From Complexity to Curiosity
How we turn intricate ideas into bite-size discoveries at the annual ‘Wissenschaftsrallye’
Many of the topics we explore at the BCDSS relate to the experiences of young people. Yet these topics can be hard to engage with, since they often touch on sensitive issues and are part of complex research projects, making them less accessible to a wider audience. So, how can we capture young people’s interest?
Photo by Daniela Berrío Domínguez
One way to try out new ideas is through the 'Wissenschaftsrallye', an annual event at the University of Bonn for teens aged 13 to 19. The rally gives curious youngsters a chance to explore research from across the university’s faculties and to connect with the university as potential future students. Over the past five years, the BCDSS has created a number of activities that bring the realities of strong asymmetrical dependency to life: from a digital quiz on the lives of enslaved people in Ancient Rome to practical challenges like carrying sacks of potatoes, offering participants a feel for the hardships faced by children forced to work in nineteenth-century fields and factories.
This year’s activity was developed in close collaboration with PhD researcher Bahar Bayraktaroğlu on the topic of “Kids in Entertainment”. The idea took shape over several weeks of dynamic collaborative planning, beginning with Bahar’s presentation of her research on “Children and Youth in The Late Ottoman Constantinople: 1880s and Onward”.
Alongside Bahar, the planning team included Niniane Waldmann and Daniela Berrío Domínguez (PR Assistants), Laura Hartmann (Press and PR Coordinator), and Cécile Jeblawei (Press and PR Manager). Guided by the three Cs of public engagement—Collaboration, Communication, and Commitment—we set out to:
Distill the complex research topic into a clear, tangible theme
Connect this theme to the everyday experiences of 13- to 19-year-olds
Design interactive activities that are both educational and enjoyable
Ensure we capture personal views and opinions from participants
We focused on the historic case of the London-based “Beni Zoug Zoug Circus”, a renowned troupe that toured circuses, theaters, and entertainment venues across Europe with daring acrobatic acts that thrilled audiences. Behind the spectacle, however, the performers—children as young as three and up to sixteen—were indentured laborers under the authority of a French-Algerian headmaster. In late nineteenth-century East London, it was common for poor families to send their children into such troupes in the hope they would learn a trade and secure employment. Instead, the reality was gruelling: intensive training, strict discipline, and relentless practice often led to exhaustion and frequent injuries. Despite the contracts, the families often received no wages at all. Yet, juvenile acrobats became central to the entertainment world of the time, leaving a lasting imprint on the history of circus and performance arts.
On the day of the rally, our visitors were led through five stations on “Kids in Entertainment”:
Historical input: children in entertainment in 19th century
Comparative input: Children in entertainment then and now
Reactions: interactive emoji board to express feelings
Reflections: rationalizing one’s reactions by given written feedback
Fun/Reflections: dressing up and mimicking acrobats on stage
Photos by Daniela Berrío Domínguez
These were some of the youngsters’ reactions:
Image by Niniane Marie Waldmann
Read below some of our team’s impressions:
Bahar Bayraktaroğlu (PhD researcher whose work inspired this activity)
“Taking part in organizing the Wissenschaftsrallye 2025 at the University of Bonn with the PR team of the BCDSS was a memorable experience for me! Closely connected to my doctoral research on children in entertainment, but much more, over several weeks, we met regularly, shared ideas, and worked together to create a program that gradually took shape. Although the event itself was designed for children and young individuals, it attracted the attention of adults, too. Visitors to our mini exhibition showed genuine interest, asked thoughtful questions, and gave us encouraging feedback. Although the preparation was sometimes demanding, it was rewarding to see that our work reached the audience and helped raise awareness of the topic!
In reflecting on this, I was also reminded that child labor has long been tied to the entertainment world—historically visible in theaters, circuses, and street performances, and still present today in different forms across societies. Whether in traditional settings or modern media industries, children continue to contribute to consumption of leisure and pleasure in ways that range along a spectrum, often serving the enjoyment of adults or even other children.”
Niniane Waldmann (PR student assistant)
“Coming into this project, I had little prior knowledge about children in entertainment 150 years ago, so it was both fascinating and shocking to learn about these stories.
I really liked the comparative approach we came up with: children in entertainment then versus children in entertainment now. With my background in media studies, I was drawn to exploring how social media has created new forms of entertainment. I focused on researching family influencers, a lucrative and popular trend, as well as more traditional examples like child dancers. What I found interesting is how these influencers portrayed themselves, whether it was “unscripted” or performative. This also made me reflect on autonomy: while children in the past often had very little say in their roles, today’s “childfluencers” also face the challenge of privacy and genuine autonomy.
This experience also showed me how important it is to integrate children into media literacy education. The lines between performance and authenticity and privacy, or between genuine fun and commodification of life seems blurry. At the same time, drawing on their response sheets, the children seemed mostly critical and thoughtful of children entertainers. While this seems reassuring, I believe there is an ongoing need for media education.”
Daniela Berrío Domínguez (PR student assistant)
“Back in my home country Colombia, the normalization of children in entertainment and child labor is part of daily life. In a society where inequality and extreme poverty are the common denominator, it is not unusual to see kids juggling or performing acrobatics at traffic lights. For many, the immediate thought is simply that these children and their families will have at least something to eat.
Participating in the Wissenschaftralley 2025 made me realize what a privilege it is, as a child, to have access to education, play, and care, without having to give that up just to entertain others or to survive. I’m grateful to the BCDSS for creating spaces where younger generations can reflect on realities sometimes far from their own, yet still generate meaningful conversations with friends and family.”
Azemina Coric (PR student assistant)
“What I found interesting about the project is that it examined children in entertainment through the lens of dependency. The aim was to encourage young participants to think critically about these relationships, both historically and in the present day, using examples such as children working as entertainers on digital platforms.
Personally, I think the project's greatest strength was its ability to create an interactive experience that was both enjoyable and meaningful for the children involved. It conveyed the important message that dependency can manifest in various forms, even within seemingly appealing contexts such as historical circuses or contemporary online entertainment spaces.”
Find more information on our rallies here.
