Empowerment Days 2026
Empower. Encourage. Transform.
From November 7 to December 8, 2026, Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts’ Empowerment Days will once again feature a diverse program centered on empowerment, human rights, and nonviolent coexistence.
Join us and look forward to exciting events, powerful voices, and new perspectives.
For students and staff at Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts.
Participation in all events is free of charge.
Program
November 7 & 8, 2026
12:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m.
“Against Violence” Performance Workshop
Target audience: Flinta*
Description:
In this workshop, under the experienced guidance of Elsa Vogels, we will develop a performance against violence against Flinta* for the Orange Days in Coburg. Elsa is a theater educator and performance expert.
We were inspired by the performance by Las Tesis, an activist feminist group from Chile. #wearejanedoe #yourbodyisabattlefield
Venue: Theaterlabor, Room 10.111, Friedrich-Streib Campus, Friedrich-Streib Street
Registration: frauenbeauftragte@hs-coburg.de
November 18, 2026
4:45–5:30 p.m.
Move on up!
Crowdsinging / Karaoke Choir
Description:
The music plays from a recording, and the lyrics are on the wall! Singing together is fun and empowering. To celebrate Empowerment Days, we’ll sing songs about empowerment and strength (e.g., Gossip’s “Move in the Right Direction”). A curated selection of songs will be available on-site, and the crowd can request 2–3 additional songs.
Target audience: anyone who enjoys singing (no prior experience necessary)
Venue: Theaterlabor, Room 10.111, Friedrich-Streib Campus, Friedrich-Streib Street
No registration required—just stop by, whether you’re coming alone or with others
November 19, 2026
1:00–2:00 p.m.
What It Means to Be a Father and a Man Today
Online Talk and Discussion with Carsten Vonnoh of Väterherz
Description:
“What It Means to Be a Father and a Husband Today”
Modern fatherhood caught between traditional role models and new expectations.
Target audience: Employees (especially fathers)
To register, contact Monika Faaß (Family Office) at monika.faaß@hs-coburg.de
November 24, 2026
5:30–7:00 p.m.
Sexual Healing
Film & Discussion on Sexual Self-Determination
Description:
What does it mean to explore one’s own sexuality on one’s own terms—beyond societal expectations, shame, and rigid gender roles?
The award-winning documentary “Sexual Healing” follows Evelien, a 53-year-old woman born with cerebral palsy, on a very personal journey. She begins to rediscover her own desires, her body, and her need for intimacy, and to grapple with the question of what sexual fulfillment means to her personally.
Following the film, we invite you to join us for a moderated discussion on sexual self-determination, female desire, body image, and what it takes to experience one’s own sexuality as something personal and empowering.
Film: Sexual Healing, directed by Elsbeth Fraanje, Netherlands 2022, 55 min
Venue: Theaterlabor, Room 10.111, Friedrich-Streib Campus, Friedrich-Streib Street
No registration required—just stop by, whether you’re coming alone or with others
December 1, 2026
6:00–7:30 p.m.
Reading by the Coburg Adult Education Center (VHS) Writing Workshop
About the exhibition “STILL RISING – What Remains, What Grows”
Description:
The texts were written in the VHS Writing Workshop in Coburg, led by Nicole Eick, and are read by the authors. The texts explore emotional spaces and positive and negative feelings that often remain hidden yet continue to have an impact.
In attendance are the artist Jule Ohlsen and Tanja Bächer-Sürgers, the exhibition’s organizer.
Venue: Designfabrik at the Coburg Slaughterhouse Complex, Schlachthofstraße 1, 96450 Coburg
Target audience: Everyone is welcome—just stop by, whether you’re alone or with others
December 8, 2026
4:30 p.m.
Fireplace Chat
Balancing Career and Family in Academia / Gender Bias in Academia (in German)
On Balancing Career and Family in Academia / Gender Bias in Academia (in German; questions in English are welcome)
Guests:
#Prof. Dr. habil. Karin Meißner,
Research Professor of “Integrative Medicine in Health Promotion,” Scientific Director of the Analytics4Health Doctoral Center, Equal Opportunity Officer for Women in Science and the Arts at HSCO
Chair in Artificial Intelligence for Autonomous Driving, Member of the NISys Doctoral Center
# Sabine Konrad-Schwämmlein / B.S. in Business Administration / MA in Strategic Sustainability Management
Senior Manager, CSR, Grammer AG
Moderation and Coordination: Kati Müller, Head of the Diversity Division / Laura-Maria Konrad, Transfer and Entrepreneurship Division / Dr. Renate Lucke, Ph.D. Program Coordinator
The event is open to the public and takes place as part of Orange Days 2026, in which the HSCO is participating with Empowerment Days 2026; it is also part of the training program for doctoral students.
The STILL RISING exhibition will be on display at the venue. The discussion is intended to be interactive, with all of your questions and opinions.
/The event is open to the public and takes place as part of Orange Days 2026, in which the HSCO is participating with Empowerment Days 2026, and is part of the training program for doctoral candidates. It is therefore aimed primarily at Ph.D. candidates. Orange Days calls for an end to gender-based violence worldwide, especially against women and girls.
The accompanying exhibition, STILL RISING, will be on display at the venue. The discussion is designed to be interactive, with plenty of time for all your questions and opinions.
Venue: Designfabrik at the Coburg Slaughterhouse Complex, Schlachthofstraße 1, 96450 Coburg
Target audience: Researchers, especially doctoral students
For scientists, especially Ph.D. candidates
