"The Hedgehog File" is the violence pre-vention project of the charity program by Mato Storytelling Company and is cele-brating its 25th anni-versary in 2023!

For the past twenty-five years, my ensemble and I have successfully performed and conducted "Operation Hedgehog" in over 4,400 shows at countless kindergartens, after-school programs, and primary schools. The response from educators has been excellent, and the children are thrilled. "Operation Hedgehog" has repeatedly been praised from all sides for its ability to effectively convey violence prevention to young audiences in a way that has a profound and lasting impact on children and adolescents. The young viewers are introduced to the challenging topic in a child-friendly, exciting, and humorous manner. Through group and classroom activities, the children are encouraged to better understand their social environment and navigate it more effectively, while also reducing prejudices, fears, and inhibitions. The objective is for the children to learn to identify their own needs and effectively communicate them to others, as well as to respect the needs and boundaries of others. The prevention project aims to inspire the children to engage in independent and proactive actions, thereby strengthening their self-confidence. Both the theater performance and the accompanying DVD, audio CD, teaching materials, and book provide adults with the opportunity to actively work with the children.

My goal is to put an end to violence in our society and create a social climate that fosters and strengthens the development of our children, for the benefit of us all!

Best regards,

Olaf A. Krätke Author, Director, Overall Project Leader "The Hedgehog File" (Creator)