KIDS ‘N TRICKS is an integrative media project of the Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences that has been taking place in cooperation with Düsseldorf child welfare institutions since 2015. The project gives children aged 7-12 a voice to tell their personal stories in the form of animated films. Together with students from the Faculty of Media and under the direction of Prof. Isolde Asal and her colleagues, the kids develop the script and the characters for the animated film in an introductory workshop. The animation and sound design are then created by the children themselves in another compact workshop with the support of the students. Post-production is then again the students’ task before the films are shown at a premiere party in a Düsseldorf arthouse cinema. Internationally, the KIDS ‘N TRICKS films have already been shown at over 80 animated film festivals and have also won many awards.
Max & Leyla (2018)
On the small dry island of Crystal, somewhere in the big ocean, lives the little dragon Max. One day he notices that down in the sea, just off his island, lives the mermaid Leyla with her dog Blub-Blub and her friends. They are very happy there and, unlike Max, don’t suffer from hunger thanks to a magical object… Max is now desperate to have it too! Will he get it…?
Kids: Crystal Fosu, Hanna Rutten, Isabell Wittkopf, Jessica Sousa, Mina Yotli, Nisrine Ait Ali, Nusrath Islam, Paula Münter, Sohna Loum & Yamina Messaoudi
Students: Andreas Wallmeier, Bianca Thielen, Daniel Lacher, Daphne Waporidis, Dennis Lacher, Donika Karachorska, Finn Leonhardt, Katharina Janke, Kimberly Hilgers, Marlena Opalka, Niklas Spies, Patrik Rompa, Pauline Gödecke & Wiebke Schnabel
Child care: Diakonie Düsseldorf & Kinderclub Kiefernstraße
Project supervisor: Prof. Isolde Asal
Team: Kevin Plogmaker, Thomas Zipf
Creepy (2019)
It’s early in the morning and school is about to start – many children are looking forward to seeing their friends again. But this is not the case for many children – including CREEPY. He looks different and is therefore not accepted by the other pupils. They tease him and make fun of him, even the teacher joins in. Of his classmates, only Emma, the class president, seems to recognise and sympathise with his situation. Will she be able to help CREEPY finally be respected and make friends?
Kids: Shahd Al Saadi, Annalena Arlt, Aylin Celik, Ara Dabbach, Niko Kin, Jamila Ökcesiz, Samuel Ouali Tobalina
Students: Nina Aelker, Amrin Ahmed, Noyan Gökcen, Johannes Günther, Justin Janßen, Lucas Kalkhof, Tamara Meinhardt, Robin Merz, Fabian Meseck, Dustin Redlich, Miriam Schmitthenner, Niklas Spies, Bianca Thielen, Sara Valavaara
Child care: Diakonie Düsseldorf & SOS Kinderdorf
Project supervision: Prof. Isolde Asal
Team: Kimberly Hilgers, Marlena Opalka, Thomas Zipf
Viking’s Gold (2021)
On an island in the far north, Olaf the Viking lives in his fort. Olaf owns a lot of gold, but he lives there all alone with his dog Bentley. So one day he invites the whole Viking village to a party. He sets the whole table with the best food on the island, but nobody turns up… Olaf is disappointed and rages with anger until he meets the Viking woman Jette and her sick child Finn.
Kids: Abdellah El Brazi, Hadi Islam, Ibrahim Traore, Mekeda Traore, Vanessa Boakye
Students: Olivia Schönbild, Fauzan Yafi Ariansyah, Ilayda Bal, Carmen Chow, Sebastian Kurtz, Dogukan Masalci, Lena Meinhold, Yannick Obry, Felix Paul Otte, Rintaro Saga, Giulia Waindok, Christina Lösing, Dino Conza, Jacqueline Vogt, Julian Jeßberger, Leonie Dünnwald
Child care: Diakonie Düsseldorf
Project supervision: Prof. Isolde Asal
Team: Kimberly Hilgers, Marlena Opalka, Fabian Klein, Justin Janßen