Board · Founder
Bernhard Hanel
Our founder Berni has the biggest heart for children, art and play. He inspires people for a good cause and keeps bringing new ideas into the association.
A small team with a big mission
We create creative, artistically valuable and protected spaces where children can develop through free play and experience the world with all their senses.
Where we see need, we get to work: in slums, orphanages, social centres, schools, facilities for people with disabilities and refugee accommodation – or at exciting new educational institutions. Above all, we build with young people. They learn how good places come about and meet other cultures, until strangers become friends.
How it all began
From a book about Sarajevo to more than 150 play spaces
- 1991
War in the Balkans – a turning point in the middle of Europe.
- 2003
Inspired by Juli Zeh's travel book about Bosnia, Bernhard Hanel travels to Sarajevo himself.
- 2004
Instead of visiting Italy's art treasures, he takes a 12th-grade class to Sarajevo, where they help build the first multi-ethnic kindergarten after the war. The foundation of KuKuk Kultur.
- today
New projects every year, from Albania to Georgia and Brazil.
Our team
Plus countless site managers, playground heroes and supporters.
Board · Chair
Daniel Laiblin
Science teacher who also works in school software. In the association he takes care of technology and finances and is the go-to person for challenges of all kinds.
Board
Valerie Spallek
Architect, educator and play space planner. She also listens for the quieter voices and accompanies one of our social projects abroad every year.
Board
Julian Pfab
Educator and father of two. As a teacher he accompanied several projects and now brings this experience to running the association.
Project management
David Finscher
A juggler at work and on stage: musician, clown and actor, on a circus tour with GO HAPPY all the way to Iran from 2018 to 2020. Today he plans our projects around the world.
Project management
Felix Behr
Bubbling over with ideas and loves tinkering with sound elements. He plans at mätsch studio, manages building sites on KuKuk projects and keeps everything running smoothly in the office.
Site manager
Johannes Lemcke
Master carpenter and father of four, with experience from Brazil, Senegal and Switzerland. Nothing throws him off balance, and he is full of talent for improvisation.
Site manager
Clemens Hunger
Freelance visual artist with great educational sensitivity. With his clear manner and lots of humour, he gets everyone on board.
Office support · volunteer
Bettina Schaller
The good soul of our office. Once a week she brings calm, overview and structure to our often wild project routine.