A supra-regional project for the (re-)activation of social discourse in the Free State of Saxony.
Sachsen im Dialog tests innovative methods to (re-)activate a lively and controversial culture of discussion. Citizens from different communities enter into an inner-Saxon dialogue about everyday experiences and opinions on topics that are important to society as a whole. Two project modules (workshops, discussion events) contribute to creating encounters and exchanges between village and city residents of Saxony.
Exhibition and magazine
In the second half of 2020, we continued to devote ourselves to various forms of exchange and dialogue, including innovative formats of heimSuchungen, Kunst im Dialog and demoSlam. The different formats were executed in Königstein, Oschatz and Nebelschütz. Two citizen journalists were inspired by the heimSuchungen events to write autobiographical texts. In addition, we ventured into the online world with the demoSlam and thus undertook another experiment.
The second magazine “Sachsen im Dialog 2020” is expected to be published at the end of December and can be downloaded here soon.
The results from the research and creative phase of our citizen journalists were presented in an exhibition at the demoSlam event on 01.03.2020 in the German Hygiene Museum Dresden. The citizen journalists were also on site to answer questions from guests. For all those who could not be present at the event, there is an insight into the exhibition and a follow-up report on the demoSlam online, of course.
The magazine “Sachsen im Dialog” was published in May 2020.
News from the project
To be heard’…
…is a demand made by broad sections of society, but does not always generate the same degree of willingness to listen. The need for narratives and discussions remains, however. The current social discourse in the Free State of Saxony is as loud as it is speechless 30 years after the peaceful revolution. There is too little exchange of opinions at eye level, in which the other party is actually listened to and different understandings of concepts are accepted and understood. In recent years, representatives from civil society, politics and administration have tried out a number of discussion formats in many parts of the state, but rural communities are still underrepresented as a space for action and the link between the state and the city. There is therefore a need for cross-regional and sustainably connecting formats and actions.
Our project pursues the goal of stimulating an appreciative exchange of ideas and opinions and a differentiated examination of social controversial issues in Saxony that relate to the transformation experiences since the peaceful revolution and reunification. Kultur Aktiv has many years of experience with civil society’s reappraisal of the transformation in Eastern Europe – now we are bringing competences and methods from our work to bear in order to apply them in Saxony. For despite all the differences, there are many similarities in the challenges that such massive social change brings with it. We consciously address the differences between the state (Upper Lusatia, Ore Mountains, Western and Northern Saxony) and the city (Dresden). The dialogue thus initiated is intended to help balance out contrasts and have a positive effect on social cohesion in Saxony.
Different exchange formats will enable dialogue within the communities and between the regions – on stage and in the audience. To this end, participation in workshops in two project modules as well as evening events will be offered:
- demoSlam
- Bürgerjournalismus
- Kunst im Dialog
- heimSuchungen
Through network partners and other multipliers, workshop participants from Upper Lusatia, the Ore Mountains, Western and Northern Saxony and Dresden are being sought through a call for proposals. Among other things, ‘Citizen journalists’ document the ‘demoSlam’ events in their home region. The ‘slammers’ present their views in all three participating communities and enter into conversation with the audience, which is made up of different members. In all project modules, the communal dialogue, whether controversial or consensus-oriented, is increased in and across the regions.
Project Modules
Kunst im Dialog
“Kunst im Dialog” wants to create space for encounters and an exchange of opinions at eye level, which opposes prevailing conflicts and can protect and strengthen the social context. People should be brought into conversation and the rural perspective should be given a voice.
For this, artistic interventions and hikes with local citizens will take place in three rural communities – Königstein, Nebelschütz and Oschatz.
The walks offer the participants a platform for discussion and address local references to experiences of transformation. They also present the artistic interventions:
These are developed for each community by an artist in close exchange with the place and the people living there and deal with the topic of dialogue 30 years after the Peaceful Revolution and reunification.
Project participants
Markus Oertel (Project Management)
Michaela Jarosch (Artistic direction)
Project partners
Werkstatt 26
E-Werk Oschatz
Steinleicht e.V.
Supported by
heimSuchungen
“heimSuchungen – Dialogue and Transformation in German Unity” is the theme of an evening of discussion and a workshop in Oschatz, dealing with the post-reunification period and its aftermath in current political conflicts.
In a discussion round the topics resentment and populism are dealt with. A workshop will help to create a differentiated understanding of the foundations and threats to social dialogue.
Project participants
René Kaufmann (Project Management)
Cornelia Reichel
Project partners
E-Werk Oschatz
Supported by
demoSlam
At the demoSlam the participants appear in pairs. Two people with different opinions choose a term where they see the greatest controversy among themselves. As a pair they prepare a ten-minute joint presentation. In this presentation they present their differences and similarities. For three days, six slammers work together in an understanding workshop, initially behind closed doors. There, the cards are first laid on the table and everything that is burning under the nails is discussed in a protected room. And from these topics and points of contention, the joint presentations are then developed. They are based on personal experiences and views, are close to everyday life and are also entertaining. After each performance, the slammers get into conversation with the audience.
Project participants
Cornelia Reichel (Project Management)
Christin Finger (Project Assistance)
Evgeniya Sayko
Simon Wol (Public Relations)
Sven Wernicke (Social Media)
Project partner
Deutsches Hygiene-Museum
Supported by
Das Projekt „Sachsen im Dialog“ wird von der Robert Bosch Stiftung gefördert.
Das neue politische Bundesprogramm MITEINANDER REDEN ist initiiert und wird finanziert von der Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. Es findet statt mit Unterstützung durch den Arbeitskreis deutscher Bildungsstätten (AdB), dem Deutschen Städte- und Gemeindebund (DStGb), der Deutschen Vernetzungsstelle Ländliche Räume (DVS) und dem Deutschen Volkshochschulverband und wird von der Bildungsagentur labconcepts als Programmbüro realisiert.
Diese Maßnahme wird mitfinanziert mit Steuermitteln auf Grundlage des vom Sächsischen Landtag beschlossenen Haushaltes.
Citizen journalism
Citizen journalism is an activity in which citizens play an active role in the process of researching, analyzing, reporting and disseminating news. This should lead to independent, detailed and relevant information and give new voices to social dialogue.
In contrast to professional journalistic work, citizen journalism can also take on subjective perspectives and contribute their personal experiences and treasures of knowledge.
The citizen-journalistic part of the project Sachsen im Dialog had set itself the goal of supporting curious people with an interest in their own media dialogue and publication possibilities on their way. Based on experiences that the team had gained, among others, in the international citizen journalism project “Spuren des Miteinanders” (“Traces of Cooperation”) in the Russian city of Ulyanovsk in 2018 with the training of citizen journalists, the project team invited participants from Dresden and one community each from Upper Lusatia as well as Western and Northern Saxony to explore together social developments in the respective regions as well as personal experiences.
Projekt participants
Cornelia Reichel (Project Management)
Christin Finger (Project Assistance)
Matthias Schumann
Thomas Haase
Simon Wolf (Public Relations)
Sven Wernicke (Social Media)
Supported by
Das Projekt „Sachsen im Dialog“ wird von der Robert Bosch Stiftung gefördert.
Das neue politische Bundesprogramm MITEINANDER REDEN ist initiiert und wird finanziert von der Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. Es findet statt mit Unterstützung durch den Arbeitskreis deutscher Bildungsstätten (AdB), dem Deutschen Städte- und Gemeindebund (DStGb), der Deutschen Vernetzungsstelle Ländliche Räume (DVS) und dem Deutschen Volkshochschulverband und wird von der Bildungsagentur labconcepts als Programmbüro realisiert.
Diese Maßnahme wird mitfinanziert mit Steuermitteln auf Grundlage des vom Sächsischen Landtag beschlossenen Haushaltes.
Contributions by citizen journalists
Events
Sachsen im Dialog
Time period
08.2019 – 12.2020
Project partner
Deutsches Hygiene-Museum
Contact
cornelia.reichel@kulturaktiv.org
Link
sachsenimdialog.de
facebook.com/sachsenimdialog
instagram.com/sachsenimdialog
twitter.com/SachsenImDialog
Newsletter
13. März 2020
Sachsen im Dialog | 14.03.2020 demoSlam in Nebelschütz abgesagt 26. Februar 2020
Sachsen im Dialog | Öffentliche Präsentationen in Dresden und der Oberlausitz
18. September 2019
Sachsen im Dialog | Newsletter 1