The Berlin Senate has decided to remove its restrictive “anti-discrimination clause” for cultural institutions applying for arts funding. According to a statement from the Department of Culture and Social Cohesion, the clause is no longer required due to concerns over its legality. The clause, introduced in December 2023, required cultural institutions to subscribe to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism, in order to receive funding in line with Berlin state’s 2019 strategy to combat anti-Semitism.
Senator for Culture and Social Cohesion, Joe Chialo, stated that he would continue to work towards the non-discriminatory development of Berlin culture, adding that he took the legal and critical voices seriously that saw the clause as a restriction on freedom of art. Major campaigns had criticized this clause, with fears that it would restrict the freedom of expression in the country. Opponents to the clause had also urged the Berlin Senate to delete or change the clause in order to protect artistic freedom.
Over 4,000 artists and culture sector workers had signed a petition following the clause’s introduction, demanding that the clause be changed or amended to prevent the destruction of an artist’s freedom. Meanwhile, Strike Germany, a movement which urges international artists to boycott German cultural institutions in response to the German government’s crackdown on pro-Palestine protests, had stated that the anti-discrimination clause was a “McCarthyist” policy.
Berlin’s CTM festival and several DJs and artists withdrew their participation in this year’s CTM as part of the Strike Germany movement, a position the festival had said it respected, while continuing in a statement that it remains steadfast in its support for artistic freedom and dialogue. CTM’s curator Michail Stangl reacted positively to the news of the Berlin Senate’s removal of the clause on Twitter, commending the decision
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