Statement from December 3, 2024: Art and culture in Berlin are not an add-on – they are our foundation!

It is not only shortsighted, but also economically senseless, to cut the Berlin art and culture budget – a budget that makes up just 3% of the total budget. People come to Berlin because this city vibrates with creativity, cultural diversity, and the courage to explore new paths. No one travels here to admire police bodycams. No one is inspired by a city that shifts its resources toward isolation and control.

Every euro invested in art and culture pays back double and triple. Art creates community, strengthens dialogue, and prevents escalation. People who experience art, who create, feel, and dream, do not resort to violence – they reach for opportunities. They find perspectives. They find a release for what burns inside them. Since COVID-19, it should be clear to all of us: art is not a luxury. Art is survival. Art is stance. It is the backbone of this city, its heart, its shared space. Those who cut art do not only strip Berlin of its identity – they weaken the force that binds us together. Without culture, Berlin loses its vibrancy, its soul, and what sets it apart globally.

Berlin needs art because art not only shapes the future, but also reminds us who we are: brave, diverse, open. Art is not an add-on, it is our foundation. Those who cut art are cutting at Berlin’s heart. If we cut art, we cut at our community.