Portrait of Stanislava Balueva in front of the courtyard on Ratinger Strasse.

3 questions for Stanislava Balueva about the new courtyard on Ratinger Straße

|

"The courtyard is my declaration of love to the city."

In July 2023, Stanislava Balueva took over a legendary location on Ratinger Straße: the Hof. Quite a brave move, as many have failed to revitalize it, most recently Kulturbanausen, which had to file for bankruptcy in spring 2023. But when you get to know Stanislava, you no longer think anything is impossible. Her energy and passion are captivating. She has a solid background, having first studied business management, followed by a degree in work management and sociology, including media and communication studies. She has set a lot in motion for the farm and brings people from different communities together. For example, the courtyard is part of Micro Pop Week, a Düsseldorf initiative for the music and creative scene. The program in the new courtyard is diverse, whether DUB, punk or drag race: anything goes. We asked Stanislava Balueva three questions about motivation, concept and cooperation.

A concert, you see a singer holding up a sign that says "Gabba, Gabba, Hey" in big letters.
The Ramonas from the UK were one of the first bands in the new courtyard.

After the Kulturbanausen had to file for bankruptcy, hardly anyone expected that someone would open a club in the Hof location on Ratinger Straße so quickly. What is your motivation?
We basically have no more live music venues in the old town, at least when it comes to punk, metal and guitar music. Yet subculture needs a place where this can take place and people can experience live music. Music is my passion and with the courtyard, I want to provide the space that is missing in Düsseldorf's old town and offer other cultural activities in addition to live music.

The Hof is naturally associated with the legendary Ratinger Hof. However, a look at the program shows that punk is not necessarily in charge. What can we expect in the new Hof on Ratinger Straße?
We want to offer space to those who otherwise have none. At best, we can implement a socio-cultural concept. But first we have to establish ourselves. We want to rekindle the creative spirit that characterized the courtyard, but it's not a revival of the old courtyard. That's why we're inviting people to a public viewing of "Ru Paul's Drag Race", for example. Düsseldorf drag queen Loreley Rivers is a participant in the show and we always have a full house when the show is on. I also believe that the queer community is also part of the court. After all, punk has always been a political, social attitude. Of course, there will also be punk bands and many other live acts. But it's a matter close to my heart to get FLINTA* on stage, for example in cooperation with the WUT series. I'm focusing on networking and collaboration with the cultural scene so that we can develop a good, creative dynamic.

Stani, who runs the new farm, is sitting backwards on a chair.
Stanislava Balueva in the new courtyard. Some of the furniture comes from bulky waste and was upcycled by Kalle Wahle, organizer of CSD Düsseldorf.

A good keyword: what about collaborations?
For example, I work with Alex Brassel, who did The Tube until it had to close this summer. And we're working with André Janssen from Goldmucke, who are presenting Bernd Begemann in November, and Captain Disko as part of Micro Pop Week. The Düsseldorf scene isn't huge, we have to network with each other in order to provide a good cultural offering. We just had our first reading by Fondermann & Gebhardt, the reading tour was presented by the Ox fanzine. Just as the music styles have become more permeable, so have the individual subcultures. We can't force anything, but of course we hope that the Hof and its spirit will be accepted and that people will come here to be creative and have fun.

derhof-duesseldorf.de

Interview: Cynthia Blasberg
Photos: Courtesy of Stanislava Balueva

Want to stay up to date with what's going on in Düsseldorf? Then subscribe to our newsletter!