what are we?
We, a small group of people inspired by the fascination of glass, founded Glass Connection Berlin e.V. to create a space to live this fascination and let like-minded people experience it. We are guided by the desire to revive an old traditional craft, to create a place of learning and mutual promotion as well as to participate in creating art objects from hot glass. With varying backgrounds and levels of glass experience - from the beginner to the experienced artist - all nuances are represented.
All are invited to share their experiences with glass as raw material. A small glass studio has been set up in an existing workshop of an historic backyard in Alt-Moabit. The use is open to the members of the association, as well as to people interested in glass art and those who participate in demonstrations to learn about this craft. There will also be the possibility for those to learn this craft whose financial and time resources are limited.
Glass art is international and diverse. The community is tightly knit and the desire to learn from the best drives us as well. We intend to plan workshops with glass artists from all over the world and go on excursions to see these artists at work in their surroundings. The professional exchange is as much in the foreground as the practical work.
Glassblowing is a demanding activity that requires the utmost concentration; several activities must be performed simultaneously and in a controlled manner. This promotes motor skills, the ability to concentrate, as well as discipline. The quality of a glassblower's work depends heavily on the skill of the assistant. Glassblowing is teamwork, promotes social skills and trains the eye to engage with one's partner and to anticipate what the partner needs at any given moment. The focus is on the other person's work. This means changing one's perspective, away from oneself, putting one's own interests in the background and helping the partner to succeed. From our point of view, this approach has taken a back seat in our society in recent years, certainly due to the Corona pandemic, during which we were more or less thrown back on ourselves. We would like to actively promote and rejuvenate social skills.
The non-profit is also aimed at those who have had multiple experiences of failure in their lives and may never have the opportunity to blow glass otherwise. It is oftentimes important to have completely new experiences in life, to experience acquiring competencies that one does not think are possible.
In this way, we pursue the goal of promoting self-confidence and confidence in one's own competencies. We offer a space for those who have overcome addiction experiences, with mental illnesses, refugees and young people who are difficult to place in the labor market. The promotion of social competencies, working together with people from different cultures leads to understanding and comprehension.