Sing along, Chemnitz! is the message of Dr. Ingrid Allwardt, managing director of the cultural office iQULT, which in cooperation with Chemnitz2025, the theatres Chemnitz and many different Chemnitz actors is putting together a “singing” project week. “We want to create a positive togetherness by singing together”, she says in an interview. The opera house opens its doors for “Sing mit, Chemnitz!” during the summer break and with flashmob-like performances the singing community surprisingly appears at places like the Vita-Center, the Stadthallenpark and the learning and memorial place Kaßberg.

<What's "Sing along, Chemnitz!" about?

It is a summer holiday camp for singing with movement and encounter in the opera house and performances in public space. Listening to yourself, listening to the others, finding the right tone together: that's what this intercultural singing camp from August 5 to 11, 2019 is all about. Under the motto "Together", all Chemnitz residents from 6 to 99 are invited to help shape a community-building, intercultural experience by singing together. Until June 30th, everyone who enjoys singing and would like to work with their voice can register.

What awaits the participants in the summer holiday camp?

We offer a wide variety of workshops and studios, where classical choral movements up to experimental improvisations and songs from different cultures, such as Afrobeat, are tried out. Beyond singing there will be movement workshops where intercultural and jamming together will be the main focus. On the first day everyone can have a taste and then decide on their own mix of workshop and studios. In the evening, everyone from the different studios will come together and sing selected songs together. And in this joint evening singing the project opens up for those who cannot be there during the day. Weather permitting, we move the evening rehearsals outside and come together on the stage of the Park Summer.

What happens after a week of intensive rehearsal?

At the end of the rehearsal week, we want to go around the city with the developed program and sing together at different places. On Friday the tour starts at the Vita Center, then we want to go to the Schlosteich. Saturday morning there will be an “open singing” in the opera house, in the afternoon an action in cooperation with the learning and memorial place Kaßberg, a very special place for us, because here singing and whistling was forbidden for many years. Afterwards we want to mingle with the skaters in the Konkordiapark. On Sunday we all meet for the final event on the Parksommer stage in the Stadthallenpark.

Why are you doing this project in Chemnitz right now?

Oh, there are so many exciting places and a lot to discover in Chemnitz. In my eyes, Chemnitz is a city that is on the move – and it has a great choir tradition. Singing creates community and forms a positive cooperation of great strength. Singing together and having a good time together. That is what it is all about. We will probably sing less from notes, but rather try out a lot with our voices and move freely. Free singing can be so beautiful – and we want to take this feeling out into the street. In the middle of and through Chemnitz. Because: Singing makes happy.

<Who can take part in this summer camp and how to register?

Anyone who enjoys singing can take part. There is no one who cannot participate. We want a reflection of society. Previous knowledge does not matter, the background does not matter, the age does not matter. We want a mixture of all. You can register via www.singmitchemnitz.de until 30 June.

 

The project already connects many actors of the city. Supporters are the Capital of Culture Office Chemnitz2025, the Theatres Chemnitz, the Band Office, the Municipal Music School Chemnitz, the C³ event centres and various district managers.