Agora: Multicultural initiatives and stories from the city we love - Berlin Give Something Back to Berlin

Ben Osborn joins Gaby D'Annunzio to tell how they built a community of music producers from scratch. The two co-founders chat about the crossroads of music and migration, Berlin life and belonging.

The Open Music Lab is an inclusive community that empowers people to make their own music with the vision of building a more equitable music scene. It offers free production workshops to everyone who wants to learn and improve skills in the field of music.

Agora podcast brings you stories from our multicultural community.
Audio-only version of this episode is also available on:
Apple podcasts: https://apple.co/3fGnjMX
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3joeAjC
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-569758316
Google podcasts: https://bit.ly/3AloRUm

Host: Gaby D´Annunzio
Interviewee: Ben Osborn
Music Performers: Ben Osborn & Kimia Bani
Creative Direction & Video Production: Dan Gizzie & Giovanni Dominice
Production Managers: Gaby D’Annunzio & Ragıp Zık
Creative Assistant: Marie-Therese Helmschmied
Production Assistant: Lucie Wirz
Music: Felix Godden
Designer: Ohad Ben Moshe

More information
Give Something Back to Berlin: https://gsbtb.org
Open Music Lab: https://www.openmusiclab.org

Support our work: https://gsbtb.org/donate/

Amani Kaskin and Antonina Stasiuk talk about how they can engage people deeply and foster a sense of belonging. Open Hearts Space helps migrants and refugees to build their own support network and thrive in a new environment.

All Open Hearts Space activities are free and open to everyone, with priority given to women and children. You can join art workshops, language cafés, and support groups taking place online and in-person at Refugio Berlin.

Agora podcast brings you stories from our multicultural community.

Host: Gaby D’Annunzio
Guests: Amani Kaskin & Antonina Stasiuk
Videography: Bethania Medina
Location: Refugio Berlin
Production managers: Gaby D’Annunzio & Ragıp Zık
Music: Felix Godden
Designer: Ohad Ben Moshe

Many people build the Open Hearts Space community, and we would like to say a special thanks to those that are currently taking care of the activities:

Fatima Alhaji
Teeb Aljamal
Bissan Awwad
Hanna Bargheer
Toulin Balabaki
Tanja Bächle
Maria Bither
Maximilian Brase
Małgorzata Burkot
Alessia Cecchini
Ewa Cichocka
Phili (Philippa) Cumming
Carlotta Duken
Berit Eisele
Anna Fedas
Leo Friedmann
Angela Gonzalez
Gethin Griffith-Jones
Maya Kim
Rebecca Kirch
Alzbeta Knerova
Chiara Lioba
Marta Łepkowska
Elisa Moll
Eva Morchen
Giulia de Pascale
Julia Pelta-Feldman
Phoebe Pimlott
Alys Randall-Smith
Annick Reppelin-Holzgreve
Omnia Saad
Javier Silva Mora
Joanna Simson
Lisa Somicheva
Amélie Stenglin
Lotti Stolze
Christoph Thun
Alejandro Urrutia
Clotilde Vivier
Ken Wallingford
Agata Waśko
Lucie Lou Wirz

More information
Give Something Back to Berlin: https://gsbtb.org
Open Hearts Space: https://gsbtb.org/projects/open-hearts-space/

Support our work: https://gsbtb.org/donate/

Rinky Miri and Fayaz Ghaznavi tell us how the Open Language Cafés are helping to change the way migrants learn languages. This space offers a friendly environment to form friendships and build solidarity networks while learning about different cultures and languages.

All Open Language Cafés classes are free and open to everyone. You can join us at Refugio on Tuesdays at 18:00 for English Language and Wednesdays at 17:30 for German Language Sprachcafé.

Agora podcast brings you stories from our multicultural community.

Audio-only version of this episode is also available on:
Apple podcasts: https://apple.co/3fGnjMX
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3joeAjC
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-569758316
Google podcasts: https://bit.ly/3AloRUm

Host: Marie-Therese Helmschmied
Guests: Fayaz Ghaznavi & Rinky Miri
Videography: Bethania Medina
Location: Refugio Berlin
Production Managers: Gaby D’Annunzio & Ragıp Zık
Music: Felix Godden
Audio mix: Richard Salazar Muñoz
Designer: Ohad Ben Moshe

More information
Give Something Back to Berlin: https://gsbtb.org
Open Language Cafés: https://gsbtb.org/projects/open-language-cafe/

Support our work: https://gsbtb.org/donate/

In this episode of the Agora podcast series, we talked to Fade Abdelnour, one of the founder of the Khan Aljanub Bookshop of Berlin's Schöneberg district. Khan Aljanub is an initiative of the local Arabic-speaking migrant community and a hideout off the busy Postdamer Street. Fadi told us about the founding story of the bookshop, the recent changes in the multicultural literature scene of Berlin, and what they offer to the city. At the end of the interview, Fadi read an excerpt from Minor Detail, the book that earned Adania Shibli a Pulitzer price.

"Agora" podcast series is brought to you by Give Something Back to Berlin. We connect migrants, refugees and locals, by developing innovative practices in the areas of social integration, intercultural dialogue and inclusion.

Agora explores Berlin’s multicultural landscape. We find out how migration has changed our urban landscape, hear stories from our community, and exchange ideas with those who are making a difference. We tackle issues ranging from human rights, diversity, and education, to migrant identity and belonging.

Video version of this episode can be found on: https://youtu.be/r6xHSqM99UI
Audio-only version of this episode is also available on:
Apple podcasts: https://apple.co/3fGnjMX
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3joeAjC
Google podcasts: https://bit.ly/3AloRUm

Host: Gaby D´Annunzio
Interviewee: Fadi Abdelnour
Book read in this episode: Minor Detail by Adania Shibli
Creative Direction & Video Production: Dan Gizzie & Giovanni Dominice
Production Managers: Gaby D’Annunzio & Ragıp Zık
Music: Felix Godden
Designer: Ohad Ben Moshe

More information
Give Something Back to Berlin: https://gsbtb.org
Khan Aljanub: https://khanaljanub.com

Support our work: https://gsbtb.org/donate/

In this episode of the Agora podcast series, we talked to Tom Young, founder of the Open Music School and Programme Manager at GSBTB. The Open Music School is a musical skill-sharing community with a solid music education programme. Tom told us about the Open Music School's ambition bring diversity to the music scene by making education accessible and completely free for everyone. By offering weekly free music classes and regular thematic events, the Open Music School creates welcoming and inclusive spaces for learners and volunteer instructors.

The interview is followed by an oud performance by Oudai Amer, a Syrian musician based in Berlin. Oudai has instructed and performed at Open Music School's Arabic music workshops.

"Agora" podcast series is brought to you by Give Something Back to Berlin. We connect migrants, refugees and locals, by developing innovative practices in the areas of social integration, intercultural dialogue and inclusion.

Agora explores Berlin’s multicultural landscape. We find out how migration has changed our urban landscape, hear stories from our community, and exchange ideas with those who are making a difference. We tackle issues ranging from human rights, diversity, and education, to migrant identity and belonging.

The episode is also available on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0cRvLFHL0k&t=1s

Host: Gaby D´Annunzio
Interviewee: Tom Young
Music Performer: Oudai Amer
Creative Direction & Video Production: Dan Gizzie & Giovanni Dominice
Production Managers: Gaby D’Annunzio & Ragıp Zık
Creative Assistant: Marie-Therese Helmschmied
Production Assistant: Lucie Wirz
Music: Felix Godden
Designer: Ohad Ben Moshe

More information
Give Something Back to Berlin: https://gsbtb.org
Support our work: https://gsbtb.org/donate/
Open Music School: https://www.openmusicschool.org/
Refugio Berlin: https://www.refugio.berlin

In this episode, we interviewed Deutsche Wohnen & Co Enteignen, a Berlin-based grassroots initiative aiming at expropriating large housing corporations in order to give all Berliners access to fair housing.

Tune in and find out how the current housing crisis has particularly affected vulnerable and migrant populations in Berlin and Germany. Rosa Silva joins Marie-Therese Helmschmied and tells us how the campaign started, its different demands and next steps, including the soon-to-come referendum.

"Agora" podcast series is brought to you by Give Something Back to Berlin. We connect migrants, refugees and locals, by developing innovative practices in the areas of social integration, intercultural dialogue and inclusion.

Agora explores Berlin’s multicultural landscape. We find out how migration has changed our urban landscape, hear stories from our community, and exchange ideas with those who are making a difference. Join us while we tackle issues ranging from human rights, diversity, and education, to migrant identity and belonging!

A video version of this episode is also available: https://youtu.be/Y_TaI1YF2jA

Host: Marie-Therese Helmschmied
Interviewee: Rosa Silva
Creative Direction & Video Production: Dan Gizzie & Giovanni Dominice
Production Managers: Gaby D’Annunzio & Ragıp Zık
Creative Assistant: Marie-Therese Helmschmied
Production Assistant: Lucie Wirz
Music: Felix Godden
Designer: Ohad Ben Moshe

More information
Give Something Back to Berlin: www.gsbtb.org
Support our work: https://gsbtb.org/donate/
Deutsche Wohnen & Co Enteignen: www.dwenteignen.de/informations-in-english (English) / www.dwenteignen.de (German)
Refugio Berlin: www.refugio.berlin