The European Marketplace 2017
EUROPE is often only associated with its institutions. But Europe is actually all of us, the European citizens. And we all must take responsibility for the success of the European project. In order to bring forward the European integration process, we need to integrate culture even more; within this context, in particular the cities and regions and its citizens are challenged. The European Marketplace aims at presenting inspiring daily practice examples from the urban context. How lively, diverse and colourful is the “local” Europe? Which projects and initiatives manage to strengthen the peaceful coexistence and tolerance in different city districts? Which projects and initiatives succeed in reducing prejudices? What can culture contribute to enhance integration locally? And how do local projects support the European Project? The European Marketplace is funded by the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (Federal Agency for Civic Education).
The European Marketplace 2017
EUROPE is often only associated with its institutions. But Europe is actually all of us, the European citizens. And we all must take responsibility for the success of the European project. In order to bring forward the European integration process, we need to integrate culture even more; within this context, in particular the cities and regions and its citizens are challenged. The European Marketplace aims at presenting inspiring daily practice examples from the urban context. How lively, diverse and colourful is the “local” Europe? Which projects and initiatives manage to strengthen the peaceful coexistence and tolerance in different city districts? Which projects and initiatives succeed in reducing prejudices? What can culture contribute to enhance integration locally? And how do local projects support the European Project? The European Marketplace is funded by the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (Federal Agency for Civic Education).
70TK, Istanbul
The main aim of the project is to document the spatial and cultural changes throughout the history of one of the most significant multicultural districts of Istanbul, formerly named Tatavla, today known as Kurtuluş. In order to do so, we revealed the personal memoirs of multicultural life in Tatavla through oral history interviews which were conducted with 23 people. In the meantime, comparing the old maps and through literature reviews, newspaper and archive research, we found out how the district has been altered in relation to the historical and political context. We exhibited the outputs at the Kurtuluş Greek School building which has not been used since 2003 due to a lack of students. The creative and interactive displays include a conference hall size map of remembrance, the before and after photos of the historical buildings to point out false architectural interventions, sound installations of oral history interviews designed according to particular themes, a short documentary, former and current names of the streets and so on.
Alternative Europameisterschaft – Alternative European Championship
Since 2004 the Alternative European Championship (aem) is being carried out by alternative football players from all over Europe. These players are far removed from the conventional football club playing and are thus not familiar with screaming trainers and referees who want to be the centre of attention. The 13th aem will take place in Novalja, Croatia from the 8th to the 10th of June 2018. The costs are covered by the teams themselves – with 16 teams these costs amount to about 60.000 Euro per aem and thus to about 1 Million Euro since the establishment of aem. There is no sponsoring.
Begegnungschor
Called the “Begegnungschor” – roughly translated as the “getting-to-meet-you-choir” – the choir has become a big European musical family. For the past two years 50 to 80 Berliners and refugees have been singing songs from each other’s traditions every Wednesday, working hard to learn both the language and style of unfamiliar music as an opportunity to overcome the isolation and prejudices refugees face every day. The choir has already performed in public several times, for instance at the German Choir Festival in Stuttgart and during the chor.com in Dortmund. “Let’s sing, not hate” might be the slogan of this very special choir discovering the power of communicating and of understanding one another through music.
Berliner Geschichtswerkstatt e.V. – Berlin History Workshop
The Berlin History Workshop was founded as a non-profit organisation in 1981. Since then various research teams of the association have studied Berlin history topics which had previously been rather neglected by academic and official research. Women’s history, daily life in local quarters like Schöneberg or Lichtenrade, local traces of Jewish life, resistance activities against Nazi dictatorship, forced labour during World War II, private pictures of Russian soldiers or the immigrant minorities’ history since the 1960’s have been major focuses. Research results have been made available to the public through exhibitions, catalogues, books, lectures, smartphone apps and guided city tours. Furthermore, the Berlin History Workshop has been engaged in debates about historical memorial sites or reinterpretations of German history.
Beyond ´91 – Portrait of the Perestroika Generation
BEYOND ’91 is the latest editorial project of Cafébabel Berlin. 25 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the editorial project BEYOND ’91 presents seven feature reports by the Perestroïka Generation, as seen by themselves. Seven cross-border stories by 14 journalists and photographers from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia report on merging topics of the respective countries: transgender people in Belarus, mixed couples in Estonia, life with an atomic plant in Lithuania, old Soviet games for children, heroes of daily life from Latvia, street life in Moldova, a subversive theatre company in Ukraine.
CIVICO Europa
We are Europeans from all horizons and generations united in the belief that it is time to re-invent modern democracy, to bridge the representative gap between the EU and its citizens, and to create the first European civic space where continuous participative democracy can flourish. CIVICO will carry out a democratic experiment starting with the first ever transnational citizens’ consultation engaging millions of citizens in ten member states in order to gather their genuine priorities & concerns to make Europe serve them better. The resulting data will be send to partnered universities in each of the countries, which will turn them into concrete & positive policy proposals with the help of physical workshops involving citizens & experts. This elaboration will be hosted & documented on the CIVICO online platform, an interactive European civic space where citizens will be able to engage with all content & vote on the finalised proposals they believe in. The finalised bottom-up proposals will be submitted to EU institutions & candidates from all political groups ahead of the 2019 elections for their adoption. (…)
Club der Polnischen Versager – Club of Polish Losers
The Club der polnischen Versager is especially active in the sociocultural and sociopolitical areas. Furthermore, it is very much committed to the idea of the European Union, partly because of the post national rationale of the Club itself. The promotion of arts and culture through the organisation and implementation of our own projects and events, as well as the acquisition of funds for the organisation and implementation of such projects and events are the main tasks that we set ourselves. These projects and events include readings, concerts, photo/picture/reportage-exhibitions, film screenings, theatre and satirical performances, roundtable discussions, festivals, intercultural workshops, political-educational work, cabaret, fine arts, district and neighbourhood projects as well as other artistic forms and civic engagement, the promotion of research and education on the past and present (especially in relation to German-Polish relations in cooperation with the relevant educational institutions), the establishment and maintenance of a network of distinguished Polish, German and international artists.
Cooperation Network of European Routes of Emperor Charles V.
The project of the European Cultural Itinerary of the European Routes of Charles V is based on the following points: Together, the institutions which comprise the Cooperation Network of the European Routes of Charles V accommodate and/or represent the cultural, historical-artistic, academic and social legacy of the reign of the European Emperor Charles V bringing together the largest known collection of evidence of this period of European history. This legacy forms a formidable cultural and historical reference for the present cities of Europe, and tangible proof that the European nations of the Modern Age share cultural, artistic, political and social values instead of tensions and serious confrontations which have been overcome. Currently, the regions represented offer a vast range of destinations of cultural and natural interest as well as activities and commemorations.
Different Wars – National School Textbooks on World War II
The exhibition “Different Wars” reveals the variation in the narration and perception of the history of the Second World War in modern high school textbooks of the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland and Russia. The choice of the subject was motivated by the fact that World War II remains one of the most painful and conflicting episodes of the European nations’ memories. The modern high school textbooks were chosen as they communicate the spirit of their time and express the culture they are written in.
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in Berlin
Sustainable urban development and societal participation for all residents belong to the fourth funding priority of the ERDF and is funded with a total of 115 million EUR and complemented with another 115 million EUR of national co-financing. The funds are e.g. used to support and establish educational, integrational, leisure and consulting offers. On the basis of district-driven development concepts, “Zukunftsinitiative Stadtteil II”
(ZIS II) supports a comprehensive and permanent social stabilisation of disadvantaged districts. Self-help and civic commitment, the improvement of social infrastructure and the access to educational programs are some of the issues that are supported by the initiative. Successful projects like “Hürdenspringer Neukölln” (p. 19) and the “Selbsthilfewerkstatt Moabit” (p.22) greatly contribute to societal cohesion in disadvantaged districts and promote the European idea in Berlin. (…)
EUROPA – Lichtinstallation (morePlatz)
The project is a positive statement for Europe. The lettering, which consists of 33 fluorescent tubes, will be installed in four different locations in the course of two years. The concept emerged on the initiative of morePlatz. The first phase of it had been realised through crowdfunding in the autumn of 2016. The 33 fluorescent tubes represent the 33 godparents who have supported the project. The second location of the installation is the tower of the Komische Oper, Berlin. Its opening took place on May 9th, Europe Day, with the support of the European Commission, the PR Department of the European Parliament, the Allianz Kulturstiftung and the Schwarzkopf Stiftung.in attendance of the artistic director of the Komische Oper Barrie Kosky, the Berlin Senator for Culture and Europe Dr. Klaus Lederer, MEP Sylvia-Yvonne Kaufmann and representative of the EU Commission Richard Kühnel with music by members of the orchestra and the children’s choir of the Komische Oper.
EU-Funding-Guide Website
The EU-Funding-Guide Website is a project of the delegation DIE LINKE in the EU Parliament on the initiative of MdEP Martina Michels. It was set up on the occasion of the EU-funding period 2014-2020 in cooperation with Dr. Renate Eras, an expert for European Project Management. It is updated continuously and administrated by Peter Schmidt. The EU-Funding-Guide Website aims to support active civil society in realising their innovative project ideas by providing easily accessible information on suitable funding opportunities by EU programs and how to apply for them successfully. Users can research practical tips for planning their diverse projects and find links to the EU program websites as well as to the national agencies responsible in Germany, national contact points and public institutions, where projects are advised and processed.
EuroPeers
EuroPeers are young people who have gathered European experiences of their own under the EU’s Erasmus+ YOUTH IN ACTION programme and want to share them with their peers. They may have gone abroad with the European Voluntary Service or dealt with European issues as participants in a youth initiative. EuroPeers either organise their own events or may be invited by schools, youth welfare offices or cultural centres to speak. All EuroPeers perform these activities voluntarily. One of the biggest successes in the EuroPeers project is using the peer-to-peer approach. Sharing own experiences and basing information, recommendations and educational workshops on these experiences makes every EuroPeer activity authentic and youth-oriented. Over the last few years the EuroPeers network has been growing. This interest shows the big potential of EuroPeers. It has been challenging to reach out to enough young people with fewer opportunities, but EuroPeers are aware of this and try to organise more activities with and for this target group.
Forum Aberdeen
The project ‘My Culture, Your Politics | Forum Aberdeen’ aimed to promote the role of the campus of the University of Aberdeen as an active forum for discussion, to increase engagement with current affairs and to promote active citizenship. We wanted to challenge all the attendees to think about the future of Europe together and critically discuss the current state of affairs in Europe. The topic, “My Culture, Your Politics” addressed the way culture is used as a code for isolationist and populist arguments as well as for internationalists and pan-European narratives. With our experienced panelists from different walks of society and across Europe we critically considered some of the big contradictions, developments and questions that are stirring emotions and discussion across Europe, such as nationalism, regional separatism, and divergence and identity.
Freunde Kolbergs e.V.
We are a group of people from Berlin. Our mission is to fill the city-partnership between Berlin-Pankow and Kolobrzeg (Kolberg) with life. We organize projects, exchanges, youth projects, sports projects and more with partners in Poland. “Freunde Kolbergs e.V.” has existed for 20 years now. Our partners are institutions in the partner-city Kolobrzeg and local institutions in Berlin that are involved in German-Polish-Projects.
Future of Citizens – Future of Europe
During our three-day event in Tbilisi in October 2017, we discussed – together with young people and civil society – the creation of a common European space that is needed for the future of Europe. Workshops were facilitated by three international experts with extensive experience in providing public involvement in important issues for Europe. During intensive two days, 65 participants of various ages (13-22) participated, the gender balance amounted to 40 female and 25 male participants. During the two days, we organised five sessions and presentations, four interactive exercises. All age groups were actively involved in all discussions, presentations and group works. Georgians, Armenians, and Azerbaijanis were represented.
Hürdenspringer Neukölln
“Hürdenspringer Neukölln” offers a mentorship program that supports the integration of young asylum seekers between the ages of 18 and 35 into the professional world. With its help, the adolescents get the chance to graduate, find a job and develop the perspective of a self-sufficient life in Germany. Requirements for the program are a solid perspective to stay in Germany and a place of residence in Neukölln. Depending on their age, interests and language skills, the youths are matched with suitable, voluntary mentors that were accordingly trained by and for the project. This process of tandem learning enables the participants to tackle challenges and focus goals mutually. The mentors’ knowledge and their voluntary commitment are central characteristics of the project.
Let’s not Drown Belgrade
The initiative Ne da(vi)mo Beograd (Don’t let Belgrade d(r)own) brings together organisations and individuals interested in urban and cultural policies, sustainable city development, fair use of common resources, and the involvement of citizens in the urban development of their environment. They are a group of people of various profiles, interests and beliefs, gathered around a common goal: putting an end to the degradation and plunder of Belgrade on behalf of megalomaniacal urban and architectural projects, primarily the “Belgrade Waterfront” project.
Made in Brochów
“Made in Brochów” is a ‘bottom-up’ initiative of inhabitants being focussed on their local community. It aims to activate and integrate people within Brochow, one of Wroclaw’s districts. The main goal is to make education and culture more accessible to them, to support their creativity and approach the idea of active citizenship. Through creating local networks, organising workshops and cultural events as well as participating in municipal projects, the initiative tries to make the place better to live in by citizens being aware of their ability to implement changes.
Moving the Periphery – Annäherung an ein Europa im Wandel
Higher Education can be an instrument to encourage students to become citizens who critically reflect on troublesome developments in Europe’s nation states. The teaching initiative ‘Moving the Periphery’ brought together young researchers from King’s College London and the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin to develop fresh perspectives on populism as a political phenomenon. Aspects analysed include populism in the context of left activism, visual representations of Islam in right-wing propaganda, analysis of media literacy and age in relation to Fake News and a comparative of election rhetoric in French and German nationalist parties. The projects also sought innovative digital forms of organising and presenting their research to audiences. The project ran in the summer term 2017, from April to July, concluding in a symposium in London.
Next Generation, Please!
NEXT GENERATION, PLEASE! is an ambitious civic engagement project designed to use culture to empower young people to participate in the democratic process. With the help of artists and decision-makers, NGP! stimulates new thinking amongst the younger generation around the complexity of living together and civic responsibility in today’s world. Identity, borders and migration, were some of the key issues explored in the pilot project at BOZAR (2014-2016). In 2017-2018, the second edition of NGP! will scale the project to an international level in order to maximise scope and impact.
OP ENHEIM
A new house for culture named OP ENHEIM will be created in a baroque tenement at Plac Solny in Wrocław. The historical Oppenheim House will consist of an art gallery focussing on contemporary painting and sculpture, gastronomy, an ‘artist-in-residence’ apartment, offices and a multifunctional conference hall with a terrace and a great view over the roofs of the old town. The plan is to create a place, which will make the Oppenheim House available to the inhabitants of Wrocław and become a headquarter for cultural, scientific and economic institutions. The multifunctional room on the top floor of the attic will make it possible to organise scientific and cultural meetings, small concerts and discussion panels. The Oppenheim House will be open from spring 2018. OP ENHEIM will focus on cultural and art projects, including exhibitions – at the same time referring to the Polish-German and international dialogue. (…)
Partnerschaftsverein Treptow-Köpenick e.V.
The registered association of „Partnerverein Treptow-Köpenick e.V.“ was founded in 2003 with the objective to support, promote and deepen the relations of Treptow-Köpenick with its partner communities. Above all, we commit ourselves to enabling young citizens to personally get to know each other across borders. The association pursues exclusively and directly charitable goals. In addition to youth and student exchanges, it arranges and supports meetings between people of all ages, which are in the interest of arts, education, vocational training, heritage care, sports, economy and tourism. The association supports other organisations as well as citizens’ initiatives, and other institutions which cultivate or wish to establish international friendships.
Platform Shift Plus
The artistic network, PLATFORM shift+ is a large scale cooperation project between eleven partners from nine countries – ten theatres, all recognised as national leaders in the field of theatre for young people, and a university. The network has been created to meet the new challenges of producing theatre for young people in the digital age. The partners have identified the urgent need to engage with digital technology in order to understand their target audience. Today’s young people are digital natives who move naturally between real and virtual worlds. Theatre for them must respond to this new reality to sustain and grow existing audiences and build new audiences for the future. This will enable theatre to accurately portray young people’s reality and inspire them with a belief in theatre as a unique live medium for modern times. In more than 50 activities it connects theatre makers directly with young people in a creative dialogue. (…)
Project NN – To a Culture Centre of the Neighbourhood
The main goal of the project is to develop a long-term initiative for a Culture Centre in Novi Sad’s biggest part of the town – Novo Naselje. Even though the neighbourhood is very familiar with and keen on cultural events and has a great history and famous artists who were raised in Novo Naselje, it has no cultural buildings or similar things. “Project NN” contained: a public survey about a culture centre, focus group discussions, a round table with the city officials and decision makers and as the main part of the project – a Handbook about the whole history, events and the processes of this initiative.
Pulse of Europe
The citizens’ initiative was founded by the German lawyers Daniel and Sabine Röder as a reaction to the increasing attention in the media to populist, anti-European voices. Using their private network of friends and social media, they held a first public meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, by the end of November 2016; about 200 people had joined them. Right now, Pulse of Europe teams in over 120 cities, all over Europe, join the endeavour to be loud and visible in support of a fair, democratic, and reformable European Union. Our aim is to preserve and improve the European Union through encouragement, through showing and generating support. Pulse of Europe aims to stimulate people to take note of the benefits the European project has brought, and continues to bring us, and advertises an internationalist vision of our common future. (…)
School’s Relay – Stop Hate Speech
Launched in October 2014, Schools’ Relay–Stop Hate Speech is an urban educational project led by the Wroclaw Center for Social Development. It is designed for students, teachers, school administrators and school employees. Its aim is to sensitise school communities to the hate speech or manifestations of discrimination against others. Other objectives include raising awareness of the legal and psychological effects of hate crimes and to convince participants to actively oppose discriminatory behaviour when they encounter it. The project’s activities include delivering lectures, workshops and educational exhibitions, each of which tailored at different members of a school community. A key strategy that the project employs is giving lectures to school staff; during these lectures they are informed about symbols of hate speech, about how young people are enticed into extremist groups and about methods to prevent such occurrences in schools. For pupils, interactive “Stereotypes-Biases-Discrimination” workshops lasting for two hours are held. (…)
Schweizerhaus Seelow
At the Schweizerhaus Seelow, Hugo Simon’s facilities have almost disappeared from the memory of the inhabitants of the small district town. Some enthusiasts have taken a heart and founded the homeowner “Schweizerhaus Seelow”, which has set itself the goal of revitalising this historical place. The first cumbersome actions were, after nearly 20 years of Sleeping Beauty, to bring back the once magnificent plants from the embrace of nature. Wild growth in the slopes, parks and staircases made of natural stone, which had long since a forgotten existence under thick layers of humus. The typical sight axes from the landscaped gardens, all this had to be cleared, one by one. The once splendid buildings were devoted to disintegration. Thanks to the great commitment and support of the many voluntary helpers and last but not least by the positive response of the visitors and guests, we have succeeded in making the first steps towards the creation of a tourist attraction which is well known far beyond the borders of our city.
Selbsthilftewerkstatt Moabit – Self-Help Workshop Moabit
Berlin Moabit’s need for social spaces, a run-down garage and lots of commitment made way for a project worth funding. With the help of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the unincorporated association 35services transformed a former garage for trucks into a place of neighbourly encounters and self-help. A workshop for the whole neighbourhood has been set-up, offering space for creative pursuits. Since the opening in May 2016, 35services, for example, organises try-outs for handicrafts and offers possibilities to repair one’s bikes and motorcycles under professional supervision and guidance. It has become a place that facilitates a passion for handicrafts and also teaches about topics such as recycling, upcycling and a careful use of resources. It also shows possibilities to collectively improve the neighbourhood.
The Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe
The over 30 Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe cover a range of different themes, from architecture to landscapes, from religions to civilizations, from gastronomy to handicrafts, to the major figures of European art, music and literature. The certification “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” is a guarantee of excellence. The networks implement innovative activities and projects pertaining to five main priority fields of action: co-operation in research and development; enhancement of memory, history and European heritage; cultural and educational exchanges for young Europeans; contemporary cultural and artistic practice; cultural development. Through its programme, the Council of Europe offers a model for transnational cultural and tourism management. The Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes, established in 2010 by the Council of Europe, with the support of the European Institute of Cultural Routes plays a key role in view of the programme’s steady implementation and development.
The Founding Mothers of Europe
The idea of this project is to show a new way of being European by illustrating and enhancing the role of the founding mothers of Europe. History can be told differently; not only as a series of winners and losers, of kings, queens, battles, of wars and hate, but also as the intertwining of peace, useful inventions, cooperation and solidarity among peoples. To outspread the results of this project the promoter has mixed academic research and dissemination activities such as the realisation of an exhibition, a short book and a website. All this material is available in English and Italian. The author of the portraits is Giulia Del Vecchio.
Urban Art Action
Skopje’s urban development has been marked by a disconnection between large construction projects and citizens’ actual needs. The recent construction project “Skopje 2014” radically changed the face of the city and usurped most of the green spaces in the central district of Centar. What is more, many of the building projects do not serve a recognisable purpose, while at the same time public spaces and everyday infrastructure, both of which are important for the everyday life of urban residents, are being neglected. Urban Art Actions was designed to challenge the local authorities in their decision making process and to raise awareness of the need for citizens’ consent in regards to urban development through urban art actions. Through our artistic actions we have tried to channel civic pressure on decision makers in order to prevent further usurpation of public spaces.
VIVACIDADE – Dress Up the City Voids
The project aims to transform the urban voids of Aveiro into useful spaces for the local community through the involvement and participation of inhabitants, university students and other citizens. The goal was not only to create welcoming, accessible and pleasant spaces that promote encounters and social and cultural activities through the community’s appropriation and identification with places, but also to stimulate an active and positive participation by building the city together and strengthening local identity.
World Café
World-Café is a project by parents for parents. It is temporary and helps (refugees) families to learn the German language. Here families meet once a week in the family-area of the kindergarten, just to sit and talk. They also bring or take children’s clothes. When new families arrive at the kindergarten that do not speak any German, they are invited to the World-Café. If there is no need for the World-Café, the families meet for special projects (e.g. arts, handicrafts), cook together or have discussions about various parts of education (e.g. gender, friendship).
70TK, Istanbul
The main aim of the project is to document the spatial and cultural changes throughout the history of one of the most significant multicultural districts of Istanbul, formerly named Tatavla, today known as Kurtuluş. In order to do so, we revealed the personal memoirs of multicultural life in Tatavla through oral history interviews which were conducted with 23 people. In the meantime, comparing the old maps and through literature reviews, newspaper and archive research, we found out how the district has been altered in relation to the historical and political context. We exhibited the outputs at the Kurtuluş Greek School building which has not been used since 2003 due to a lack of students. The creative and interactive displays include a conference hall size map of remembrance, the before and after photos of the historical buildings to point out false architectural interventions, sound installations of oral history interviews designed according to particular themes, a short documentary, former and current names of the streets and so on.
Alternative Europameisterschaft – Alternative European Championship
Since 2004 the Alternative European Championship (aem) is being carried out by alternative football players from all over Europe. These players are far removed from the conventional football club playing and are thus not familiar with screaming trainers and referees who want to be the centre of attention. The 13th aem will take place in Novalja, Croatia from the 8th to the 10th of June 2018. The costs are covered by the teams themselves – with 16 teams these costs amount to about 60.000 Euro per aem and thus to about 1 Million Euro since the establishment of aem. There is no sponsoring.
Begegnungschor
Called the “Begegnungschor” – roughly translated as the “getting-to-meet-you-choir” – the choir has become a big European musical family. For the past two years 50 to 80 Berliners and refugees have been singing songs from each other’s traditions every Wednesday, working hard to learn both the language and style of unfamiliar music as an opportunity to overcome the isolation and prejudices refugees face every day. The choir has already performed in public several times, for instance at the German Choir Festival in Stuttgart and during the chor.com in Dortmund. “Let’s sing, not hate” might be the slogan of this very special choir discovering the power of communicating and of understanding one another through music.
Berliner Geschichtswerkstatt e.V. – Berlin History Workshop
The Berlin History Workshop was founded as a non-profit organisation in 1981. Since then various research teams of the association have studied Berlin history topics which had previously been rather neglected by academic and official research. Women’s history, daily life in local quarters like Schöneberg or Lichtenrade, local traces of Jewish life, resistance activities against Nazi dictatorship, forced labour during World War II, private pictures of Russian soldiers or the immigrant minorities’ history since the 1960’s have been major focuses. Research results have been made available to the public through exhibitions, catalogues, books, lectures, smartphone apps and guided city tours. Furthermore, the Berlin History Workshop has been engaged in debates about historical memorial sites or reinterpretations of German history.
Beyond ´91 – Portrait of the Perestroika Generation
BEYOND ’91 is the latest editorial project of Cafébabel Berlin. 25 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the editorial project BEYOND ’91 presents seven feature reports by the Perestroïka Generation, as seen by themselves. Seven cross-border stories by 14 journalists and photographers from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia report on merging topics of the respective countries: transgender people in Belarus, mixed couples in Estonia, life with an atomic plant in Lithuania, old Soviet games for children, heroes of daily life from Latvia, street life in Moldova, a subversive theatre company in Ukraine.
CIVICO Europa
We are Europeans from all horizons and generations united in the belief that it is time to re-invent modern democracy, to bridge the representative gap between the EU and its citizens, and to create the first European civic space where continuous participative democracy can flourish. CIVICO will carry out a democratic experiment starting with the first ever transnational citizens’ consultation engaging millions of citizens in ten member states in order to gather their genuine priorities & concerns to make Europe serve them better. The resulting data will be send to partnered universities in each of the countries, which will turn them into concrete & positive policy proposals with the help of physical workshops involving citizens & experts. This elaboration will be hosted & documented on the CIVICO online platform, an interactive European civic space where citizens will be able to engage with all content & vote on the finalised proposals they believe in. The finalised bottom-up proposals will be submitted to EU institutions & candidates from all political groups ahead of the 2019 elections for their adoption. (…)
Club der Polnischen Versager – Club of Polish Losers
The Club der polnischen Versager is especially active in the sociocultural and sociopolitical areas. Furthermore, it is very much committed to the idea of the European Union, partly because of the post national rationale of the Club itself. The promotion of arts and culture through the organisation and implementation of our own projects and events, as well as the acquisition of funds for the organisation and implementation of such projects and events are the main tasks that we set ourselves. These projects and events include readings, concerts, photo/picture/reportage-exhibitions, film screenings, theatre and satirical performances, roundtable discussions, festivals, intercultural workshops, political-educational work, cabaret, fine arts, district and neighbourhood projects as well as other artistic forms and civic engagement, the promotion of research and education on the past and present (especially in relation to German-Polish relations in cooperation with the relevant educational institutions), the establishment and maintenance of a network of distinguished Polish, German and international artists.
Cooperation Network of European Routes of Emperor Charles V.
The project of the European Cultural Itinerary of the European Routes of Charles V is based on the following points: Together, the institutions which comprise the Cooperation Network of the European Routes of Charles V accommodate and/or represent the cultural, historical-artistic, academic and social legacy of the reign of the European Emperor Charles V bringing together the largest known collection of evidence of this period of European history. This legacy forms a formidable cultural and historical reference for the present cities of Europe, and tangible proof that the European nations of the Modern Age share cultural, artistic, political and social values instead of tensions and serious confrontations which have been overcome. Currently, the regions represented offer a vast range of destinations of cultural and natural interest as well as activities and commemorations.
Different Wars – National School Textbooks on World War II
The exhibition “Different Wars” reveals the variation in the narration and perception of the history of the Second World War in modern high school textbooks of the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland and Russia. The choice of the subject was motivated by the fact that World War II remains one of the most painful and conflicting episodes of the European nations’ memories. The modern high school textbooks were chosen as they communicate the spirit of their time and express the culture they are written in.
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in Berlin
Sustainable urban development and societal participation for all residents belong to the fourth funding priority of the ERDF and is funded with a total of 115 million EUR and complemented with another 115 million EUR of national co-financing. The funds are e.g. used to support and establish educational, integrational, leisure and consulting offers. On the basis of district-driven development concepts, “Zukunftsinitiative Stadtteil II”
(ZIS II) supports a comprehensive and permanent social stabilisation of disadvantaged districts. Self-help and civic commitment, the improvement of social infrastructure and the access to educational programs are some of the issues that are supported by the initiative. Successful projects like “Hürdenspringer Neukölln” (p. 19) and the “Selbsthilfewerkstatt Moabit” (p.22) greatly contribute to societal cohesion in disadvantaged districts and promote the European idea in Berlin. (…)
EUROPA – Lichtinstallation (morePlatz)
The project is a positive statement for Europe. The lettering, which consists of 33 fluorescent tubes, will be installed in four different locations in the course of two years. The concept emerged on the initiative of morePlatz. The first phase of it had been realised through crowdfunding in the autumn of 2016. The 33 fluorescent tubes represent the 33 godparents who have supported the project. The second location of the installation is the tower of the Komische Oper, Berlin. Its opening took place on May 9th, Europe Day, with the support of the European Commission, the PR Department of the European Parliament, the Allianz Kulturstiftung and the Schwarzkopf Stiftung.in attendance of the artistic director of the Komische Oper Barrie Kosky, the Berlin Senator for Culture and Europe Dr. Klaus Lederer, MEP Sylvia-Yvonne Kaufmann and representative of the EU Commission Richard Kühnel with music by members of the orchestra and the children’s choir of the Komische Oper.
EU-Funding-Guide Website
The EU-Funding-Guide Website is a project of the delegation DIE LINKE in the EU Parliament on the initiative of MdEP Martina Michels. It was set up on the occasion of the EU-funding period 2014-2020 in cooperation with Dr. Renate Eras, an expert for European Project Management. It is updated continuously and administrated by Peter Schmidt. The EU-Funding-Guide Website aims to support active civil society in realising their innovative project ideas by providing easily accessible information on suitable funding opportunities by EU programs and how to apply for them successfully. Users can research practical tips for planning their diverse projects and find links to the EU program websites as well as to the national agencies responsible in Germany, national contact points and public institutions, where projects are advised and processed.
EuroPeers
EuroPeers are young people who have gathered European experiences of their own under the EU’s Erasmus+ YOUTH IN ACTION programme and want to share them with their peers. They may have gone abroad with the European Voluntary Service or dealt with European issues as participants in a youth initiative. EuroPeers either organise their own events or may be invited by schools, youth welfare offices or cultural centres to speak. All EuroPeers perform these activities voluntarily. One of the biggest successes in the EuroPeers project is using the peer-to-peer approach. Sharing own experiences and basing information, recommendations and educational workshops on these experiences makes every EuroPeer activity authentic and youth-oriented. Over the last few years the EuroPeers network has been growing. This interest shows the big potential of EuroPeers. It has been challenging to reach out to enough young people with fewer opportunities, but EuroPeers are aware of this and try to organise more activities with and for this target group.
Forum Aberdeen
The project ‘My Culture, Your Politics | Forum Aberdeen’ aimed to promote the role of the campus of the University of Aberdeen as an active forum for discussion, to increase engagement with current affairs and to promote active citizenship. We wanted to challenge all the attendees to think about the future of Europe together and critically discuss the current state of affairs in Europe. The topic, “My Culture, Your Politics” addressed the way culture is used as a code for isolationist and populist arguments as well as for internationalists and pan-European narratives. With our experienced panelists from different walks of society and across Europe we critically considered some of the big contradictions, developments and questions that are stirring emotions and discussion across Europe, such as nationalism, regional separatism, and divergence and identity.
Freunde Kolbergs e.V.
We are a group of people from Berlin. Our mission is to fill the city-partnership between Berlin-Pankow and Kolobrzeg (Kolberg) with life. We organize projects, exchanges, youth projects, sports projects and more with partners in Poland. “Freunde Kolbergs e.V.” has existed for 20 years now. Our partners are institutions in the partner-city Kolobrzeg and local institutions in Berlin that are involved in German-Polish-Projects.
Future of Citizens – Future of Europe
During our three-day event in Tbilisi in October 2017, we discussed – together with young people and civil society – the creation of a common European space that is needed for the future of Europe. Workshops were facilitated by three international experts with extensive experience in providing public involvement in important issues for Europe. During intensive two days, 65 participants of various ages (13-22) participated, the gender balance amounted to 40 female and 25 male participants. During the two days, we organised five sessions and presentations, four interactive exercises. All age groups were actively involved in all discussions, presentations and group works. Georgians, Armenians, and Azerbaijanis were represented.
Hürdenspringer Neukölln
“Hürdenspringer Neukölln” offers a mentorship program that supports the integration of young asylum seekers between the ages of 18 and 35 into the professional world. With its help, the adolescents get the chance to graduate, find a job and develop the perspective of a self-sufficient life in Germany. Requirements for the program are a solid perspective to stay in Germany and a place of residence in Neukölln. Depending on their age, interests and language skills, the youths are matched with suitable, voluntary mentors that were accordingly trained by and for the project. This process of tandem learning enables the participants to tackle challenges and focus goals mutually. The mentors’ knowledge and their voluntary commitment are central characteristics of the project.
Let’s not Drown Belgrade
The initiative Ne da(vi)mo Beograd (Don’t let Belgrade d(r)own) brings together organisations and individuals interested in urban and cultural policies, sustainable city development, fair use of common resources, and the involvement of citizens in the urban development of their environment. They are a group of people of various profiles, interests and beliefs, gathered around a common goal: putting an end to the degradation and plunder of Belgrade on behalf of megalomaniacal urban and architectural projects, primarily the “Belgrade Waterfront” project.
Made in Brochów
“Made in Brochów” is a ‘bottom-up’ initiative of inhabitants being focussed on their local community. It aims to activate and integrate people within Brochow, one of Wroclaw’s districts. The main goal is to make education and culture more accessible to them, to support their creativity and approach the idea of active citizenship. Through creating local networks, organising workshops and cultural events as well as participating in municipal projects, the initiative tries to make the place better to live in by citizens being aware of their ability to implement changes.
Moving the Periphery – Annäherung an ein Europa im Wandel
Higher Education can be an instrument to encourage students to become citizens who critically reflect on troublesome developments in Europe’s nation states. The teaching initiative ‘Moving the Periphery’ brought together young researchers from King’s College London and the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin to develop fresh perspectives on populism as a political phenomenon. Aspects analysed include populism in the context of left activism, visual representations of Islam in right-wing propaganda, analysis of media literacy and age in relation to Fake News and a comparative of election rhetoric in French and German nationalist parties. The projects also sought innovative digital forms of organising and presenting their research to audiences. The project ran in the summer term 2017, from April to July, concluding in a symposium in London.
Next Generation, Please!
NEXT GENERATION, PLEASE! is an ambitious civic engagement project designed to use culture to empower young people to participate in the democratic process. With the help of artists and decision-makers, NGP! stimulates new thinking amongst the younger generation around the complexity of living together and civic responsibility in today’s world. Identity, borders and migration, were some of the key issues explored in the pilot project at BOZAR (2014-2016). In 2017-2018, the second edition of NGP! will scale the project to an international level in order to maximise scope and impact.
OP ENHEIM
A new house for culture named OP ENHEIM will be created in a baroque tenement at Plac Solny in Wrocław. The historical Oppenheim House will consist of an art gallery focussing on contemporary painting and sculpture, gastronomy, an ‘artist-in-residence’ apartment, offices and a multifunctional conference hall with a terrace and a great view over the roofs of the old town. The plan is to create a place, which will make the Oppenheim House available to the inhabitants of Wrocław and become a headquarter for cultural, scientific and economic institutions. The multifunctional room on the top floor of the attic will make it possible to organise scientific and cultural meetings, small concerts and discussion panels. The Oppenheim House will be open from spring 2018. OP ENHEIM will focus on cultural and art projects, including exhibitions – at the same time referring to the Polish-German and international dialogue. (…)
Partnerschaftsverein Treptow-Köpenick e.V.
The registered association of „Partnerverein Treptow-Köpenick e.V.“ was founded in 2003 with the objective to support, promote and deepen the relations of Treptow-Köpenick with its partner communities. Above all, we commit ourselves to enabling young citizens to personally get to know each other across borders. The association pursues exclusively and directly charitable goals. In addition to youth and student exchanges, it arranges and supports meetings between people of all ages, which are in the interest of arts, education, vocational training, heritage care, sports, economy and tourism. The association supports other organisations as well as citizens’ initiatives, and other institutions which cultivate or wish to establish international friendships.
Platform Shift Plus
The artistic network, PLATFORM shift+ is a large scale cooperation project between eleven partners from nine countries – ten theatres, all recognised as national leaders in the field of theatre for young people, and a university. The network has been created to meet the new challenges of producing theatre for young people in the digital age. The partners have identified the urgent need to engage with digital technology in order to understand their target audience. Today’s young people are digital natives who move naturally between real and virtual worlds. Theatre for them must respond to this new reality to sustain and grow existing audiences and build new audiences for the future. This will enable theatre to accurately portray young people’s reality and inspire them with a belief in theatre as a unique live medium for modern times. In more than 50 activities it connects theatre makers directly with young people in a creative dialogue. (…)
Project NN – To a Culture Centre of the Neighbourhood
The main goal of the project is to develop a long-term initiative for a Culture Centre in Novi Sad’s biggest part of the town – Novo Naselje. Even though the neighbourhood is very familiar with and keen on cultural events and has a great history and famous artists who were raised in Novo Naselje, it has no cultural buildings or similar things. “Project NN” contained: a public survey about a culture centre, focus group discussions, a round table with the city officials and decision makers and as the main part of the project – a Handbook about the whole history, events and the processes of this initiative.
Pulse of Europe
The citizens’ initiative was founded by the German lawyers Daniel and Sabine Röder as a reaction to the increasing attention in the media to populist, anti-European voices. Using their private network of friends and social media, they held a first public meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, by the end of November 2016; about 200 people had joined them. Right now, Pulse of Europe teams in over 120 cities, all over Europe, join the endeavour to be loud and visible in support of a fair, democratic, and reformable European Union. Our aim is to preserve and improve the European Union through encouragement, through showing and generating support. Pulse of Europe aims to stimulate people to take note of the benefits the European project has brought, and continues to bring us, and advertises an internationalist vision of our common future. (…)
School’s Relay – Stop Hate Speech
Launched in October 2014, Schools’ Relay–Stop Hate Speech is an urban educational project led by the Wroclaw Center for Social Development. It is designed for students, teachers, school administrators and school employees. Its aim is to sensitise school communities to the hate speech or manifestations of discrimination against others. Other objectives include raising awareness of the legal and psychological effects of hate crimes and to convince participants to actively oppose discriminatory behaviour when they encounter it. The project’s activities include delivering lectures, workshops and educational exhibitions, each of which tailored at different members of a school community. A key strategy that the project employs is giving lectures to school staff; during these lectures they are informed about symbols of hate speech, about how young people are enticed into extremist groups and about methods to prevent such occurrences in schools. For pupils, interactive “Stereotypes-Biases-Discrimination” workshops lasting for two hours are held. (…)
Schweizerhaus Seelow
At the Schweizerhaus Seelow, Hugo Simon’s facilities have almost disappeared from the memory of the inhabitants of the small district town. Some enthusiasts have taken a heart and founded the homeowner “Schweizerhaus Seelow”, which has set itself the goal of revitalising this historical place. The first cumbersome actions were, after nearly 20 years of Sleeping Beauty, to bring back the once magnificent plants from the embrace of nature. Wild growth in the slopes, parks and staircases made of natural stone, which had long since a forgotten existence under thick layers of humus. The typical sight axes from the landscaped gardens, all this had to be cleared, one by one. The once splendid buildings were devoted to disintegration. Thanks to the great commitment and support of the many voluntary helpers and last but not least by the positive response of the visitors and guests, we have succeeded in making the first steps towards the creation of a tourist attraction which is well known far beyond the borders of our city.
Selbsthilftewerkstatt Moabit – Self-Help Workshop Moabit
Berlin Moabit’s need for social spaces, a run-down garage and lots of commitment made way for a project worth funding. With the help of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the unincorporated association 35services transformed a former garage for trucks into a place of neighbourly encounters and self-help. A workshop for the whole neighbourhood has been set-up, offering space for creative pursuits. Since the opening in May 2016, 35services, for example, organises try-outs for handicrafts and offers possibilities to repair one’s bikes and motorcycles under professional supervision and guidance. It has become a place that facilitates a passion for handicrafts and also teaches about topics such as recycling, upcycling and a careful use of resources. It also shows possibilities to collectively improve the neighbourhood.
The Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe
The over 30 Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe cover a range of different themes, from architecture to landscapes, from religions to civilizations, from gastronomy to handicrafts, to the major figures of European art, music and literature. The certification “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” is a guarantee of excellence. The networks implement innovative activities and projects pertaining to five main priority fields of action: co-operation in research and development; enhancement of memory, history and European heritage; cultural and educational exchanges for young Europeans; contemporary cultural and artistic practice; cultural development. Through its programme, the Council of Europe offers a model for transnational cultural and tourism management. The Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes, established in 2010 by the Council of Europe, with the support of the European Institute of Cultural Routes plays a key role in view of the programme’s steady implementation and development.
The Founding Mothers of Europe
The idea of this project is to show a new way of being European by illustrating and enhancing the role of the founding mothers of Europe. History can be told differently; not only as a series of winners and losers, of kings, queens, battles, of wars and hate, but also as the intertwining of peace, useful inventions, cooperation and solidarity among peoples. To outspread the results of this project the promoter has mixed academic research and dissemination activities such as the realisation of an exhibition, a short book and a website. All this material is available in English and Italian. The author of the portraits is Giulia Del Vecchio.
Urban Art Action
Skopje’s urban development has been marked by a disconnection between large construction projects and citizens’ actual needs. The recent construction project “Skopje 2014” radically changed the face of the city and usurped most of the green spaces in the central district of Centar. What is more, many of the building projects do not serve a recognisable purpose, while at the same time public spaces and everyday infrastructure, both of which are important for the everyday life of urban residents, are being neglected. Urban Art Actions was designed to challenge the local authorities in their decision making process and to raise awareness of the need for citizens’ consent in regards to urban development through urban art actions. Through our artistic actions we have tried to channel civic pressure on decision makers in order to prevent further usurpation of public spaces.
VIVACIDADE – Dress Up the City Voids
The project aims to transform the urban voids of Aveiro into useful spaces for the local community through the involvement and participation of inhabitants, university students and other citizens. The goal was not only to create welcoming, accessible and pleasant spaces that promote encounters and social and cultural activities through the community’s appropriation and identification with places, but also to stimulate an active and positive participation by building the city together and strengthening local identity.
World Café
World-Café is a project by parents for parents. It is temporary and helps (refugees) families to learn the German language. Here families meet once a week in the family-area of the kindergarten, just to sit and talk. They also bring or take children’s clothes. When new families arrive at the kindergarten that do not speak any German, they are invited to the World-Café. If there is no need for the World-Café, the families meet for special projects (e.g. arts, handicrafts), cook together or have discussions about various parts of education (e.g. gender, friendship).