What's going on on the head? - Workshops accompanying the exhibition
Hairy things from children's books.
13th May 2025 – 1st February 2026
Pippi Longstocking's red plaits, Momo's wild curly head and Rapunzel's long braid: there are numerous characters in children's literature with eye-catching hair. Hair and hairstyles are often a central feature of children's literary characters - and in many cases hair is more than just hair: it symbolises character traits, creates identity or shows emotions such as fear or anger.
The exhibition will showcase wild heads of hair and strict braids from old and new picture books and children's books from all over the world. There will also be pop-cultural excursions – after all, Marge Simpson has the most famous blue hair tower of our time. In addition to the question of the different hairy meanings, the exhibition offers many opportunities to discover and participate: How about finding out how long Rapunzel's plait really is?
The exhibition will be accompanied by a variety of workshops for school classes from grade 1 to 8. In writing, poetry and creative workshops, the pupils actively get to know the exhibition, become creative themselves and thus experience literature in a completely new way.
Please note:
Workshops are usually held in German. If you are interested in a workshop in English, please contact us for more information via programm@ijb.de
Creative Workshop
My hair stands on end - Hairy feelings
Grade 1 - 4
The group focusses on creating a collage in which the hair expresses emotional stages like anger, happiness, freedom, sadness and more. Based on the exhibition and the books “Great haut ab” by Pija Lindenbaum and “My hairy day” by Nathalie Didion.
Writing Workshop
“Haarscharfe Worte” - Hairy Poetry for young Poets
Grade 3 - 4
How does it feel to experience your own head from the perspective of a grain of sand? In this sensory-intuitive writing workshop, children in 3rd and 4th grade explore what hair means to them - as part of their own identity and in a cultural context. In small writing exercises, traditional forms are broken down and new ways of expression are discovered - in rhymes, stories or free texts.
Creative Workshop
Hair - The Mirror of the Soul?
Grade 5 and up
Based on the exhibition, this creative workshop invites the pupils to explore ideals of beauty in relation to hair and hairstyles in the context of different social and cultural backgrounds. The focus is on creating a collage that makes their own personality, role models and desires visible.
Price and Registration
Duration: approx. 2.5 h
Cost: 5 euros per person (minimum price 120 euros)
Registration via: (089)8912110 or fuehrungen@ijb.de
Please book workshops at least six working days before the their start. Cancellation is free of charge until three working days before the workshop starts, after that a fee of 80 euros will be charged.