Kaiserslautern, March 19, 2024 - The Peace Academy Rhineland-Palatinate looks back on an exciting weekend with the participatory performance installation "Future Democracy. An Oracle of Democracy", which took place on March 16 and 17 as part of the "Lauterer Demokratieladen" in Kaiserslautern.

The participatory theater offered visitors an inviting, humorous and easily accessible opportunity to engage with the topic of democracy in an artistic way. Under the direction of artist Katharina Anna-Josefine Rausch and curator Julia Katharina Thiemann, participants were invited to take a look into the future together and ask the oracle of future democracies for advice. The participants were actively placed in the role of the actors and encouraged to think about how the future of democratic communities can be shaped.

The oracle performance took place in the basement of the 'K in Lautern'. Participants were greeted with a welcome drink "to clear the mind" and then led into a cubic space separated by semi-transparent cloths. There, the oracle, portrayed by artist Katharina Anna-Josefine Rausch, was waiting to "connect with space and time". Using cards with terms such as 'community', 'tolerance' or 'freedom of expression', the participants were invited to share their own experiences and wishes. Finally, the oracle issued a prophecy in the form of a poem, which was recorded by Julia Katharina Thiemann using a typewriter. These poetic, quite enigmatic, slogans were given to the participants as an additional stimulus for reflection and remembrance.

For those with an academic interest, the Peace Academy was also available to answer questions about its research. Annalena Groppe, research associate and responsible for "Future Democracy", for example, examines polarizing conflicts about democracy using the case study of the conflicts of interpretation surrounding Hambach Castle in Neustadt.

Due to its lightness and accessibility, the aesthetic open space in the middle of a shopping center invited people of different ages and with different political views - from young families to senior citizens, both politically engaged and distanced individuals. Some came specifically, others came across the offer by chance during their shopping trip and were surprised. Participants were encouraged to reflect on what they had heard and often continued their conversations after the performance.

The successful implementation of the "Future Democracy" performance shows how artistic and participatory offers can contribute to gaining more confidence and the ability to act to shape democracy.

For more information, please contact Annalena Groppe at a.groppe[at]rptu.de.

Kaiserslautern, March 19, 2024 - The Peace Academy Rhineland-Palatinate looks back on an exciting weekend with the participatory performance installation "Future Democracy. An Oracle of Democracy", which took place on March 16 and 17 as part of the "Lauterer Demokratieladen" in Kaiserslautern.

The participatory theater offered visitors an inviting, humorous and easily accessible opportunity to engage with the topic of democracy in an artistic way. Under the direction of artist Katharina Anna-Josefine Rausch and curator Julia Katharina Thiemann, participants were invited to take a look into the future together and ask the oracle of future democracies for advice. The participants were actively placed in the role of the actors and encouraged to think about how the future of democratic communities can be shaped.

The oracle performance took place in the basement of the 'K in Lautern'. Participants were greeted with a welcome drink "to clear the mind" and then led into a cubic space separated by semi-transparent cloths. There, the oracle, portrayed by artist Katharina Anna-Josefine Rausch, was waiting to "connect with space and time". Using cards with terms such as 'community', 'tolerance' or 'freedom of expression', the participants were invited to share their own experiences and wishes. Finally, the oracle issued a prophecy in the form of a poem, which was recorded by Julia Katharina Thiemann using a typewriter. These poetic, quite enigmatic, slogans were given to the participants as an additional stimulus for reflection and remembrance.

For those with an academic interest, the Peace Academy was also available to answer questions about its research. Annalena Groppe, research associate and responsible for "Future Democracy", for example, examines polarizing conflicts about democracy using the case study of the conflicts of interpretation surrounding Hambach Castle in Neustadt.

Due to its lightness and accessibility, the aesthetic open space in the middle of a shopping center invited people of different ages and with different political views - from young families to senior citizens, both politically engaged and distanced individuals. Some came specifically, others came across the offer by chance during their shopping trip and were surprised. Participants were encouraged to reflect on what they had heard and often continued their conversations after the performance.

The successful implementation of the "Future Democracy" performance shows how artistic and participatory offers can contribute to gaining more confidence and the ability to act to shape democracy.

For more information, please contact Annalena Groppe at a.groppe[at]rptu.de.