Small and medium venues provide an important infrastructure for music culture in the city. They organize space and atmospheres for artists to play live, create community around music, and are also particularly important as an experimental ground for upcoming artists. We zoom into the Kiez of Berlin Wedding/Gesundbrunnen, and bring together people who run such spaces here and present each week concerts, listening sessions, DJ sets and performances on a regular basis. They all have different ways of organizing, some are collectively run, and they all have different approaches, strategies and communities – however all connected by enthusiasm to support and sustain music culture and provide space to develop and to play for artists, in self-organized and independent ways.
What does it take to run such crucial infrastructure for music culture in the city and neighbourhood these days? We look forward for an exchange of different approaches. And, importantly, also invite musicians into the conversation to discuss and think together what is needed at this time, and share ideas for how to sustain music culture and support upcoming artists in particular. What does it take to sustain a vibrant music culture and space for artistic development, expression and exchange? What are we struggling with and how can we address it? How do we want to organize ourselves together as music scenes at this moment in time, that comes with political, economic and environmental challenges? And maybe also, what is the relevance of music culture as a contribution and component of a wider cultural, social and political engagement in the neighbourhood?
We plan to start with a panel conversation and then have a participatory part, where we can all be in conversation together in small groups. We can then all keep chatting and exchanging over music and drinks. The conversation is of relevance for the neighbourhood in Wedding and for all smaller venues, collectives, promoters and musicians throughout the city and beyond.
Speakers:
Laden2 is a non-profit cultural venue and a community-run space for people to come together. Here, people from all over the world have the opportunity to present their books, recite their poems, discuss ideas that bring our society together, screen inspiring films or perform their music.
Max Graef is a musician from Berlin and co-founder of Laden2. He has been based in Berlin since 2013 and works internationally in the cultural events sector.
migas – Deep experiences of music and conversations can coexist at migas thanks to a great sound system and mindful acoustic design. Come celebrate every moment with a vast and careful selection of tunes, our own vermouth and the most delicious olives we could find.
José Manuel Jiménez Moreno: I serve music, vermouth, and olives—and make people’s day a little better.
more venues and DJ to be announced.