The Goethe-Institut’s annual press conference reflected on the past year and presented new projects. Above all, the deteriorating situation of artistic freedom and freedom of expression worldwide was addressed. In order to counteract this trend, work is currently underway on protection programmes that will provide cultural workers who are forced to leave their country with spaces in Germany for cultural production.
In addition, the Goethe-Instituts in Bonn, Dresden, Hamburg, Mannheim and Schwäbisch Hall are to be expanded into centres of international communication. The aim here is to support diversity and equal opportunities and thus enable an open society. The Secretary General of the Goethe-Institut Johannes Ebert said: “The Goethe-Institut has long seen it as its task to introduce positions from abroad into German debates, for example with large cultural events in Berlin, Weimar and other cities. In this way, we want to enable joint learning across borders.”
Leave a Reply