Castle in the Air – A selfmade Radio Play

One fine, unsuspecting morning, the keynote speaker at the family business congress disappears at the university. It soon becomes clear: a blackmail extortion, just like in real life. Apparently, it's about some tough demands: they want to force family businesses in the Ruhr region to establish children's and youth centers, thus investing in social sustainability. However, the blackmail action is clearly excessive and quickly spirals out of control for everyone involved. Simply too big a deal! But that doesn't make the situation any less dangerous…

So much for the setting of the radio play, which is to be realized together in this two-semester seminar. As in real life, the radio play is developed in all production steps: from the "script" written by the students themselves, to the acting of the scenes to the dressing with sound and music tracks - from writing to mixing! In the winter semester, the screenplay is developed, which is then acted out and edited acoustically in the following summer semester. The radio play is scheduled to be publicly presented at the beginning of July 2027 in a location in Witten that is yet to be determined and is characterized by social engagement.

Ulrich Land is a writer, radio producer, and author of over 150 radio plays and features for various ARD stations. He has also published more than ten novels. Since 2005, he has been teaching creative writing at the University of Witten/Herdecke.