Karneval der Kulturen (Carnival of Cultures) is a multicultural festival in Kreuzberg, Berlin, celebrated annually since 1996 around Pentecost weekend. It is organised by the Werkstatt der Kulturen. The processions, theatre performances, and music events celebrate peace, tolerance, and multiculturalism.
The Werkstatt der Kulturen was founded in October 1993 in Neukölln, Berlin, patronised by the Berlin Senate. The first Karneval der Kulturen took place on 15 and 16 May 1996 around Ascension Thursday. It was inspired by other European carnivals such as the Notting Hill Carnival in London and the Zomercarnaval in Rotterdam.
The Karneval der Kulturen then grew to a four-day festival with numerous musical and theatrical performances. The number of visitors grew from 50,000 in 1996 to 300,000 in 1997, 1 million in 2000, [1] to more than one million in 2018. [2] The number of participants also grew from 2,200 to more than 4,000, [3] organised into 66 procession groups (2018). [2] These procession groups come from all over Germany, but also include South American and African groups. [4]
The 2020 edition of Karneval der Kulturen, originally scheduled for the weekend of May 31, was canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. [5]
Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constituent states, Berlin is surrounded by the State of Brandenburg and contiguous with Potsdam, Brandenburg's capital. Berlin's urban area, which has a population of around 4.5 million, is the second most populous urban area in Germany after the Ruhr. The Berlin-Brandenburg capital region has over six million inhabitants and is Germany's third-largest metropolitan region after the Rhine-Ruhr and Rhine-Main regions.
Mardi Gras refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday", reflecting the practice of the last night of eating rich, fatty foods before the ritual Lenten sacrifices and fasting of the Lenten season.
Carnival is a Catholic festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide. Carnival typically involves public celebrations, including events such as parades, public street parties and other entertainments, combining some elements of a circus. Elaborate costumes and masks allow people to set aside their everyday individuality and experience a heightened sense of social unity. Participants often indulge in excessive consumption of alcohol, meat, and other foods that will be forgone during upcoming Lent. Traditionally, butter, milk, and other animal products were not consumed "excessively", rather, their stock was fully consumed as to reduce waste. This festival is known for being a time of great indulgence before Lent, with drinking, overeating, and various other activities of indulgence being performed. For example, Pancakes, donuts, and other desserts are prepared and eaten for a final time. During Lent, animal products are eaten less, and individuals have the ability to make a Lenten sacrifice, thus giving up a certain object or activity of desire.
Reclaim the Streets also known as RTS, are a collective with a shared ideal of community ownership of public spaces. Participants characterise the collective as a resistance movement opposed to the dominance of corporate forces in globalisation, and to the car as the dominant mode of transport.
Menden is a city in the district Märkischer Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located at the north end of the Sauerland near the Ruhr river.
Kreuzberg is a district of Berlin, Germany. It is part of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Mitte. During the Cold War era, it was one of the poorest areas of West Berlin, but since German reunification in 1990 it has become more gentrified and known for its arts scene.
The Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), in English House of the World's Cultures, in Berlin is Germany's national center for the presentation and discussion of international contemporary arts, with a special focus on non-European cultures and societies. It presents art exhibitions, theater and dance performances, concerts, author readings, films and academic conferences on Visual Art and culture. It is one of the institutions which, due to their national and international standing and the quality of their work, receive funding from the federal government as so-called "lighthouses of culture", from the Federal Minister of State for Culture and the Media as well as from the Federal Foreign Office. As a venue and collaboration partner, HKW has hosted festivals such as the transmediale, curatorial platforms, biennials such as the Berlin Documentary Forum, and mentorship programs such as Forecast. Since 2013, its interdisciplinary elaboration on the Anthropocene discourse has included conferences, exhibitions, and other artistic formats performed together with philosophers, scientists, and arstists, such as Bruno Latour and Hans Joachim Schellnhuber.
Kurentovanje is Slovenia's most popular and ethnologically significant carnival event first organised in 1960 by Drago Hasl. This 11-day rite of spring and fertility highlight event is celebrated on Shrove Sunday in Ptuj, the oldest documented city in the region, and draws around 100,000 participants in total each year. In 2016 proclaimed as the 7th greatest carnival in the world by Lonely Planet.
The Carnival of Cultures, also known as Ottawa's International Folkloric Festival, consists of cultural performances, featuring music, song and dance from around the world. It is usually located at the Marion Dewar Plaza in Ottawa. The festival started in 1992.
The Summer Carnaval is an annual event in the Belgian city of Kortrijk and the Dutch city Rotterdam. It mimics the Carnaval of Latin America and the Cape Verde Islands. The traditional pre-Lent Carnival falls in winter in the cool, northern European climate. This climate does not lend itself to celebrating carnival in the Latin American and Cape Verde manner. The Summer Carnival offers people an opportunity to celebrate Carnival in such a manner. The Dutch city of Arnhem used to organize Rio on the Rhine, which attracted more than 150.000 visitors, while the Rotterdam event attracts nearly a million visitors yearly. Summer Carnaval is often compared to Karneval der Kulturen (Berlin) and Notting Hill Carnival (London). In 2001 the Carnival was honoured with the prestigious Dutch Prince Claus Award, for their work in promoting the positive contribution of Antillean culture to Dutch society.
The Rijeka Carnival is held each year before Lent in Rijeka, Croatia. Established in 1982, it has become the biggest carnival in Croatia.
Antoni Karwowski is a Polish lyrical abstraction painter and neofiguration painter and performance artist.
Dulce Compania is a performance-theater company based in Berlin, Germany. The company was formed in 2003 by a Chilean, Marjorie Ibaceta Chau, and a German, Marko Bubke-Chau. In 2007, the Chilean Gonzalo Oyarzun Riveros joined the company. For international productions, the group is enlarged to include a pool of dancers and actors. In 2008, Dulce Compania received first place, and in 2010 second place in the German Karneval der Kulturen in Berlin, which was attended by an audience of 1 million people.
Berlin is recognized as a world city of culture and creative industries. Numerous cultural institutions, many of which enjoy international reputation are representing the diverse heritage of the city. Many young people, cultural entrepreneurs and international artists continue to settle in the city. Berlin has established itself as a popular nightlife and entertainment center in Europe.
La Fanfarria del Capitán is an Argentine band formed in 2004 by Victoria Cornejo, Jeronimo Cassagne, and Francisco Mercado. Originally named Capitan Tifus, the band created the Fanfarria Latina genre, which combines rock, cumbia, tango, ska, balcan, and Latin rhythms.
Habib Belkziz is a Moroccan gnawa singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He released the Album Sidi Kmmy produced by HaBiBelk Productions Records.
The Malkasten-Redoute was an annual masquerade ball for the Düsseldorf carnival period organized at the Malkasten in Düsseldorf.
The Düsseldorfer Karneval is the Düsseldorf variant of the "fifth season" known as carnival. The Düsseldorf carnival begins on 11 November each year with the symbolic awakening of the Hoppeditz and ends on Ash Wednesday of the following year with his burial. The period of carnival is called the Carnival session and marks a high point in the social life of the state capital. with numerous sittings and balls. Together with the events in Cologne and Mainz, the Karnevalsumzug is one of the largest in Germany. Its annual television broadcast made it known nationwide.
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