An insider's cultural guide to Dortmund: honest, rough … and adorable

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/oct/26/insiders-cultural-guide-dortmund

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In five words

Honest, adorable, rough, multicultural, ever-changing.

Sound of the city?

Fan chants in Signal Iduna Park, Borussia Dortmund’s football stadium. On some windy summer afternoons you’ll be able to hear them all over town. Gives you goosebumps.

Everyone’s tuning into …

Tatort is a legendary television series that’s been broadcast every Sunday evening since 1970. It’s jointly produced by different regional broadcasters and features a collection of different police stories and different police teams in different cities. Every once in a while an episode from Dortmund is broadcast and everyone sits in front of their TV.

Best venue?

The Tyde Studios – a former ropery turned club, bar, vegan food restaurant and creative habitat on the Dortmund harbour. You can also regularly take part in yoga and pilates at the Tyde Studios. Each Thursday there’s a salsa dancing class and once a month you’re invited to enjoy live music. Highly recommended.

Who’s top of the playlist?

Singer-songwriter Jonas David, no doubt! Since quitting his job at the age of 21, Jonas focused on playing the guitar in several bands until he founded his own. He refuses ordinary methods to capture his music and likes to record at the places he lives, writes or simply feels something. Visiting one of his concerts is a must-do.

Best local artist

Patricia Tarczynski, a 27-year-old graphic designer and illustrator from Dortmund who is known and admired for her monster drawings. If you’re around town you shouldn’t miss her design collectives exhibition at New Peanot.

The look on the street

Dortmund is multicultural and diverse – and so is its street style. Zwillingsnaht (twin seam) was founded by the Dortmund-born twin sisters Jil and Jana. What started out as a private online diary, soon became a well known lifestyle blog that provides a regular dose of inspirational posts.

Best cultural Instagram?

Für Hier (For Here), is a series of events in Dortmund established this year by designer duo Michelle Flunger and Sascha Schilling. Für Hier organises lectures, workshops and exhibitions on literature, photography and graphic design.

What Dortmund does better than anywhere else

Salsa Open Airs at Dortmund Westpark. Although latin dances are not the first thing that come to mind when thinking about Dortmund, there’s a remarkable community that gathers every Friday to partake in them. Some weeks up to 100 people fill the Westpark’s temporary dance-floor with passion and contagious joy. From June until the end of September everyone is welcome, regardless of whether you’re a professional or a newbie.

Moment from history

The Champions League quarterfinal Dortmund v Malaga on 9 April 2013 is known as “Dortmunds Miracle”. Marco Reus and Felipe Santana scored in the last minute and saved Dortmund from elimination. People talked for weeks about it.

Best street art?

There’s an absolutely beautiful artwork by Rodrigo Branco and Pedro Saci at Rheinische Strasse 238.

From me

Julia Sellmann is a freelance portrait photographer based in Dortmund, recently known for her documentary on a religious community in Siberia. Follow her on Instagram here.

Five to follow?

Borussia Dortmund

Feine Gesellschaft

Neues Schwarz

When you live in Dortmund

Export - Raum für zeitgenössische Kunst e.V.