WINTER SCHOOL 2026-
Creating Brave Spaces: Spaces for Courage, Negotiation, and Community Work
Wherever people come together, there are topics that feel difficult to address. “Brave Spaces” are spaces where these topics are consciously addressed. Our Winter School invites you to explore this idea together and put it into practice.
Event has already taken place
6.
November
2026
6. November 2026 – 5. December 2026
10:00 – 17:00
The location will be announced after registration.
Free
The event will take place on the following dates: November 6–7, November 20–21, and December 4–5. The event will be conducted in German.
The event usually runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Whether in the neighborhood, at college, or in volunteer work: wherever people come together, there are topics that feel difficult to address. “Brave Spaces” are environments where these topics are consciously addressed. Through thoughtful facilitation and the willingness of all participants to take responsibility for one another, a productive exchange can take place—even when opposing views clash.
The Winter School “Creating Brave Spaces” invites participants to explore this idea together and put it to the test in practice. There is a special focus on learning through experience: Building on theoretical foundations regarding Brave Spaces, participants will work in small groups to develop their own approaches to creating brave spaces and will implement these themselves over the course of the Winter School within the safe environment of the group.
The Winter School is aimed at active individuals from higher education, political education, civil society, and other communities who wish to initiate or facilitate spaces for exchange and negotiation. The goal is to empower participants to independently design and facilitate Brave Spaces and to carry them forward into their respective contexts.
A collaboration between Bahnhof Langendreer, UniverCity Bochum e.V., vhs Bochum on the way to the House of Knowledge.
Program Winter School
Friday, November 6, 2026
Who are we, and how do we want to treat one another?
To kick things off, we’ll focus on getting to know one another. Together, we’ll explore what defines a “brave space” and what it takes to create one. In doing so, we’ll develop a shared understanding of brave spaces and lay the groundwork for how we want to learn together during the Winter School.
Saturday, November 7, 2026
How can we navigate an intersectional space?
On the second day, we turn our attention to ourselves and our role in shared spaces. We explore power dynamics and examine the significance of care and responsibility for our interactions with one another. Using body-oriented methods and reflection, we question patterns of thought and behavior and create space for unlearning.
Friday, November 20, 2026
Courage and Maturity: Critiquing Discrimination as a Prerequisite for Safe Spaces
Safe spaces require a conscious approach to discrimination, exclusion, and power dynamics. Using real-world examples, we’ll explore how to recognize these issues and respond to them with confidence. Together, we’ll ask: What anti-discrimination strategies are needed to create spaces for solidarity?
Saturday, November 21, 2026
Exploring Constructive Arguments Through Role-Play
Conflict-ridden negotiation processes often fail due to inadequate conditions. Using the “Streitbar” debate model, we’ll explore together how to create spaces for courageous debate. Through role-playing exercises, we’ll bring areas of tension and their impact to light. In a safe environment, we’ll test how constructive debate can succeed.
Could it be like this?! – Brave Spaces Put to the Test in Practice
Together, we’ll test an existing Brave Space format and go through it from start to finish: In the process, we’ll experience different methods—such as constellations, the ball bearing, and the fishbowl—as possible components of a Brave Space. Afterward, we’ll reflect on our experiences: What did this structure make possible, and what insights can we take away to help us design our own Brave Spaces?
Friday, December 4 + Saturday, December 5
Create Your Own Brave Spaces
In the final module, we’ll develop concepts for our own “Braver Spaces.” In doing so, we can draw on the group as a source of peer support. The focus is on the following questions: How can we take what we’ve learned so far and put it into practice? How can we continue to create safe and courageous spaces even after the Winter School is over? What support do we need to get started?
