At the end of March 2024, our jury selected ten projects from a large number of applications. Until the end of June, the project partners are now in a conceptualisation phase, working together to refine the concept. The description of the content is therefore only a first rough framework.
Growing together: Community and participation in allotment garden clubs | Peter-Weiss-Haus e.V. | Rostock | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
A growing loss of trust in democratic institutions and passivity or indifference towards democratic processes and civic engagement do not stop at the garden fence. The allotment garden is a microcosm of diverse knowledge, (gardening) practice, recreation and community. In this project, it becomes a place where people can connect with each other as a "community of practice" and gain strength from their experience of self-efficacy.
Mirror, mirror on the wall...| Qulturwerkstatt e.V. | Netphen | North Rhine-Westphalia
This project deals with the root causes of resentment, aiming to win over as many people as possible for an open democracy where people live together peacefully. The focus is on a hairdressing salon as a meeting place for all generations, regardless of political views, with the idea of making it an "everyday space of public and social kindness and affection." By means of playful, artistic and dialectical formats of recognition, the aim is to create a space where people can exchange feelings and thoughts at eye level. Activities will be extended to include townspeople in the form of a game.
Stitching together – Königstein | weltbewusst e.V. | Königstein | Saxony
A clothing store run by the social welfare organization Diakonie and refugee aid association AG Flüchtlingshilfe in Königstein in Saxony is an everyday space located at the cultural center Werkstatt 26. Low-threshold, creative, hands-on activities related to the multi-faceted subject of clothing help create and test opportunities for social cohesion and sustainability. Visitors to the clothing store and sewing workshop can bring in their own ideas to design offers for the community.
Talking and turrets - The castle and its townspeople| Förderverein für Wasserburg und Kapellendorf e.V. | Kapellendorf | Thuringia
The moated castle of Kapellendorf, a tourist spot that many locals wish to reclaim as a community space, is the focus of an oral history project. The idea is to accompany the townspeople in an audio documentary with questions about community, historical heritage and social commitment as they co-design this new gathering place. People who would otherwise never meet come together through memories, desires and questions. A mobile cultural library also plays an important role.
Inclusive policymaking | KOPF, HAND und FUSS e.V. | Berlin
This project is based on the understanding that people with disabilities (are forced to) put up with many limiting situations when navigating everyday life. Many informational materials in the political sphere are not designed with accessibility in mind. And people with disabilities are underrepresented in political debates and decision-making processes. An inclusive coworking space will strengthen the political activity and self-representation of this group through interactive, barrier-free learning methods.
Political garden café | ESTAruppin e.V. | Neuruppin | Brandenburg
A children's and youth garden in a newly developed neighborhood becomes a green oasis for adults: Through conversations across the fence and partial help in gardening, the new target group can be reached at a low threshold and motivated to take part in ideology-free political garden cafés. In moderated discussions, they can discuss neighborhood issues and needs and find common ground. They can then present their ideas to local politicians and test new ways of representing their interests.
DemoCrazy: Bringing democracy to life! | Diakonie association in the district of Esslingen | Esslingen | Baden-Wuerttemberg
People living in poverty rarely participate in democratic and social life. This project aims to implement low-threshold activities in an easily accessible place where people with different living situations can meet. On two floors of the Diakonie shop, people will connect and offer perspectives from the different worlds they live in, for a respectful and constructive exchange on democratic issues. In simulation games and dialogue formats, people can introduce their own topics and experience democratic processes in practice.
Culture kiosk Unterbarmen | agorastadt e.V. | Wuppertal | North Rhine-Westphalia
The focus is on a kiosk in a public square that brings together a wide variety of groups from the neighborhood. Despite the quality time people spend in the square, it is also referred to in the media as a "place of fear." Through the active participation of users, the kiosk and square will be transformed into a meeting place for vibrant democracy and for negotiating decisive political, social and societal issues. The offerings at the kiosk may also be expanded to include handmade artisanal products.
Stories from the waiting room | Gesundheitskollektiv Berlin e.V. | Berlin
Loneliness and disconnection from society are increasing features of many people’s lives. This project tests how listening and storytelling spaces in the waiting room of a district health center can help make people feel heard and help others understand their stories. Building on this, formats for dialogue will be developed to better take people’s needs into account and empower them by strengthening belonging and community and supporting patients in the center to participate in decision-making.
SPLASHING | Wall und Space e.V. | Halle (Saale) | Saxony-Anhalt
This project explores the potential of the swimming pool as an important social meeting place. With various participatory offers, art will be brought into the swimming pool as a form of communication that crosses societal barriers. Various groups will be motivated to contribute their creative ideas. They will draw on their own personal realities for an individually designed work that is brought together piece by piece to form a unique work of art.