May’s Neighborhood of the Month: “Völkergarten – Garden of Diversity”

Cultural Capital Neighbourhood of the Month – New Inner City / Froschberg

Press Conference
Wednesday 22 April 2009

In May, in conjunction with Linz09’s Capital of Culture Neighborhood of the Month project, the Volksgarten park and the Neue Innenstadt neighborhood will be the settings of actions and interventions that involve participation by local residents. Neighborhood associations and organizations are working together to stage presentations, discussions and entertainment in the park. The organizers’ aim is for the diversity of the lineup of events to reflect the cultural diversity of the neighborhood itself. Here, primary attention is being focused on the many different languages spoken in this part of town. Local schools are also getting involved—encountering these languages and presenting them in the park.

The lineup also includes two open-air film evenings, each featuring short subjects and a full-length film. Sports activities and actions are designed to get people together within the framework of an internationally valid set of rules and without calling attention to language differences. A competition for youngsters and a football tournament for adults is also on tap.
Artworks and the ideas they express are serving to facilitate encounters with the theme “Völkergarten – Garden of Diversity” in Linz’s Volksgarten. These installations by Pia Schauenburg and Alexander Jöchl will be on display in the park throughout the month.
Daniel Gollme will direct a multicultural cast in two evening performances of Tim Etchells’ play “Quizoola!” Conversations in the form of dialogues—a multifaceted game of questions and answers—can be heard throughout the park. A container houses the GASTGARTEN serving as the park’s hospitality center. It includes a mobile kitchen where international chefs can present their cultures’ culinary diversity.

The GASTGARTEN will be open to receive guests during all events.
All events take place on Thursday and Saturday, rain or shine. Admission is free.

Press Kit only available in german