Meetings/Events

On the 13th of February, in preparation to the final event "KUNST des ERINNERNS", the team of Bridging Generations participates in the Municipal activities for the commemoration of the bombing of Dresden at the end of WWII, on the 13th of February, 1945.

Early on the day, the project participants will go to see the exhibit, by artist Yadegar Asisi, ‘Panorama – Dresden 1945’ that offers a birds-eye-view of the city of Dresden after the bombing by Allied Forces in 1945. Following this educational visit, they will take part in the Citizens Meeting ‘Culture of Remembrance’ at Mauersberger Hall, in the Gemeindehaus of Kreuzkirche. There, citizens of Dresden will speak of their memories of the bombing and war as a prelude to the intergenerational and international dialogue that will take place in group discussions. Representatives of the participating organisations of Bridging Generations will also speak with the locals about the approaches on remembrance in their respective countries.
The finale of the discussions will take the form of a concert by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Dresden in the Kreuzkirche and the formation of the ‘Menschenkette’, the so-called ‘Human-chain’; a declaration of solidarity to the victims and survivors of any war and a pledge to remember and never repeat the same mistakes.

The final Event "KUNST des ERINNERNS" - The Art of Remembrance is a series of Culture and Art events taking place on the 14th of February at the Kulturrathaus (Cultural Department) of the Municipality of Dresden from 15:00 to 20:00. It is the final event of the European project Bridging Generations. Memories about the effect of such a war on humanity will be expressed using Art as a means to connecting people from different backgrounds, generations, countries and work-fields and to stress the importance of Remembrance.

Video Projections – Video-recorded interviews of WWII eye-witnesses from Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Germany; they narrate their lives’ stories and experiences during The War. These stories will be projected in the Cultural Department of the Municipality of Dresden and all attendants will have the chance to watch them and discuss them.

Exhibition "KAPNOs"–The lost reason – Drawings and Art objects by Prof Xenofon Sachinis (Faculty of Fine Arts, School of Visual and Applied Arts, AUTh (Greece)). His work “[…] reminisces and informs the coming generations about the events [of World War II] and their impact on humanity.” -Prof X. Sachinis, February 2015 (Art and Remembrance)

Poetry Slam "Messages" – Imagine language is not a barrier, rather a bridge. Imagine the voices of different people sharing their thoughts, concerns and dreams. Young people are invited to recite their Poems on stage in their mother-tongue.

Intergenerational dance performance ‘In each other's tracks’ by Jenny Coogan and the group ArtRose Dresden (Germany) – The performance moves between remembered times and the spontaneity of the present moment. It is composed through structured improvisation – a moving score that directs the dancers through the work, making each performance full of new and unexpected moments of interpersonal communication. The dance travels down paths of memories of several individual dancers, always returning to the present, celebrating the support and vitality of the community.

Intergenerational theatre performance "Moments" by Ewa Staroń (Theater-Manufaktur Wrocław (Poland)) – The play ‘Moments’, an intergenerational theatre performance by Ewa Staroń, will take you on a journey into the past. In an artistic confrontation with the events of World War II one will experience first-hand memories of the oldest parishioners of Wroclaw. Here, a family’s history will be the focus brought to life by actors of different generations in an effort to reveal the intricate weave of diverse feelings, opinions and experiences of the individual ages truthfully.
Round-table discussions fostering intergenerational dialogue by involving young people, senior citizens, Dresden's citizens, policy makers, University students, international guests, artists and performers.

Installation "GRAVUREN" (Engravings) – Created by Dresden art group KUNSTPLAN and referring to the history of Dresden under the Nazi regime and during World War II, "GRAVUREN" marks places of remembrance in Dresden. Through the utilisation of the "Mahndepots" (Memorial Depots) -stainless steel capsules buried in the ground at marked places connected to National Socialism and World War II since 2001- the art group points at the complexity and contradictory histories that time, ruled by daily life, dictatorship and war, produced. The depots hold exemplary stories that are connected to the place they are buried in and can be about individual life stories as well as institutions and buildings.

Intervention Workshop "Erinnern–Remembering" by Susan Donath (Germany) – The attendants have the possibility to participate in an art workshop and create an ‘individual page’, remembering a single person or a group of people, with the help and support of local artist Susan Donath. In this way, everyone can take a step towards remembering the past. In the end all the pages will be collected in a book.

Dance performance by school students group Silver Linings of Dresden (Germany) – Hip-hop performance spreading messages of hope and lebensfreude by the young people of Dresden.

Moderation: Myrto-Helena Pertsinidi and Matthias Neutzner

On the final day of the event, on the 15th of February, and before everyone goes their separate ways, we will go together with all the participants to visit the ‘Wohnkultur’ exhibition at the JohannStadthalle. An exhibition about the rebuilding of Dresden and of the life that followed on the Eastern part of Germany until The Wall fell.