Once a year the GOETHE-INSTITUT presents the Goethe Medal as an official decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. The Medal is awarded to individuals who have rendered services to international cultural exchange. This year’s motto is ‘Culture is a very special juice — in the network of the global community’, and the recipients of the prestigious prize will be Princess Marilyn Douala Manga Bell of Cameroon, a social economist and the president of the cultural organisation DOUAL’ART, the composer Toshio Hosokawa of Japan, and Wen Hui, dancer and choreographer of China.
This year, the award ceremony will take place as a digital ceremony in cooperation with DEUTSCHE WELLE and will be broadcast live on the Goethe-Institut’s channels. In Weimar, the audience is invited to follow the live stream with film portraits and tributes to this year‘s award winners in the study center.
International cultural exchange during the pandemic, with all the lockdowns and travel restrictions in place, comes with its own set of unique challenges. Digitalisation has brought a multitude of new creative and digital forms of culture to the fore, which facilitate encounters across international borders. At the same time, existing inequalities regarding participation in culture and education are intensifying, as are public debates on issues such as racism or how to deal with colonial heritage. What is the role of culture in these turbulent times? What do we dare envision for the post-pandemic era? And what will it take to continue supporting and facilitating international cultural cooperation? These questions, among others, will be discussed after the digital GOETHE MEDALprizegiving ceremony in an interview between Prof Dr Carola Lentz, president of the GOETHE-INSTITUT, and Rolf C. Hemke, head of KUNSTFEST WEIMAR.
GOETHE MEDAL prizegiving | Virtual ceremony
SAT, 28 AUG — 11 AM
In-depth interview between Prof Dr Carola Lentz, president of the GOETHE-INSTITUT, and Rolf C. Hemke
SAT, 28 AUG — 12 AM
PREISTRÄGER*INNEN — Wen Hui | Princess Marilyn Douala Manga Bell | Toshio Hosokawa
PRODUKTION DIGITALER FESTAKT — Deutsche Welle MIT Prof. Dr. Carola Lentz | Rolf C. Hemke
KOOPERATION — KUNSTFEST WEIMAR | GOETHE-INSTITUT E. V. | KLASSIK STIFTUNG WEIMAR
