Berlin Music Commission

Berlin is a city with a large international population. The German capital with it´s 3.4 million inhabitants is home to people from 183 nations. In 1993 the Werkstatt der Kulturen (Workshop of Cultures) was founded as a forum for cultural multiplicity and a catalyst for intercultural exchange. Its aim was, and still is, to provide a culturally and politically non-discriminating platform for artists, intellectuals and independent organisations. The WdK supports numerous projects aiming at the expansion of cultural activities and the promotion of intercultural communication and the plurality and diversity of transcultural art and social life. Simultaneously, it offers professional working spaces for music, dance, theatre and literature.

Werkstatt der Kulturen has positioned itself in the areas of “production”, “co-operation” and “guests” in order to represent the permanent changes that affect the city of Berlin and its inhabitants in different stages with different actors.

production

Werkstatt der Kulturen is the organizing body for the nation wide world music contest creole – Weltmusik aus Deutschland and the festival of traditional dance Bewegte Welten. It is the initiator and organizer of the Karneval der Kulturen Berlin (Carnival of Cultures in Berlin) which took place for the first time in 1996 and attracts more than 1.5 milllion people every year. In cooperation with curators from various cultural, ethnic and artistic milieus in Berlin, we present alternating film nights every Thursday: Asian cinema and beyond (Curator: Jeanette Gaussi), Szene Orient (Carator Hakim El-Hachoumi), Afro-Digital (Curator: Enoka Ayemba) and Made in Europe (Masayo Kajimura). In addition, we offer the world music concert series MigrationMusic every Friday (curator: Jonas Bibi Hammond) and live dance music every Saturday night (curator: Abdourahmane Gilbert Diop) Once a month different traditional dance groups are presented at the monthly event folkore & more and authors are invited to read from their latest publications at the monthly event tausend worte tief (curator: Deniz Utlu). Furthermore the Werkstatt der Kulturen is producing highly political artwork, like the CD 1884. Through 13 songs dealing with “colonialism” and “post-colonialism”, the project 1884 intends to raise the awareness of the European seizure of the African territories and its aftermaths, which structures the post-colonial societies until today.

co-operation

Together with our co-operation partners from the art, literature and music scenes as well as NGOs or embassies, we develop and present major events every year such as: The Arabic film festival AL-FILM, video and performance festival GlogauAir, the Black History Month, the Nelson Mandela Festival, The Nights Of The Ramamdan, the professional education for teachers of the Werkstatt Religionen und Weltanschauungen (Workshop religions and world-views) as well as exhibits, theatre pieces and concerts.

guests

Artists and cultural workers, associations and private individuals can rent space in the Werkstatt der Kulturen as well as and present their projects to the public: Chinese and Kurdisch New Year Festivals, the Tamil Tai Pongal Festival, Summer Festival of the Organization of Indian Women, the Week of Islam organized by Berlin Muslims, Korientation by the Korean community as well as dance performances of the korean group Kaya, the Black Basar, the annual Filipino Festival, Egyptian and Tunesian nights, Solidarity parties, the Neukölln Theater Club of Primary Schools, the annual Festival of the Kung-Fu Academy, concerts of the Turkish Conservatory….

Hope to see you soon in Neukölln!