What we do
We open up spaces
We constantly try to find and create spaces that can be actively shaped as local meeting points for art and cultural education. These »Hubs«, as we call them, are meant as a resource that can and should be shaped and shared – with neighbours, artists, initiatives, and social actors.
We offer workshops and events
At our Hubs, we provide artistic programs that are tailored to the needs, languages and groups of the neighbourhoods we work in. The programs vary from single events to workshop series in different themes such as music, urban gardening, stitching, building and printmaking. All of our events are free of charge for everyone.
We connect and foster collaborations
We connect and bring together people who would otherwise rarely meet in the context of arts, culture, and urban practice. We collaborate with other initiatives and connect artists within our network with each other and with cultural and art institutions. For this purpose, we host our networking event »Berlin Mondiale Exchange« twice a year.
We consult and support
We support and facilitate cultural practitioners, institutions and self-organised projects in conceptual, practical and process-oriented ways. Once a month, we open the doors to our project office to anyone who is interested to learn about our work, experiences, and perspectives. The Open Office is also an invitation to discuss collaborations and project ideas.
Our story
The idea
In 2013, the Council for the Arts and Refugee Council Berlin conceptualized Berlin Mondiale as a means to provide refugees residing in shelters with access to art and culture. The initiative was launched in 2014 and established a network comprising institutions, initiatives, and practitioners focused on migration, asylum, and exile.
The partnerships
During the "Summer of Migration" in 2015, Berlin Mondiale established stable partnerships, known as "tandems," between cultural institutions and refugee shelters. These tandems spanned a range of creative fields, including theater, dance, music, film, television, literature, visual arts, and architecture.
The network
Over the years, our network has grown considerably and spread throughout Berlin. More project groups, migrant self-organizations, initiatives and individuals have joined. Since 2016, Berlin Mondiale has developed into a diversity-oriented center of excellence and a contact point for artists in exile. Since its founding in 2014 and until 2019, more than 150 actors and institutions have worked creatively together through Berlin Mondiale. Over the course of several years, former and continuous collaborations increasingly joined together to form larger local networks.
The new focus
Since 2020, our primary objective has been to seek out urban areas that are suitable for artistic interventions and formats, and to expand our "Hubs". Collaborating with partners from various sectors such as social, cultural, and urban, we have directed our efforts towards creating new social spaces in BENN neighborhoods that lack sufficient cultural infrastructure.
The funding
For the first two years, our project was supported by the Project Fund Kulturelle Bildung followed by funding from the Integration and Security Master Plan. Currently Berlin Mondiale is funded by Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalt with support from degewo.