend of Fernando Arrabal. In the interview, we tackle questions such as: Why do Shakespeare's plays still appeal to audiences today? Who actually wrote the plays? How has theater developed since Shakespeare? What are some of the problems with contemporary productions? What is the future of theater? At the end of the interview, Felicia tells us the story of how she met and got to know Fernando Arrabal, and how an initial regard for each other’s work developed into a life-long friendship. cultureum.com @cultureumdrj To the listeners, a quick reminder, this is one of the last episodes that I will bring out before my break. After this episode, I will bring you one more episode in German, with a brilliant musician and teacher, and then one more in English with an expert on Third Culture Kids. Afterwards, I will take a brief hiatus to concentrate on a few other projects, but I will be back with new episodes in the spring or summer of 2025. As always, if you’d like to keep up with my activities, please visit my website: culturem.com or my instagram page @cultureumdrj.

In this episode, I let you in on some of my favorite language learning exercises and talk to you about the most important considerations you should make in your effort to learn or maintain a language. The advice I provide in this episode can also be applied to improving speaking skills in your mother tongue and to public speaking in general. cultureum.com       @cultureumdrj Just a quick note: In the weeks to come, I will bring you 4 more episodes and will then take a little break from podcasting to write two books that have been swirling around in my head for quite some time now. But I will be back with more episodes in the spring or at the latest in the summer of 2025.

Do you know what the difference is between Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and Cross Cultural Kids (CCKs)? How about the difference between flux culture and core culture, or ethnocentric and ethno-relevant views? Do you know where to draw the line between acting as a cultural ambassador and being guilty of cultural appropriation? Do you know what these terms refer to: passport culture, code switching, heart homes, shared identity, global citizenship, or cultural markers? Did you know that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives have of late added a B to the acronym DEIB – to also address issues of belonging? Well, all this is the topic of this episode, in which we “unpack belonging” and discuss the pressing cultural issues of today’s world. Megan’s book: Megan Norton. Belonging Beyond Borders: How Adult Third Culture Kids Can Cultivate a Sense of Belonging. cultureum.com       @cultureumdrj

Der deutsche Defensivspieler Thomas Ostendorf spricht mit mir über seine Fußballmannschaft und erzählt über die Initiativen des Vereins zur Förderung von Multikulturalität und Inklusion sowie über die Bemühungen des Vereins, für Gerechtigkeit und Gleichheit in der Welt zu kämpfen. hamburg-hurricanes.com     @hamburghurricanes cultureum.com     @cultureumdrj

Do you know these gentlemen in pink who play football every Sunday in Hamburg’s Central Park? Would you like to meet them? In this episode, three Hurricane players, George Balakrishna, Thomas Ostendorf, and Oussama Bensat, talk to us about the international character of this awesome grassroots football club, about their own cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and about the teams’ creative initiatives to make the world just a little better. hamburg-hurricanes.com     @hamburghurricanes cultureum.com     @cultureumdrj  

Juliette Blanquart, étudiante en journalisme et médias, partage avec nous son journal intime qu'elle a tenu pendant un an pour documenter la progression des travaux et des émotions autour des Jeux Olympiques 2024 à Paris. Une vue de derrière les coulisses des sportifs, des organisateurs, et du public !

Get an intimate impression of how the city of Paris changed and reacted to the Olympic Games. This is an honest and emotional account of the work and excitement that went into hosting the 2024 Olympics, as seen from the point of view of a student of journalism who served as a volunteer at the actual event. Juliette has also written 6 further articles about the various sport disciplines. Thank you, Juliette for your contributions to CULTUREM throughout this year! cultureum.com       @cultureumdrj

An episode that ends with Matteo Fusella declaring, “When it comes to culture, I am Italian and German. When it comes to patriotism, I am European,” this  episode takes you on Matteo’s train journey from Italy to Germany and back, informing you along the way about the German - Italian connection that is everywhere to find. Matteo talks about his train rides and walks through various cities in order to inform us in an intimate and sometimes humorous way about his love-hate relationship with Italy and Germany. As with his previous article and episode, entitled “The Road to Self-Discovery and Peace – Matteo Fusella’s Camino de Santiago,” he always accompanies his personal observations and experiences with historical facts and interesting anecdotes. His articles in English, German, and Italian can be found on the cultureum.com website. Within this episode, he reads first in English, then from minute 23:14 in German, and finally, from minute 40:40 in Italian.  And now, here is Matteo. cultureum.com @cultureumdrj

In this episode, the German - Italian student, Matteo Fusella, not only informs us about the Camino de Santiago, but also lets us in on his personal journey and experiences. An informative and intimate episode first in English, then from minute 15:47 in German, and finally, from minute 29:20 in Italian. Please have a look at the actual articles as well. They include many pictures from Matteo’s travels. cultureum.com @cultureumdrj

This episode welcomes the clarinetist Kymia Kermani, who is also the founder and artistic director of the Ensemble Sinn-Phonietta and a member of the Duo Kermani Gentili. Kymia takes us backstage and gives us a peak into the life of an ensemble – How do they communicate – with each other, with the music, with the audience? – What are the practical considerations that we no longer see when we attend one of their performances? And what messages do they wish to leave the audience with?cultureum.com      @cultureumdrjsinn-phonietta.com      @sinnphonietta     @duokermanigentili kymiakermani.com

Daniel Fehrens reflects on being nearly ¼ of a century old: what he has learned up until now, what he has learned to focus on, coping mechanism he has developed, and most importantly how he is setting out to approach the next phase of his life. Daniel shares his thoughts first in English, and then from minute 12:30 in Czech. cultureum.com     @cultureumdrj

In this episode, a young French student speaks about studying abroad and about her passion for sports. She first introduces herself in English and from minute 7:25 in French. Her articles can be found as a pdf on cultureum.com. Juliette will contribute further articles and readings in the weeks to come. cultureum.com         @cultureumdrj

An intimate chat with two brilliant musicians about the meaning and the development of contemporary music. Filled with personal anecdotes and examples, this episode brings you into the world of a composer and that of a conductor, and allows you to hear how they approach the art of communicating through music.  

This episode is a little bit different from previous ones. A young Czech student, Daniel Fehrens, reads you his article entitled, “Back to the Roots.” You can follow along by reading the PDF of the article on cultureum.com. Daniel’s article offers you interesting insight into the life of a Czech-German student and into his views and discoveries about culture, specifically biculturality, languages, and the importance of getting back in touch with your family history. From minute 22, Daniel also reads to you his article in Czech. cultureum.com

Magyar szülők egyetlen fia, Zoárd Dániában született, Spanyolországban járt iskolába, most pedig Ausztráliában nő fel. És Zoárd egy nagyon tehetséges úszó reménység. Ezek a nézetei a nyelvről, az utazásról és a kulturális identitásról.

These are the views of a 14-year-old Hungarian-Australian-Danish-Spanish young man, who happens to also be an Olympic hopeful in swimming.

Associate Professor at Georgetown University, Myriam Vukovic, helps me recap the episode originally recorded in German with the French Consul General to Northern Germany, Valérie Lübken, the fashion influencer, Britta Ahrens (@mrsmoin_hamburg) and the chef and restaurant owner, Sebastian Junge from the restaurant Wolfs Junge. This episode connects fashion, cuisine and diplomacy historically and in modern times by looking at how Louis XIV approached fashion, cuisine, and diplomacy, or how Chanel is more than just a luxury fashion brand, or how the fashion atelier MadeaufVeddel and the restaurant Wolfs Junge work out of the same principles. cultureum.com         de.ambafrance.org/-Hambourg-Consulat-wolfs-junge.de          mrsmoin.de