Artists protest in Berlin: Culture under pressure through cuts!

Artists protest in Berlin: Culture under pressure through cuts!

Berlin, Deutschland - nag/nag editors -

In Berlin it is bubbling: Artists and cultural workers have gathered for an impressive protest against the impending savings in the cultural budget. Under the motto #Berlinist culture, actors such as Lars Eidinger, Axel Prahl and Katharina Thalbach demonstrated in front of the Brandenburg Gate. In the meantime, the police counted 1,000 participants who were loud to maintain the cultural scene. Eidinger, who performed an excerpt from Shakespeare's "Hamlet" during the demo and wore a striking green mask, wanted to symbolize what it would be if actors and artists were no longer there. This haunting presentation illustrated the existential fears that many in the industry, as well as Deutschlandfunk reported.

The concerns of the cultural workers

The protests are not only an expression of resentment, but also a desperate appeal to politics. Welfare associations joined the demonstrators and demanded that social institutions must not suffer from the savings plans. Andrea Asch, director of the Diakonie, made it clear: "The employees of our several thousand social institutions, initiatives and projects will not stand by if social, education, health and care fall victim to the Berlin savings plans." These words underline the far -reaching consequences that the savings for society could have.

The black and red coalition has set itself the goal of making massive savings in the coming year. After months of consulting, there should finally be clarity about where the cuts will take place exactly in the state budget of around 40 billion euros. On Monday, the tops of the CDU and SPD meet in the Red City Hall to discuss the final savings plan. The cultural scene fears that it will have up to ten percent less money available, which could mean bankruptcy for many institutions, as well as the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported.

A call to save the culture

The upcoming cuts are not only a threat to the cultural scene, but also for society as a whole. The artists and cultural institutions urgently warn of the drastic consequences that these savings could bring with them. Already in October they had drawn attention to the dangers with an action day, and another concert against the savings plans is planned next Tuesday. Eidinger asked the question: "What benefits does such a savings have compared to the consequences that it would have for us?"

The cultural scene is an indispensable part of Berlin's life and largely contributes to the identity of the city. The resistance to the savings plans is an urgent call not to lose sight of the importance of art and culture. At a time when society is more dependent on creative forms of expression, the voices of the artists must not be silenced.