understand the city as an experimental space. To dare the balancing act between the region and internationality. To see urban design as a creative process in which art and culture also have an influence and are taken into account in the planning of society as a whole. – These are some important sentences from last Thursday’s debate day on cultural strategy.

About 120 citizens came to inform themselves about the status of the development of the cultural strategy for the city of Chemnitz. The editorial team, which is preparing the draft of the cultural strategy for the city council, presented the contents of the six thematic fields, which perspectively form the focal points of the cultural strategy until 2030.

It emerged that the cultural strategy concerns important areas of city life and development, which are to be supported by concrete measures by the summer. These include modernity(s) in Chemnitz, funding models, industrial culture, cultural and creative industries as a source of inspiration, cultural education as well as cultural mediation and marketing and international work.

Many Chemnitz actors of art and culture as well as representatives from politics and administration were involved in the elaboration. In the discussion round with the topic group leaders it was emphasized: The current draft with the strategic goals and topic areas is to be examined more closely and supplemented with concrete fields of action and measures. The ideas for this were developed in the individual workshops of the thematic groups.

For example, a place or a concentrated structure in Chemnitz is needed for artistic education and exchange in the international field, a kind of academy, a centre where people meet, work and experiment artistically. The audience also participated in lively discussions.

The points of networking and joint action must be reflected more deeply in the strategy. Urban planning is also a decisive factor for citizens. This includes the questions: What makes a city habitable and worth living in? What makes people want to live in Chemnitz or move to Chemnitz?

In the end, the makers and visitors of the Debate Day agreed: the cultural strategy needs courage, it must actively produce something and give room to implement measures.

It is a togetherness, a joint effort of city administration, cultural actors and politics, which sets the process of cultural strategy for the next twelve years in motion.

The current draft of the Cultural Strategy can be found at www.chemnitz2025.de/debattentag-kulturstrategie

Photo: Daniela Schleich