Goethe Institut unveils mega events to mark Open Door Day.

This was during an exchange with the press at the headquarters of Goethe Institut Kamerun in the Bastos neighbourhood in Yaoundé, Centre Region. 

The Open Door Day celebration marks the grand reopening of Goethe Institut’s main building following renovation. It will feature a series of exciting activities showcasing the newly revamped space. 

Speaking during the meeting with the press, the Director of Goethe-Institut Kamerun, Thekla Worch-Ambara, said the renovation of the building came after thorough reflection in 2021 on the spaces. This, she stressed, followed complaints that it was too small and did not have enough space. 

Thekla said discussions were held on whether to move to a new location or find solutions to adapt the spaces. According to the Goethe-Institut Kamerun Director, the planning process took place between 2022 and 2023, before the commencement of renovation work in 2024.  The renovation, we gathered, took almost one year, and the cultural institution was forced to close their doors during that period.

Thekla said a new concept was conceived with the help of architects from Germany and Cameroon which fits the different departments of the Goethe Institut. She summarised the concept in three words; open, flexible and sharing. 

The focus, the Goethe Institut Director said, was mainly to have open spaces, flexible spaces which they can share. 

Thekla also said that thanks to renovation, they were able to create accessible space for people with reduced mobility, so that they can access all the building. The event hall, she said, has also been completely transformed. It has more space and can host more people. It also has an industry-style roof ceiling and reference to nature. 

Thekla said that this is also the concept they adapted to their administrative sections to share more spaces especially meeting spaces so that everybody can have the best surroundings for work. 

"We adapted flexible systems so that we can have one big event room, but we can also separate it so that we can have two spaces for the different purposes which we have for the different departments. Now, the idea is that each department has more to book the spaces which they need and to have this possibility to adapt anytime the different spaces for the different purposes of exams or seminars or country events, workshops or conferences," Thekla told reporters. 

The library has greatly benefitted from the renovation. According to the Head of Information and Library, Jules-Ferry Kotche, many people were unaware of the Goethe Institut Library. Kotche said the team worked to make it more visible, accessible, and spacious. The newly designed library now stands out prominently from the entrance. 

He said that to create a modern library, the team conducted research with partners, users and students, incorporating their feedback. The renovated library features various sections, including a gaming area, workspace, multimedia space and a dedicated area for children. 

Focus on Open Door Day activities 

According to the Programme Coordinator at Goethe Institut Kamerun, Raphael Mouchangou, a bulk of the activities to mark the Open Door Day will take place on Friday June 13 and Saturday June 14. 

Focus on Friday shall be on female artists' challenges, opportunities and perspectives. There will be the opening of a regional exhibition dubbed Abafa (ba) zi, which focuses on female perspectives from visual artists from all over the continent with one of the selected artists from Cameroon. 

Mouchangou said it shall be followed by a talk on the Abafa (ba) zi exhibition and shall conclude with a concert featuring Joyce Babatunde. 

On Saturday, visitors shall be thrilled with a variety of activities that will run throughout the day from 10:00a.m. to 10:00p.m. During the first part of the day, there will be the discovery of the library, robotic demonstration, quiz, storytelling by Ondoa l'Afrikain, Science Lab, introduction to Makune dance with Arsene Etaba, and live drawing. 

Activities in the evening will begin with a talking gig with artiste, Cysoul, and an open mic. That will be followed by the performances of several renowned artists such the Mboa Youth Choir. A trio of humorists; Arthur Paye, Arrache Clou and L'incompris, will take the stage, promising an unforgettable evening of laughter and entertainment. The Rymmeurs ABC, a famous group known for its impeccable mastery of 'Mbole', will grace the stage before DJ Sandra and DJ Labastille hit the stage and thrill the public. 

Before that, Goethe Institut Kamerun organised a training session with librarians. That was followed by a conference on innovative modern libraries where professionals from Cameroon and Germany exchanged best practices. It should be noted that the last Open Door Day was in 2010.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3472 of Friday June 13, 2025