Every three months, we bring club culture actors and experts from a variety of fields together in our roundtables to enable an exchange at »eye-level« regarding a diverse and safer club culture.

While each roundtable addresses current topics relevant to Berlin’s club scene, their broader aim is to foster consistent, open dialogue, enable shared learning  and develop standards and action steps for awareness and diversity work.

If you would like more in-depth information or minutes of past roundtables, feel free to write us an email.

KOMMENDE
COMING
VERGANGENE
PAST

Spätestens mit Veröffentlichung der Correctiv-Recherche im Januar ist noch einmal ganz deutlich geworden, wie real Rechtsextremismus in der Mitte unserer Gesellschaft ist und wie dringlich es ist, sich zivilgesellschaftlich mit dieser Realität kontinuierlich und konsequent auseinanderzusetzen. Auch in der Clubkultur müssen wir beobachten, dass Rechtsextremismus hier präsenter wird. Dabei kommt clubkulturellen Räumen nochmal eine besondere Bedeutung zu, da gerade sie wichtige Orte der kollektiven Begegnung, des gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalts, des freien Ausdrucks und der Vielfalt sind. Umso mehr besorgt es uns, wenn rechtsoffene oder rechtsextreme Tendenzen auch in clubkulturelle Orte vordringen. Insbesondere die möglichen und tatsächlichen Auswirkungen für das Wohlbefinden und die Sicherheit marginalisierter Besucher:innen sind mit großer Sorge zu betrachten und greifen die kulturelle Intigrität und Inklusivität unserer Räume an. Wir laden euch ein, diese aktuelle gesellschaftliche Gemengelage zu beleuchten und zu analysieren und sich gemeinsam über konkrete Handlungsstrategien und Maßnahmen auszutauschen, um dem Rechtsextremismus in der Clubkultur aktiv entgegenzutreten.

MEHR ERFAHREN

Die aktuelle Realität der Berliner Clubkultur ist vor allem durch eines geprägt: steigende Kosten und Preise und extremer wirtschaftlicher Druck. Seit der Wiedereröffnung der Clubs nach der Pandemie wird die Verwobenheit in den Strukturen des neoliberalen Kapitalismus wie unter dem  Brennglas sichtbar. Alles wird teurer, die Arbeitsbedingungen immer schwieriger und es drängt sich die Frage auf: Wer hat eigentlich noch Zugang zu Clubkultur und zu welchen Bedingungen? Wie können so noch vielfältige und offene Räume entstehen?

MEHR ERFAHREN

Barrierefreiheit

Barrierefreiheit bedeutet, dass alle Bereiche des täglichen Lebens für alle Menschen gleichermaßen ohne fremde Hilfe zugänglich sind, und ist ein Thema, das auch im Kontext von Veranstaltungen und Clubkultur eine immer wichtigere Rolle spielt. Trotzdem sind Menschen mit Behinderung nur selten in Clubs und Bars oder auf Konzerten anzutreffen, weil selbstbestimmtes Ausgehen für sie an vielen Orten in Berlin unmöglich ist. Geht man als Club, Kollektiv oder Veranstalter*in das Thema Barrierefreiheit an, dann gibt es viele verschiedene Dinge zu bedenken. Diese Komplexität und die meist fehlende eigene Erfahrung, durch Barrieren an der Teilnahme am gesellschaftlichen und sozialen Leben gehindert zu werden, kann zu Verunsicherung und Überforderung führen, und auch dazu, dass das Thema gar nicht erst angegangen wird.

MEHR ERFAHREN

For some time we have been receiving reports of spiking in Berlin clubs. We take these reports very seriously and are in contact with various experts and organisations. Our aim is to create spaces where everyone can feel safe. Instead of telling potential victims how to protect themselves from spiking, we have to do everything we can to prevent these acts and exclude perpetrators from our places. 

MORE

This time, in light of the reopening of the clubs and venues and after more than two years of intensive work, exchange, networking and mutual learning, we want to dedicate ourselves again concretely to one of the fundamental visions with which we started the Awareness Academy project in 2020: Awareness & Diversity Minimum Standards and Values for Club Culture.

On one hand, G —when freely consumed, and when used in drink spiking — places a burden on already threatened clubs, their operators and employees. On the other hand, the stigmatization of G users, plus the anxiety and strain that G use places on club operators, means that too often, people in need of assistance don't receive it, intoxicated users get kicked out instead of being supported, and help is not called in emergencies. This is a vicious cycle that needs to be broken through constructive dialogue, education, sensitization, training and awareness.

Learn More

In this roundtable we want to talk about, discuss and consider together how constructive processes of taking responsibility can look and be designed in our clubs, collectives and communities. How can we work together to create safety and support for those affected by violence? What steps and skills are needed to recognise and seriously reflect on transgressions? How can this lead to real change to actually make club culture a bit safer and more inclusive?

Learn More

Awareness teams, awareness work, awareness as a concept in itself is something we see and read more and more often in the context of club events, festivals and open airs. But where does awareness actually come from, from which movements did awareness as a practice emerge? What is it about the special attitude that should underlie every awareness concept, no matter for which space it was developed? How can mindful and safe spaces, especially for marginalised communities, be created and sustained within our club culture? How could the concept of acting aware become an achievable guideline for all our club cultural spaces, while maintaining attitude?

Learn more

Clubs can act as protected spaces for people who experience the weight of discrimination or marginalization in everyday life. Consequently, the loss of these spaces during the time of the pandemic can lead to further stress. Meanwhile, for those working behind the scenes, clubs sometimes also represent workplace challenges or financial insecurity. On the backdrop of the COVID-19 crisis, this roundtable discussed the tension between mental wellbeing, going out, and work in club culture.

Learn more

The pandemic not only threatens the livelihoods of many people within club culture, but also throws the inequalities and shortcomings of our society into stark relief. Much of this is happening without concrete awareness of racist mechanisms within our own structures. But racist practices and actions also take place in club culture in various dimensions and areas—in teams, in communication, on the dance floor, at the door, in programming. This roundtable hosted actors and initiatives who actively work against racism and for equal treatment in club culture. Together, these actors and roundtable participants discussed and analyzed the status quo, and developed countermeasures and opportunities for action.

Learn more

Ranging from door policies, codes of conducts that prohibit discrimination, infrastructure for support work, to acceptance-oriented drug work - awareness work can be designed in many different ways, each of which come with its own set of challenges. For the second roundtable, the Berlin clubs ://aboutblank and Mensch Meier were invited to present their many years of practical work in the field of awareness. Together with all participants, different approaches, possibilities and problem situations were discussed.

Learn more

This opening roundtable brought together stakeholders from the club and festival scene to jointly shape the working group and set goals. Only through an ongoing and open dialogue with all stakeholders can a diverse club culture free from discrimination emerge. The Awareness Akademie presented its work and projects to date. In the discourse between those present, the following lines of inquiry emerged:

Learn more