DW: Mrs. Schürmann, how did you get the idea that long-term unemployed people could get back into a job by acting?

Sandra Schürmann: Because of my biography. When I was in school, I had big problems myself. I dropped out or was kicked out several times. So I questioned the way employment agencies were trying to get the long-term unemployed back into jobs - they usually try to make them catch up on school diplomas and get vocational qualifications. As for people who've already failed in school, I doubt this is a good way.

The idea crossed my mind when I was watching a student theater performance. I'm not much of a theater-goer myself and have never done any acting on stage. But the energy in that room inspired me. I think with that kind of energy, you can achieve anything.

How does your Jobact project work?

For half a year, we've worked almost full-time to stage a theater play, from the first idea to the premiere. We start by forming a group, choosing the piece, building the stage, making masks and costumes. People work together on every aspect of the performance.

A social worker is coaching the group. This leads to a heightened awareness, and in-depth conversations can be held one-on-one. That's a completely different from traditional counseling. The first phase of the project ends with the premiere.

What's so special about acting?

Theater is a holistic experience, you even feel about your body differently. At the start, young people usually find it difficult to act physically. But by the end of a project, they want to do just that. Theater also touches the soul. If you perform in a group, you have to work as a team. If not, the whole play wouldn't work.

Another aspect is that through this creative and artistic work, a whole new world of ideas and inspiration opens up to participants. They learn to be courageous enough to act on their inspiration. And they surely need all of that in a regular working environment as well.

During the six months of a theater project, they also learn not to give up, to hang in there and follow things through. For the participants, that is often a very new experience. They have been used to throwing in the towel, thinking it wouldn't matter anyway and that nobody believes in them. In our project, that's totally different, and they draw incredible energy from the premiere.

And after the premiere - they enter the labor market?

Then, the project moves on to the vocational phase. For a similiar period of time, five to six months, participants do internships in companies. There, they can draw on their theater experience and apply it to their work. But they are still coached in the group. They meet once a week and review their experiences at work, also by using the techniques of theater.

How do they find suitable jobs?

We carefully look at the needs and wishes of each participant individually. The jobs range from shop assistant to craftsman. As far as I know, none of them has become a professional actor yet.

There was a young man who so much wanted to work as a banker, you couldn't talk him out of that. But he didn't even have a high school diploma, so there was no way a bank would hire him.

During the theater project it became clear that he was not so much interested in banking, but rather in elegant appearances and in wearing suits. This young man has found work as a salesman for menswear, selling suits and of course wearing them himself. He successfully made an apprenticeship and is very happy in his job.

How many participants have managed to find a job after your project?

The project started in 2005. We used to have a placement rate of 60 percent, which is much higher than conventional projects for the unemployed.

Back then, the unemployment rate in Germany was much higher than it is now.

But I think it's not only about finding a job immediately. We believe that our projects help to increase self-awareness and creativity.

We did a study to find out what happened to participants three years after the project. 70 percent had found regular jobs, with employers paying social security fees.

Who can participate in your projects?

We extended our project range and don't work exclusively with young people anymore. We don't really select our participants, the only prerequisite is them being out of work for a long time.

The employment agencies recommend them to us, and then we invite them to a kind of casting. We don't explain much during those meetings, just invite them to participate. They can then decide for themselves whether they'd like to join or not.

Sandra Schürmann has received numerous awards for her efforts to help the unemployed, among them Germany's Order of Merit. She is a member of Ashoka, an international foundation which supports social entrepreneurship. Her theater workshops originally focused on long-term unemployed under the age of 25. Since then, the program has been extended to unemployed people over the age of 50, single mothers and young people without high school diplomas.