12 2024
Statement of the ADKDW on the draft budget of the City of Cologne 2025/26
It is with great concern that we note the announcement in the City of Cologne's draft budget that the Academy of the Arts of the World (ADKDW) is to be discontinued in the long term. The ADKDW has established itself as a central institution that contributes significantly to Cologne's cultural diversity, social participation and openness with its innovative and international projects. Cancelling its work would not only affect the ADKDW itself, but would also cause lasting damage to the cultural wealth, social diversity and international appeal of the city of Cologne.
The consequences would be serious: the exhibition programme, which presents a broad spectrum of artistic perspectives and stimulates discourse every year, would have to be discontinued. Residency programmes, which bring international artists to Cologne every year and promote intercultural exchange, could not be continued. The planned expansion of outreach and mediation programmes for young people and marginalised groups, as well as the goal of establishing the ADKDW as an inclusiv e and diverse meeting place, would no longer be feasible.
We are currently in intensive discussions with those responsible in order to find joint solutions that will ensure the continued existence of the ADKDW. We call on the political decision-makers to assume their responsibility for Cologne's cultural future and ensure that the ADKDW can continue to exist as a platform for international art and intercultural dialogue.
Cologne needs a strong, independent and diverse art scene - now more than ever. Together we must ensure that the ADKDW continues to make an indispensable contribution to the cultural and social development of this city.
DIVERSITY, INNOVATION AND INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE ARE INDISPENSABLE FOR COLOGNE AS A PLACE FOR CULTURE!
An appeal by Maria Helmis-Arend, Ala Younis and Monika Kerkmann for the preservation of the Academy of theArts of the World
The Academy of the Arts of the World (ADKDW) is an indispensable part of Cologne's cultural landscape. In recent years, it has set new standards with groundbreaking projects and programs that radiate far beyond the city's borders. Its work for intercultural dialogue, its support for marginalized voices, and its innovative artistic impulses make a decisive contribution to Cologne's social and cultural development.
The effects of a closure would be devastating:
• An essential platform for international and interdisciplinary exchange would be lost, which would massively impair Cologne's cultural diversity!
• Pioneering programs that position the city as a place of participation and cosmopolitanism could not be continued!
• The loss of the ADKDW would irrevocably damage Cologne's reputation as a globally connected cultural metropolis!
The closure of an institution that has grown over the years also contradicts the principles of social sustainability. We therefore urgently appeal to the decision-makers in the city council to secure the existence of the ADKDW, to recognize the pioneering work of the academy over the last 12 years and to guarantee its continued existence. Especially in a time when society is becoming increasingly harsh and divided, Cologne needs an institution like the ADKDW, which builds bridges all over the world through art and culture.
We are convinced that securing the academy is a future-oriented investment in the cultural and social infrastructure of Cologne.
Maria Helmis-Arend, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of ADKDW
Ala Younis, Artistic Director ADKDW
Monika Kerkmann, Managing Director ADKDW