Windhoek and Berlin celebrate 25 years as twin cities

A programme of Namibian and German co-productions is set to enliven the city as Windhoek and Berlin celebrate 25 years of collaboration as twin cities. The commemorative celebrations will be held under the theme ‘25 Years of Twin Cities Windhoek-Berlin’ and will take place in Windhoek from 14 to 19 October.

The Windhoek-Berlin city partnership was established in 2000 and acknowledges Germany’s colonial legacy in Namibia as well as the countries’ shared responsibility for remembrance, reconciliation and equitable cooperation.

“This milestone is not just about commemorating the past, but it’s a living dialogue between two cities that continue to learn from each other, exchange ideas and collaborate across cultures, disciplines and, most importantly, generations,” said Namibia Institute for Democracy (NID) programme manager Jacinta Kasume at the recent soft launch of the event in Windhoek.

The programming is funded by Lotto Foundation Berlin and will be presented in partnership with the City of Windhoek, NID, the Creative Industry Institute and Kulturprojekte Berlin.

“The anniversary programme will unfold throughout October and November both here in Windhoek and in Berlin. It brings together citizens, artists, young leaders, city officials and partner institutions such as the NID and Kulturprojekte Berlin who are shaping what partnership and solidarity means in the 21st century,” said Kasume.

Windhoek’s celebrations will feature a series of flagship events. They include the recent soft launch, a ‘Voices of the City’ exhibition, a Future Vision panel discussion, a Sister Cities in Action launch and full-day workshop and, finally, a Street Threads decolonial fashion show.

The flagship occasions will take place alongside a number of associated events including the Namibian-German musical theatre production ‘People of Song – Unpacking An Untold Story’ which has its world premiere at the National Theatre of Namibia on 17 October.

Vitjitua Ndjiharine’s public projection art installation ‘Memory Scripts’, a viewing and discussion of ‘Namibia – The Forgotten Colony’, Urban Dialogues Berlin’s experiential learning session and ‘Beyond Borders – A Reception of Creativity and Culture’ are also not to be missed.

The anniversary programme will continue in Berlin in November, in collaboration with the governing mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner, alongside various partners.

According to a media release by the City of Windhoek, Wegner will visit Windhoek from 15 to 18 October, accompanied by a 41-member, multi-sectoral delegation. The visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Windhoek-Berlin sister city partnership, marking a quarter-century of cooperation and friendship between the two cities.

“We look forward to your participation, to your voices, your energy and generally celebrating what we’ve achieved in these 25 years,” said Kasume.

For more information about the arts and cultural programme, visit windhoek-berlin.com

– martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com

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