Dear Opera fans and Club hoppers,

12.09.11 –

With our letters we would like to support your decision-making at the Berlin City parliament elections on September 18th. Please let yourself be convinced to cast your vote for the Greens!

Welcome to the cultural kaleidoscope that is Berlin. From “Rimini-Protokoll” to “Deutsche Oper”, from “Discothéque Nouveau Rabumms” to backyard raves, from “Berlinale” to “Berlin lacht”, our city offers a multitude of entertainments - which is exactly what culture fans love about Berlin.

We believe that Berlin must have room for opera and for mixing consoles, with a cultural policy that offers the necessary space and freedom for original, unconventional, outlandish or elitist art to flourish - and encourages public interest in all kinds of art. But current policies in Berlin often hinder artists and musicians through lengthy application procedures for grants, obscure criteria for financial support, complicated tax regulations, and nobody to talk to in the administration. These and many other obstacles mean that Berlin is wasting too much of its creative potential.

We need clear priorities and an overall cultural development strategy. We need city planning that creates space for Berlin’s culture to unfold. That is why we intend to establish a cultural coordination centre offering intelligent interface management. And all those affected should contribute to deciding how this is established - whether as part of the City administration, or
in the form of a network of the various cultural players.

Many creative people in Berlin, especially freelancers, live on the verge of poverty and work under extremely insecure circumstances. Even well-established cultural projects are threatened by drastic budget cuts. But financial worries strangle inner freedom and creativity. Therefore, we want to support free artists and performers by providing more efficient infrastructure, focussed financial support, and secure working conditions.

Berlin has so much creative talent, and the Green Party wants to make sure that it will still be able to unfold fully tomorrow.

Colourful greetings,

The Greens