December 2025, Düsseldorf
HOW INTEGRATION GROWS WHEN WE STRENGTHEN CULTURAL PARTICIPATION
With Teilhabe Schaffen, the Fritz Henkel Foundation implemented a programme in 2024 that supports social organisations, initiatives and social startups in making cultural education visible and accessible. Our impact report shows what this programme has achieved – for the participating teams, for their target groups, and for a shared vision of an open and diverse society in which everyone can participate.
Development Through Professional Support
Over several months, eight projects further developed their ideas during a joint working phase. They were supported through workshops, individual coaching and professional peer exchange. The report illustrates how this support strengthened organisational structures and prepared the teams for the final pitch event, where they competed for one of three main awards as well as the audience award.
| 8 | 120 | 1.155 | 100.000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| funded teams | hours of coaching | votes for the audience award | in prize money |
Highlight: The Social Startup Pitch 2024
The pitch event on 3 December 2024 in Düsseldorf marked the decisive final competition and at the same time served as a stage, amplifier and conclusion of an intensive development process. Across eight pitches, teams presented matured ideas and sharpened concepts. The jury and the audience awarded four prizes with a total prize fund of €100,000.
The impact report highlights:
- the progress achieved by the teams,
- how the programme strengthened their work,
- which changes were initiated,
- and how Teilhabe Schaffen creates long-term impact.
One of the Key Insights: Impact does not emerge in isolation. The impact report clearly shows how valuable the exchange with experts, mentors and practitioners from the field of cultural education was. At the same time, it becomes evident that even more would be possible. The programme provided valuable professional and strategic impulses. However, to sustainably expand their impact, the projects need additional partners, funders and stakeholders willing to join them on this path. The need for stronger connections and further support structures is clearly visible.
Thus, the report not only demonstrates what networking has already achieved, but also highlights the opportunities that arise when more people and institutions share responsibility and strengthen cultural participation together. It also points to existing challenges and shows how we can continue learning and growing collectively.
Because when we strengthen cultural participation, we create encounters, new perspectives and sustainable impact.
THE WINNING TEAMS 2024
1. Place
Spoken Word Akademie
Spoken Word Akademie empowers young people in rural eastern Germany and promotes cultural participation through spoken word poetry as a way to actively counter right-wing extremism. A special focus lies on the culture and language of the Sorbian minority in eastern Saxony.
2. Place
Art Asyl
Art Asyl contributes to enabling children and young people to participate in art and culture through cultural education from a post-migrant perspective. In the long term, the team plans to establish a centre for post-migrant cultural education.
3. Place
Much cooler than yours
Much Cooler Than Yours develops formats that strengthen dialogue between migrant mothers and daughters and promote a positive narrative shift around migration.
Audience Award
Give Something Back to Berlin (since December 2025: Hejmo)
Give Something Back to Berlin connects refugees, migrants and locals through shared cultural and music-based activities such as the Open Music School.
THANK YOU TO THE HIGHLY DISTINGUISHED JURY OF THE PITCH
Thorsten Jahnke Managing Director and Co-Founder, Social Impact gGmbH
Sylvie Nicol Member of the Board, Henkel Management AG and the Fritz Henkel Foundation
Dr. Andreas Rickert Executive Board Member and Co-Founder, Phineo gAG
Reza Solhi Executive Board Member and Founder, #DemokratieLautstark, expert in cultural education
Cornelia Röper Managing Director and Founder, Wefugees gUG, expert in startups and migration