If you have a teenager, you’ll know that it can be a challenge keeping them inspired and occupied. For a creative outlet that comes with high-tech cred it might be worth checking out Tumo, a forward-thinking learning hub that lets kids aged 12 to 18 discover their talents. Billed as a “Center for Creative Technologies”, the Charlottenburg space runs an after-school program that’s both fun and future-proof: 3D animation, film, robotics, programming and music are amongst the ten techy skills taught here. The concept originally hails from Armenia, where coaching kids to thrive in next-gen industries has long been the norm. This horizon-broadening ethos has now made it to Berlin, and here particular importance is placed on letting teens experiment. Once signed up, youngsters attend two two-hour sessions a week where they pursue their chosen skill both independently and under the guidance of coaches. If, having started, your teenager decides she wants to put down her drawing pen and start building robots, it’s a simple case of switching programs. All the sessions are held at the Tumo center, whose polished concrete and glass interior is the polar opposite of tired school classrooms. If this sounds like the ideal addition to your teen’s classic school subjects (and a nifty way to get them out of the house) then go and get them signed up online. The best part of the deal: participation is totally free!
Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: Timotheus Theisen & Tumo
Tumo, Wilmersdorfer Str.59, 10627 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map
Mon–Fri 16–20h, Sat 10–18h
