Statement: Berlin needs its art and culture!

Berlin breathes art. Every street, every wall, every backroom tells the stories of people who dare to think, feel, and dream differently. But it is exactly these dreams – raw, unpolished, brave – that are at stake. The planned cuts to the cultural sector do not only affect large institutions but especially the many people from the independent scene who keep the heartbeat of this city alive. Art and culture are not decoration, not mere embellishments. They are the essence. They open spaces where encounters happen, thoughts grow, and society is renegotiated.

But what happens when a city gives up its culture?  
When the sound of diversity, the beat of freedom, the choreography of resistance fall silent? It's not just projects that are cut. It’s life realities that are lost. A part of Berlin disappears. The artists, collectives, and stages create places that go far beyond entertainment. They are spaces for reflection, change, and the search for a better togetherness. Every canceled funding request and every discontinued project is more than just a number on paper. It’s a loss for all of us. Because art is not just expression; it is a tool for change and a mirror of our time.

Without it, we lose more than entertainment – we lose identity.  
Berlin without its art and culture would be quieter, grayer, poorer. A city without its creative core is no longer a place of life but a shadow of what it could be. We cannot allow that. This city lives from its diversity, its courage, its energy – and that is exactly what we must defend. It’s not just about money. It’s about us. About what makes Berlin: its art, its culture, its freedom. Let’s stay loud, stay visible, stay Berlin.