A fresh look at links between Australia and Germany

Culture, sport and wine making59
Barrie Kosky
Artistic Director of Komische Oper Berlin
“As an Australian, I found a home away from home in Germany. For me as an
artist, living in Berlin and its unique cultural landscape is like living in paradise.
Although I travel and work all around the world, there is nothing quite like it.
I only miss the salty Pacific Ocean from time to time …”
in Germany are members of one of more than 91,000 sports clubs.
Alongside their sporting duties, the clubs also assume important
social and inclusive roles. Particularly with regard to youth work and
integration they reinforce values such as fair play, team spirit, and
tolerance. Given the growing internationalisation of the population,
the work done by sports clubs is becoming ever more important in
socially integrating migrants.
Along with football, other popular sports are swimming, tennis,
shooting, athletics, marathon running, European handball,
volleyball and horseback riding.
Football World Cup in Brazil 2014,
world champion Germany after the
finals
Germany and Australia together in sports and culture
Cultural relations
Australia and Germany enjoy long-standing cultural and people- topeople
links. Both countries are vibrant cultural centres, with Australia
displaying a modern sensibility along with a unique Indigenous
heritage, and Germany acknowledged as one of the world leaders
in≈cultural innovation and excellence.
Germany promotes its culture in Australia primarily through the
Goethe Institute and regular visits by musicians, artists and writers. An
Australia Council for the Arts representative in Berlin works with the
Australian Embassy to assist Australian artists entering and operating
in the German market. A Cultural Agreement between Germany and
Australia aimed at enhancing cultural and academic exchanges was
signed in November 1997.
Cricket: Australia celebrate winning
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A significant number of Australian artists are based in Germany,
working in music, the performing and visual arts, and literature, as well
as arts management. They include prominent figures such as Simone
Young, who was until recently General Manager and Musical Director
of the Hamburg State Opera, Nicolas Milton, General Music Director of
the State Opera House of Saarbrücken and Artistic Director and Chief
Conductor of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and Barrie Kosky,
Managing Director of the Komische Oper in Berlin. Australian major
performing arts organisations regularly tour Germany, including in
Performance by German group
‘Kraftwerk’ at the creative festival
‘Vivid Sydney’