Published on Thursday 11 May 2023

BABYLON EUROPA - celebrates cultural diversity at the Carnival of Cultures on May 27 at the ufaFabrik

On May 27th BABYLON EUROPA presents a celebration of diversity with extraordinary artists from 11 regions and countries of Europe!

The cultural show BABYLON EUROPA will once again bring together music, dance, word art and new circus performances to celebrate the diversity and cultural identity of Europe. As a partner event of the Carnival of Cultures, the sixth edition of BABYLON EUROPA will present excellent artists from 11 different regions and countries of Europe at the ufaFabrik in Berlin on May 27 with free admission.

Cultural diversity in the bag

The audience can expect a diverse and impressive show entitled HOME IN A BACKPACK. The actors on stage will develop the program together over two days in creative exchange and workshop discussions on the grounds of the ufa Fabrik. The show program ranges from rousing rhythms, jazz, electronic beats and folk with the musicians: inside Melanie Isaac (Belgium/Wallonia-Brussels), Sascha Ley (Luxembourg), Patryk Cutajar (Malta), Alicia Edelweiß (Austria), Oana Chitu Trio (Romania), Pantaloons (Slovenia), Vera Jonas (Hungary), Clara Pazzini (France) to poetic word arts with Tomas Sramek (Slovakia) and breathtaking dance and acrobatics by Carminda Soares & Maria R. Soares (Portugal) and Hedda Liukkala (Finland).

BABYLON EUROPA is an ode to Europe's cultural diversity, softening artistic genres as well as geographical boundaries.  The very personal definitions of home and the individual searches for it meet in an energetic, creative atmosphere. As in previous years, a show band accompanies the artists and the audience through the evening and combines the different styles and sounds to create a unique show. This year it is the Berlin band The Swag, which has been inviting to the Swag Jam at Badehaus Szimpla every Tuesday for many years. The band delights with its mix of hip-hop, soul, R'n'B, electro and Afrobeat as the global musical language of the evening.

HOME IN A BACKPACK - The show concept

All artists not only perform together, but also work on the show together in two rehearsal days on the premises of the ufaFabrik, where they also all eat and spend the night. In the rooms of the ufaFabrik they exchange ideas intensively and have things in their luggage that mean home to them - an object or a sound. In the context of this work, they creatively explore what they associate with the concept of home individually and also collectively in the sense of a European identity, what role the things they have brought with them play in this, and present their results. The artists will then incorporate the artistic and intercultural exchange about home into the show on Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. in the ufaFabrik. Admission is free.

BABYLON EUROPA is a project of EUNIC Berlin and is curated and produced by buero doering - Fachhandel für Ereignisse GmbH. The event is part of the program of the Carnival of Cultures and is produced with the kind support of the Representation of the EU Commission Germany and the Senate Chancellery of the Governing Mayor of Berlin.

Hosts of BABYLON EUROPA 2023:

Collegium Hungaricum Berlin, CAMÕES BERLIM – Centro Cultural Português, Finnland-Institut in Deutschland – Suomen Saksan-instituutti, Institut français Berlin, Österreichisches Kulturforum Berlin, Slowakisches Institut in Berlin, SKICA Berlin – Slowenisches Kulturinformationszentrum Berlin, Vertretung von Ostbelgien, der Föderation Wallonie-Brüssel und der Wallonie in Berlin, Großherzogtum Luxemburg – Botschaft in Deutschland, Botschaft der Republik Malta und Rumänisches Kulturinstitut Berlin. 

Malta’s participation is supported by Arts Council Malta.