Country Profiles: Germany - Institute for Cultural Diplomacy

from the age of three to six.
The centre draws its members from a small but culturally diverse area around it and focuses on
a balance between children with and without a history of migration. The centre tries to
maintain this equilibrium in regards of the employees, too. At the moment six out of the
ten workers have a history of migration. However, their work does not only include
taking care of the children. They also engage in various intercultural events and celebrations
like the Muslim Ramadan or the Jewish Chanukah festival. For the parents many different
events are organised based on their individual cultural background. These include dance and
culinary events, intercultural sew and stitch groups and discussion groups. Furthermore, the
centre has several partners with which it cooperates, such as a Tanzanian nursery, the
migration forum of Lübeck and various religious groups. The work done at the day centre and
in the community as a whole is constantly evaluated, amended and customized. It is not just
about integration into the German society. Through the early contact to different cultures and
religions the children are sensitized to a globalized world. While growing up they will have
an advantage in dealing with people from all around the world. This is why the centre is a
‛Best Practice‚ example of the charter of diversity’ (Charta der Vielfalt) which supports
diversity in the whole society. 105
7.4: “Intro…”
Agent of Cultural Diplomacy: The Arts Programme of the Siemens Foundation in cooperation
with the Goethe-Institut and the Ensemble Modern
Agenda: Give sixteen composers the chance to go abroad for one month to experience a
foreign city and compose a unique work out of this experience
Vehicle of Cultural Diplomacy: Exchange programme for composers for the period of one
month in one of four cities
Target Audience: Composers who are sent abroad but also everyone who is listening to the
work of these composers
In collaboration with the Goethe-Institute and the Ensemble Modern, the Siemens Arts
Programme started the project “’Intro…’ as a musical approach to cities. It deals with
political and social circumstances as well as the history of the cities and the stories of its
people.” The four alpha-cities chosen are all multi-religious, ethnically diverse and
multicultural, playing a major role in their region. From a scientific point of view they were
chosen based on the studies of Prof. Dr Regina Römhild of the Humboldt-University Berlin,
which focus on cities and migration. The sixteen composers who participated in the
programme attempt to grasp the essence of a city by spending one month in either: Istanbul,
Johannesburg, Dubai or the Pearl River Delta. They used their own personal techniques to get
in touch with the new environment. They were supported by the local Goethe-Institute to
experience the city, not just be tourists. Interesting aspects of the cities the composers could
get in touch with were visual arts, new and traditional music, sociology, architecture, urban
planning, migration, the natural sciences and the performing arts. The work of the
composers has been and will be played by the Ensemble Modern in cities like Berlin and
Frankfurt but also in the cities of inspiration.
The directors of the programme knew that it is not possible to get an inside view of a different
culture and city in just one month. However, already in such a short but intense time, the