Press Release

Wolfsburg/ Braunschweig, 13. Oktober 2022. Volkswagen Financial Services (VWFS) are expanding their cooperation with the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, the modern and contemporary art museum in central Wolfsburg. For 20 years now, schoolchildren from the nearby communities have been driven to the museum in a bus financed by VW FS, called the ARTMOBILE, to visit the current exhibitions and workshops being staged there. VW FS are now extending this partnership for another two years and significantly expanding it as well: starting in 2023, guided tours conducted in so-called "Plain Language" will also be supported for 2 years. This was announced today, Wednesday, by VW FS Chief Human Resources Officer Dr. Alexandra Baum-Ceisig in Wolfsburg in the presence of Dr. Andreas Beitin (Director of the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg) and Ute Lefarth-Polland (Head of Art Education at the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg). Teachers and pupils from the secondary school Neue Oberschule in Braunschweig were also present.

Since 2002, Europe's largest provider of automotive financial services has been financing the "ARTMOBILE" bus project, which, during a period of 16 weeks a year, takes school classes from the Braunschweig school district free of charge to the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg in an individually designed coach.

After the project was launched for school classes in 2002, it was extended to senior citizens a year later, and in 2004 a third project was added – a combination of schoolchildren and senior citizens dubbed "Young and Old" or "Take your granny by the hand". The excursions offered have proved a great success, with around 100,000 pupils and seniors taking advantage of the shuttle service since it started up 20 years ago.

The director of the art museum, Dr. Andreas Beitin, particularly highlighted the long-term nature and sustainability of Volkswagen Financial Services AG's commitment: "The bus has become an integral part of the lessons at many schools in the region, and both the teachers and we at the museum can completely rely on this service. We have an exceptional cooperation in progress to bring contemporary art closer to school students. For our elderly citizens, the bus project means greater mobility and the opportunity to enjoy and experience culture together in a group."

Dr. Alexandra Baum-Ceisig explained: "We are very proud of this long-standing project, which brings young and old people into contact with art. The success of this project and the numbers involved speak for themselves, which is why we are continuing our commitment for the next two years. In addition, to make it easier for even more people to have access to the museum, we have decided to support another project entitled 'Plain Language'."

Schools that are interested can register classes for the project. As a result, remotely situated schools and those with poor transport connections can also integrate a visit to the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg into their school day without undue expense and effort, can benefit from the attractiveness of an out-of-class learning setting, and can experience works of art in the original. During periods lasting several weeks in the year, the approximately two-hour visit offer is available from Tuesday to Friday. Each round trip includes an age-appropriate guided tour or a visit to a current exhibition and an artistic-practical workshop.

During the weeks when the school bus is operating, a transfer is reserved on the respective Saturdays especially for the elderly living in retirement homes and senior citizens residences. Thanks to another project partner, the Margarete Schnellecke Foundation in Wolfsburg, senior citizens can also round off their visit to the Kunstmuseum with the treat of coffee and cake in the café.