EU office: Newsletter - August 2022

When European Mobility Week kicks off on 16 September at the Chemnitz Tram Museum, the focus will be on having fun experiencing alternative forms of transport. Edgar and Edda, two very engaging mascots, invite you to simply take a different perspective for once. How nice would it be to take the train in the evening sunshine to visit friends? How much fun could you have doing a big shop on a cargo bike? Or letting the car sleep in on Sunday morning and hopping on an e-scooter to get some fresh bread rolls? The campaign week encourages all Chemnitz residents to just give it a try.

The following day sees the return of last year’s “Night Ride on a Tram” ‒ but this time four other German cities are joining in. So trams will be setting off in Bremen, Düsseldorf, Nuremberg and Stuttgart at 11:23 p.m., and readings will be held on board. CVAG is also organising its Trainee Info Day on 17 September in the grounds of the Tram Museum. Sports club IKA Chemnitz will be taking families on a bike ride through the city and then hosting a picnic. The bicycle festival at the Saxon Motoring Museum gives visitors an opportunity to join in and marvel at the sights. At the end of the campaign week, this museum will also look at how visually impaired people orientate themselves in public areas. The “Tankstelle”, a converted petrol station in the Reitbahn area, is set to undergo a transformation, offering space for questions and a conversation about “mobility in Chemnitz” and the “mobility revolution”.
 

The European Week of Sport, which is next up from 23 to 30 September, is also looking to get people moving. With its eye-catching programme flyer, clubs and facilities invite you to head for their premises to try out new sports and taster sessions such as “Sport for couch potatoes”, cricket workshops and even matches with the Floor Fighters. Easy hikes and walks in the fresh air are also a great way to get some exercise. Here, too, the focus is on fun. Just go for a short jog and feel the adrenaline kicking in. Or jump on your bike as the sun rises and hone your best ideas, much as you would do in the shower. And, as you do all this, realise just how fulfilling it can be to relieve stress through exercise.
 

SCHLiNGEL is one of the largest international film festivals for children and young audiences in Europe and across the world. Taking place the week before Saxony’s autumn holidays, the festival attracts thousands of cinema fans, both young and old, every year as well as film guests from all over the world to Chemnitz cinemas, presenting the latest international film productions for children and young people. Boasting film talks, lectures and workshops, SCHLiNGEL offers a sophisticated and varied supporting programme for film and media education work for audiences from Chemnitz and the surrounding area.

With formats such as “ComingSoon” and other project presentations and panel discussions, the SCHLiNGEL IndustryForum has established itself in recent years as one of the leading platforms for exchange and networking within the international film industry.

It is organised by the Saxon Service for Children’s and Youth Films. The Saxon Institute for Private Broadcasting and New Media SLM has also been an organiser since 2006. SCHLiNGEL is sponsored by the Minister-President of the Free State of Saxony and the Mayor of the City of Chemnitz.
 

The International Build Peace Conference is due to take place in Chemnitz in cooperation with the NGO Build Up, TU Chemnitz and the ASA-FF sponsorship association. The event will be attended by 300 international guests, partners and interested citizens from the Chemnitz region. The event focuses on participatory processes and interactive, innovative formats: it will include dialogues, short lectures, workshops and open spaces. Themed “Exploring the Unseen”, participants are invited to engage with the three major sub-topics ‒ turning points, radicalisation & connecting spaces ‒ and to examine the question of why some histories and parts of the past or present are visible either digitally or physically, while others are not. The Russian war of aggression on Ukraine confirms the urgency of this issue. How can we shape preventive peace work in Europe? What are the unseen aspects of peace work in other parts of the world as Europe grapples with major security issues?

The event will be inclusive: barrier-free rooms and simultaneous German-English translation allow a broad range of people to take part. Registration and participation are free of charge for people from the Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 region. Find out more about the programme here.
 

Having submitted a successful application, Anne Förster from the Natural History Museum was invited to participate in a peer learning visit from 24 to 26 May 2022. Host city Leeds demonstrated on site the repercussions of the pandemic on cultural programme design in museums, and showcased faster ways to boost digital engagement. Another topic was how heritage institutions have adapted to the “new normal” by providing a range of activities and support to different target groups. Digital engagement in schools and communities was also highlighted, especially curriculum design and re-creation, and podcasting. This was where Ms Förster shared her own experiences from the pandemic: how social media were used, the development of new concepts for home study, as well as development of digital educational services.

As a result, the participants of the study visit were all agreed that a common cultural strategy unites the municipal institutions. It is vital to treat individual institutions on an equal footing, in order to avoid unnecessary competition and encourage productive cooperation. Close cooperation between the administration and the museums was discussed, as this is desirable for efficient work. At the same time, it should be possible to discuss and address opinions without reservation ‒ this way, solutions can be found that are attractive to both sides.
 

At the EUROCITIES annual general meeting in Espoo at the beginning of June, the City of Chemnitz received a lot of attention. As the ideas of the “Future Mentors” (see EU Office newsletter from May 2022) were about to be presented on stage, the Chemnitz representative, Ludwig Sontag, was given the floor. He was very satisfied with the results of the exchange: “We are proud to present not five, but six recommendations”. Among other things, they demand that EUROCITIES sets up a permanent youth department. All the recommendations presented together with the young mentor from Manchester can be viewed in the live recording (time stamp 56:30 in the video). Applying these key concepts, EUROCITIES wants to get young people involved in planning their future. To do this, the online forum will remain up and running so that young people can continue the conversation. The same goes for the four Chemnitz mentors. Mayor Ralph Burkhart is very committed to maintaining dialogue. In the joint final round, it was decided to expand the mentoring team. The members plan to represent the concerns of young people as an informal group in the future.
 

To prevent disruption caused by unexpected delays during the summer holidays, travellers should know what free assistance is available to them. With the EU Passenger Rights, the European Parliament has introduced EU-wide rules. This obliges carriers to provide passengers with meals, accommodation, reimbursement and compensation should any problems arise. At the same time, higher prices may not be charged for tickets in the EU based on nationality or where you made your purchase. Passengers with limited mobility are entitled to free assistance when travelling. With regard to travel connections with transport companies, passenger rights come into effect if the connection is cancelled or delayed. All rights of air, rail, bus and sea travellers can be found on the “Your Europe” page. A corresponding app can also be downloaded here.
 

• 1 to 19 August 2022   Kinderfilmhaus children’s cinema
  SummerGardenCinema ‒ by SCHLiNGEL: Every Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. “SCHLiNGEL Subs” ‒ films in original language with German subtitles
   

• STAUNT Festival meets European Week of Sport
  24 September 2022   4:00-9:00 p.m.  Karl Marx Head
  Side Street Superstar ‒ STAUNT Parade through Chemnitz
   

• 25 September 2022 8:00 p.m. Location to be announced
  Light trail through Altchemnitz ‒ illuminated route from station to station visiting old factory buildings
   

• 28 October 2022   7:00-8:30 p.m. Online event by the vhs (adult education centre)
  Man and Power. The Builders and Destroyers of Europe in the 20th Century