Associations, initiatives and individuals had until February 2024 to submit their ideas for microproject funding . The decision was made by an eight-member jury with four members each from the city of Chemnitz and the Capital of Culture region. Out of a total of 150 project ideas, 20 were awarded funding. This means that not only were more than twice as many applications submitted in the thirteenth round as in the previous round, but more than ever before!
The anticipation for 2025 is growing, as more and more people are keen to shape the European Capital of Culture. The new microprojects are as diverse as Chemnitz and the Capital of Culture region itself and all make a contribution to social cohesion in their own unique way.
For example, a special kind of international chess tournament will take place in the historic Augustusburg cable car when blitz chess games are played during the journey. The microproject "C to the power of 25" is an art newspaper that will explore the theme of Chemnitz as European Capital of Culture 2025 in an artistic and experimental way.
The educational performance "Isolation with waiting time" artistically transports the historical significance of the Kaßberg prison, where prisoners once waited to be released by the West, into the present day. The inclusive art project "Experiences Chemnitz", on the other hand, reinterprets the wheelchair as a means of art. In various projects, participants are given the opportunity to playfully contribute to the creation of an interactive work of art. All projects can be found in the list.
The 14th funding round for micro-projects will take place in late summer. There will then be another opportunity for makers to get involved with fresh ideas, create culture and realise their own projects. As the city of Chemnitz shares the title of European Capital of Culture with 38 partner municipalities, ideas from the region are particularly welcome. In the current round, around a quarter of the applications came from the Capital of Culture region.
From art, music, inclusion, portraits and sport - these new micro-projects will be realised:
Tent Stage - Thalkang Festival
The three-day art, film and music festival "Thalklang" will take place for the second time in August 2024 in an old industrial wasteland in Wilischthal. The tent stage will show an international short film programme, host workshops as a place of exchange and invite a mixed and multigenerational audience to be creative and celebrate together.
Place of realisation: Wilischthal
Time travel to Chemnitz
Under the title "Time Travel to Chemnitz", informative concerts will take place, inviting the audience on a musical journey to the period of industrial awakening between 1870 and 1910. The Florian Geyer Ensemble will provide the musical framework, while the historical facts will be compiled in collaboration with the Chemnitz Historical Society 1990 e.V., among others. The first performance will be in June 2024, followed by at least four repetitions.
Initiator/Applicant: Florian-Geyer-Ensemble Chemnitz e.V.
Place of realisation: Chemnitz + Capital of Culture region
How great it is that we are all here today! Our strength lies in unity.
The association "Soziale Rehabilitierung für Ausländer e. V." will bring together people of different nationalities - people with different migration backgrounds but also locals - to realise a joint concert. The concert will take place on 31 August 2024 in the rooms of the Jewish Community Chemnitz.
Initiator/Applicant: Social Rehabilitation for Foreigners e. V.
Place of realisation: Chemnitz
Vibrant Youth Beats: A Fusion of Music, Dance, and Celebration
Vibrant Youth Beats" provides children and young people aged between 13 and 17 with spaces where they can dance and listen to music without parents but with educational support. Special emphasis is placed on the participation of young people, who play a key role in organising their own events.
Initiator/Applicant: PunktWest children's and youth centre
Place of realisation: Chemnitz
Art connects generations
The "Art connects generations" project creatively brings three generations closer together. Kindergarten children, vocational students from care and social professions and older people create pictures of the city together. People with a migration background are also explicitly addressed and involved.
Initiator:in/Applicant:in: BIP Chemnitz gGmbH and P3N MARKETING GMBH
Place of realisation: Chemnitz
Isolation with waiting time
The educational performance "Isolation with waiting time" is a special guided tour through the Kaßberg prison as a place of learning and remembrance. With textual inspiration from Stefan Zweig's "Schachnovelle" and Waslaw Nijinsky's diaries, the historical significance of the Kaßberg prison, where prisoners once waited to be released by the West, is artistically transported into our time.
Initiator/Applicant: Martina Morasso
Place of realisation: Chemnitz (Kaßberg prison learning and memorial site)
Bicycle stands - art in public space, contribution to the traffic turnaround and the culture of free availability for all!
In a project organised by BUND Chemnitz, green bicycle stands convey art in public spaces. Together with artists from Chemnitz, BUND is developing three prototypes that combine practicality with aesthetics and ecology. Two of the prototypes are to be installed in Chemnitz's urban space. The third prototype will be sent as a "gift" to a European partner city and, in addition to serving the purpose of a green bicycle parking facility, will also promote the Capital of Culture Year 2025 and the cultural connection between the European partner cities. The project is intended to be the start of an interactive process that can and should extend over several follow-up projects in subsequent years.
Initiator/Applicant: BUND Chemnitz
Place of realisation: Chemnitz
Experiences Chemnitz
In the inclusive art project "Experiences Chemnitz", the wheelchair is reinterpreted as a means of art and the participants are given the opportunity to participate in the creation of an interactive work of art in a playful way in various projects.
Initiator/Applicant: Florian Semmler
Place of realisation: Chemnitz
Activation of town twinning in Chemnitz on the topic of work with senior citizens
The senior citizens' working group "European twin cities of Chemnitz" is preparing a first senior citizens' twin cities meeting in May 2024. The purpose of the mutual exchange is to find out what is happening in the other cities in terms of work with senior citizens and to present creative activities, educational programmes and facilities to the partner cities. The aim is to encourage the active participation of senior citizens in city life and also to build a bridge to younger generations.
Initiator/Applicant: Senior citizens' working group "European twin cities of Chemnitz"
Place of realisation: Chemnitz
Art magazine "C to the power of 25"
The art newspaper "C to the power of 25" is currently being created, which deals with the topic of Chemnitz as European Capital of Culture 2025 in an artistic and experimental way. It will utilise a wide range of artistic media - essays, poetry, comics, photo series, graphic design, etc. - and creatively interpret the themes of Chemnitz 2025 in a free way.
Initiator/Applicant: Matthias Zwarg and Jens Kassner
Place of realisation: Display in Chemnitz and the region
MitMachZaun
The KGV Morgensonne e. V. is designing a "MitMachZaun" fence made of unique pieces on whose pergola self-made nesting boxes and feeders can be placed. It is also the gateway to an empty garden on the edge of the allotment site, which has already been converted into a public picking and biotope garden. The new MitMachZaun fence and the picking garden invite people to visit, snack and linger.
Initiator:in/Applicant:in: KGV Morgensonne e. V.
Place of realisation: Chemnitz (empty garden on Bernsdorfer Straße)
Breathe with me - Jahnsdorf
Initiator:in/Applicant:in: Jahnsdorf trifft sich e.V.
Place of realisation: Jahnsdorf
Women
The "Karl-Marx-Ballerinas", a women's racing bike group from Chemnitz, are organising a special racing bike event. They are organising a lecture with a well-known female cyclist followed by a round of talks and a social ride through the Capital of Culture region.
Initiator:in/Applicant:in: Karl-Marx-Ballerinas
Place of realisation: Chemnitz + social ride through Chemnitz and the Capital of Culture region
Digital Schmidt-Rottluff Tour
The Förderverein Karl Schmitt-Rottluff Chemnitz e.V. is organising a Schmitt-Rottluff tour with seven stops linked to the life and work of the expressionist. The tour can also be experienced digitally on site.
Initiator/Applicant: Förderverein Karl Schmidt-Rottluff Chemnitz e.V.
Place of realisation: digital
A series of portraits about Hoheneck
In a series of portraits about Hoheneck, several women who were imprisoned in Hoheneck, the central women's prison of the GDR, for political reasons are presented. They were not allowed to talk about what happened in this place at the time. Looking back, they tell their stories. Portrait pictures (linocuts) and interview texts were created and presented at exhibitions and in a brochure.
Initiator/Applicant: Bettina Hain
Place of realisation: Stollberg + beyond
Longboard Chemnitz - GoWithTheFlow
With "GoWithTheFlow", the Chemnitz longboard community is organising a longboard event that creates space for encounters, tolerance, movement and sharing: a safe space for roller sports enthusiasts regardless of age, gender or origin. The event is planned for the weekend of 16 and 17 November 2024 at the Kraftverkehr Eventlocation.
Initiator/Applicant: Luise Müller
Place of realisation: Chemnitz
International blitz chess in the historic Augustusburg cable railway
In autumn 2024, an international chess tournament will be held in the historic Augustusburg cable car. Passengers will have the opportunity to play fast games of blitz chess with players at amateur to semi-professional level during the journey or to watch as spectators.
Initiator/Applicant: Miteinander statt Gegeneinander e.V.
Place of realisation: Augustusburg
viewfinders
In the "viewfinders" project, children are given easy-to-use cameras with which they can search for, find and document their perspectives. We gain an insight into a child's world of uninfluenced image-making. The children's creativity is encouraged, uninfluenced by social media.
Initiator/Applicant: Bela Béla
Play the Unplayed - mobile, public piano for Chemnitz
Under the title "Play the Unplayed", a mobile, public piano is being created for Chemnitz. A second-hand piano will be artistically remodelled, refurbished and then set up in public places such as parks on good weather days.
Initiator:in/Applicant:in: Nicolas Til Sammler
Place of realisation: Chemnitz
