"With the KULTURRIESEN 2024, the jury pays particular tribute to the impressive variety of events, offers and projects that KuKo regularly organizes," says the justification for awarding the prize by the Thuringia State Working Group for Socioculture. Fifteen working groups, three associations and five projects alone are active under its umbrella: from musical open-air culture to scientific fantasy, from the university film club to the TheaterLeiterTheater, from the Folktage Days to the Sound of Indonesian String. Series of events also take place under the umbrella of the association, such as the Culture & Food Festival or the Ilmenau Jazz Days. According to the jury, it thus "makes a decisive contribution to the (socio)cultural development of Ilmenau and the region."
With its diverse activities and its legal and financial independence, the KuKo "provides scope for creativity and encourages people to get involved in culture." The jury particularly emphasized the important role played by the integration of different cultures and socio-political understanding.
Finally, the jury was also impressed by KuKo’s many years of commitment. The association was founded in 1991 as a cultural organization of the former Ilmenau University of Technology, the forerunner of the TU Ilmenau. With over 200 members, it now has an impact far beyond the student cultural cosmos. According to the jury, the KuKo "has become the central socio-cultural contact, supporter, networker and initiator for the entire city over the years. A socio-cultural all-rounder in a class of its own!"
Christoph Thron
Board of Directors Ilmenau Cultural Association Coordination e. V.+49 3677 69-1731
vorstand.kuko@tu-ilmenau.de
