THE MANY are organising SHINING DAYS OF ACTION on May 8th and 9th 2020 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Germany from National Socialism and the end of the Second World War in a dignified manner, and to proclaim an open Europe of the MANY on the following day, Europe Day. Linked to the action days is the idea of anchoring the two dates in the collective consciousness as days of remembrance and commemoration.
Image above: Project at the Oranienstraße (Heinrichplatz) in Kreuzberg, courtesy DIE VIELEN e.v.
May 8th is a unique public holiday in Berlin this year. THE MANY ask: Why only once? And why only in Berlin? Wouldn’t it be time for a nationwide public holiday, as the Auschwitz survivor Esther Bejarano demands? In the face of growing right-wing extremism and an ever-decreasing number of contemporary witnesses, those active in art and culture are sending out a signal against discrimination and nationalism and for a democratic and diverse society.
With a supra-regional shining rush it is to be reminded of the fact that the united Europe was and is an anti-fascist and solidary peace project. On both days THE MANY in more than 35 cities in Germany and Austria will realize regional actions for a society of tomorrow and will campaign online and offline with projections and golden flags on facades, glittering websites and golden SocialMedia channels against hate and for the BEAUTY OF DIVERSITY.
In a shining stream on May 8th and 9th, the transnational actions will be bundled and made accessible online. On May 8th from 6 p.m. to midnight, the live stream will show actions and contributions from the over 4,400 signatories of the Declarations of the Many in Germany and Austria. In this digital space of possibilities, large and small projects will find room and diverse voices will have their say. On the occasion of Europe Day, the musicians Bernadette La Hengst and Barbara Morgenstern have written the “Ode to Joy”. rewritten and an alternative European anthem of the many was written, which led to an open and a Europe of solidarity. On May 9th from 12:30 pm, the signatories will read out together the more than 30 regional declarations of the many and will invite choirs and musicians from all over the world to take part. Germany afterwards the alternative European anthem at home from their windows and balconies singing, streaming them and distributing them through the social media.
DIE VIELEN (THE MANY) was founded as an association for the safeguarding of artistic freedom in openness and diversity. In the last three years, DIE VIELEN has become a nationwide open association between numerous art institutions, active members of the cultural landscape and freelance producing artists. More than 4,000 signing cultural institutions and thousands of private supporters have now joined the 32 regional declarations of the MANY in Germany. In addition there are over 400 signatories of the Declaration of the Many in Austria. For the demand of the online petition “May 8th must be a holiday more than 10,000 signatures have already been collected. WE ARE MANY EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US – ART REMAINS FREE!
May 8th and 9th 2020 in Germany and Austria
PARTICIPATING DECLARATIONS
Augsburg, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Berlin, Braunschweig, Brandenburg, Bremen, Celle, Darmstadt, Dresden, Frankfurt, Göttingen, Esslingen, Halle, Hamburg, Lüneburg, Mannheim, Marburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Osnabrück, Rhineland-Palatinate, Northwest Region, Rostock, Saarland, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia, Trier, Wiesbaden
SHINING STREAM
Livestream unter: www.dievielen.de/stream (Link open from May 4th)
Broadcast times
May 8th from 18 to 24 h
May 9th from 12.30 to 13.30 h
Programme from May 7th online: www.dievielen.de/en/
NEW EUROPEAN ANTHEM OF THE MANY
Text and arrangement: Barbara Morgenstern and Bernadette La Hengst
Invitation to sing the alternative European anthem from balconies and windows and for distribution via social media on May 9th from 12:30 to 13:30 h
Text, notation and audio version available at: https://www.dievielen.de/aktuelles
PETITION: May 8th must become a national holiday!
https://weact.campact.de/p/petitiondervielen8mai
Partner
Die Vielen e.V. would like to thank Kulturprojekte Berlin GmbH for its support of the Shining Days of Action as part of the theme week “75 Years End of the War”.
