Uniting Rather Than Dividing: A Concert

Discrimination, antisemitism, anti-Muslim racism, queerphobia, and right-wing narratives are gaining visibility and acceptance—not only in public spaces, but also in schools, families, and the digital worlds of young people.

Educational and cultural venues such as schools, theaters, and cultural education institutions therefore face the urgent task of creating spaces that remain supportive, inclusive, and capable of taking action—places where young people can experience democracy as valuable and sustainable.

The conference “Connecting Instead of Dividing” at the Theater an der Parkaue is intended as a response to these societal developments. It brings together cultural practitioners, teachers, social workers, educators, and artists, opening up spaces for exchange, critical reflection, and collective action—across institutional and professional boundaries. The goal is to gain confidence in navigating social tensions, empower young people, and promote a reflective and solidarity-based stance.

The next two editions of the conference are being organized in cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Foundation. The first joint edition focuses on the topic of queerphobia—against the backdrop of increasing queerphobic sentiments and attitudes in many areas of society.

The focus is on questions regarding how to recognize queerphobia, how it operates, and what strategies and courses of action can counteract it. The program includes presentations, roundtable discussions, and workshops. Participants from the fields of education, culture, academia, and civil society are invited.

Participation in the conference is free of charge.

Teachers also have the opportunity to have their participation counted toward continuing education credits.

PROGRAM

Monday, June 15

• 2:30 PM Arrival and registration
• 3:00 PM Welcome and introduction by Christina Schulz (Theater an der Parkaue) and Karin Lenski (Heinrich Böll Foundation)

3:30 PM Keynote presentations by

• Queerformat – Center for Queer Education
• María do Mar Castro Varela · Professor of Social Work and General Pedagogy at Alice Salomon University Berlin
• Henri Maximilian Jakobs · Musician and Author
• Moderator: Aisha Camara · Moderator, strategic consultant, and political educator

• 4:30 PM Break
• 4:45 PM Roundtable discussions with María do Mar Castro Varela, Henri Maximilian Jakobs, and Queerformat – Center for Queer Education
• 5:45 PM Joint closing session in plenary
• 7:00 PM Performance viewing of “Antigone’s Legacy” → optional

Tuesday, June 16

• 9:30 AM Arrival
• 10:00 Democracy Fitness with Katharina Dorn and Anke Bremer · Trainers from the Heinrich Böll Foundation

Democracy Fitness is an interactive educational concept that views democratic participation as analogous to a physical workout. The idea: The skills people need for democratic coexistence must be strengthened regularly, just like muscles. It was developed in Denmark in 2017 by the organization “We Do Democracy.” “Democracy muscles” are trained in short, 30-minute exercises.

10:45 Workshops

• Education and awareness workshop by ABqueer e.V.
• “Love Is Halal” by the AID Center for Islam and Diversity
• Queer Theater Education: Creating Spaces for Community, Visibility, and Resistance with Laura Kallenbach and Nikola Schellmann
• Empowerment workshop with Marietheres Mio Jesse and Gianna Pargetzi (Chicks* Performance Collective)

• 1:45 PM Lunch break
• 2:30 PM Workshops continue
• 3:30 PM Coffee break
• 3:45 PM Closing session
• Followed by informal discussion and closing with light refreshments

The conference is free of charge.

Registration via the Visitor Service: service@parkaue.de or 030.55 77 52 52

Performance viewing of “Antigone’s Legacy”

A ticket is required for the preview performance of “Antigone’s Legacy” on Mon, June 15 at 7:00 PM. Conference participants receive a discounted ticket.

IN GERMAN