Creative Lounge 2025
Networking meeting of the cultural and creative scene in Upper Franconia brings together around 60 participants in an extraordinary atmosphere
This year's Kreativ Lounge 2025 took place in a very special location: the former Capitol cinema in Schwarzenbach a.d. Saale, which has been revived with great passion. Around 60 players from the cultural and creative industries in Upper Franconia came together here to exchange ideas, network and learn from each other. Since 2017, the Kreativ Lounge has established itself as a permanent fixture in the region and takes place annually at different locations in the districts of Hof and Wunsiedel i. Fichtelgebirge as well as the city of Hof.
Andreas Zuber from the Hof district business development organisation welcomed the guests at the start of the event. Mayor Hans-Peter Baumann was delighted with the choice of venue and emphasised how pleased he was that the Vider family's commitment had given the old cinema a new lease of life, creating a special place for culture in Schwarzenbach a.d.Saale. Accordingly, business promoter Alexander Popp (district of Wunsiedel i.F.) invited those present to spread the word, especially to the big cities, about the spatial opportunities the region offers creative people.
Angela Bier, Mayor of the city of Hof, also addressed the guests and emphasised the importance of the creative industries for the region: "The Kreativ Lounge is an important forum for exchange, collaboration and the development of new ideas." She was particularly pleased that all generations, from young to old, came together.
The wide variety of creative activities of the participants became clear right at the beginning during the round of introductions: from design students to media designers, photographers and authors to coaches - the range was wide and offered initial points of contact for networking. Three creative minds from the region presented their projects in detail:
Amaya Vider-Schubert, photographer and host, gave an insight into how the venue came about. Together with her husband, she breathed new life into the old, abandoned cinema and transformed it into an inspiring location for creative projects.
Another example of creative commitment was presented by ceramist Robert Tietze from Selb. With his "Space for Ideas", he has created an open workshop that not only reflects his passion for ceramics, but is also a place to meet and exchange ideas. He exhibited some of his high-quality ceramics on site.
Kevin Mikeska from Radcycle presented his vision of a new art and creative event with a market, workshops and hands-on activities for Schwarzenbach a.d. Saale, and asked for participants from the region.
"The examples impressively demonstrated how valuable regular dialogue between creative professionals is," said business promoter Klaus Gruber from the district of Hof. Numerous existing initiatives in Upper Franconia already offer a variety of starting points for cooperation.
Finally, District Administrator Dr Oliver Bär addressed the guests and thanked them for their commitment to the cultural and creative scene: "You make an important contribution to the attractiveness and quality of life in our region."
The evening ended in a relaxed atmosphere with culinary delights, inspiring conversations and new ideas - a successful demonstration of how lively and networked the creative scene in Upper Franconia is.