be Berlin presents: CITYSCAPES
12 cities, 12 themes, 36 people under 36 – those are the coordinates of CITYSCAPES. What makes young people tick in the cities of Europe and the Asia-Pacific? In 2011 CityScapes sets out to explore this question.
In Auckland, Bangkok, Berlin, Hanoi, Istanbul, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Prague, Saigon, Singapore and Sydney, the Goethe-Institut has brought together teams of young journalists, artists and authors to contribute to various urban themes. Every month the teams receive the same impetus and are invited to post their reflections on the blog.
‘Work and Leisure’ was the theme for January, followed up by ‘Sex in the City – how prudish are we?’ in February. ‘Modernity and Tradition’ comes as an impulse in the middle of the year. In every city, each team member delivers their piece each month. One posts photos, another posts text, and the third provides a short radio or film entry.
These can all be read, watched, followed and commented on at http://blog.goethe.de/cityscapes/
For example, we learn from Viet Hung in Hanoi that strict work schedules don’t play much of a role in the Vietnamese capital. Jens Schröder in Sydney informs us that Australians work more hours than their counterparts in any other developed nation, and Ben Fajzullin informs us that the people in Berlin are better than any others at combining work and leisure.
By the end of 2011, the contributions from the local and non-native city reporters will have built up a colourful yet focused picture. It will be lit from behind by the experiences of those who live in the city, by the similarities and differences of the inhabitants. Beyond the well known TV images, another picture of the unseen city emerges. Each city has its own aesthetic, its own concerns and its own proposals for solutions. This project brings together 36 young reporters, but more, it creates a consciousness for the necessity of acting locally in the face of global problems.
When 2011 draws to a close, the Goethe-Institut intends to invite the city reporters to Germany. The exchange of views between the voices with international experience and the experts from Germany will continue.
