Refuge Worldwide

Interview 14 Feb 2025 Caroline Whiteley speaks to Berlin ist Kultur about the cultural implications of drastic budget cuts. By Caroline Whiteley Berlin’s cultural scene is not just a local treasure but a global attraction, drawing 80 per cent of its tourists and shaping its identity as a cultural capital. But in November 2024, the Berlin Senate announced a 12 per cent cut to the city’s cultural budget, a significant blow to a sector that accounts for just 2.5 per cent of total public spending.

It's January, and Bubble World is back with our second annual cultural forecast for the year ahead. Join us as special guest astrologer Randon Rosenbohm reunites with Christa Belle on air to unravel her highly anticipated 2024 predictions. The conversation is entangled with a mix of music selected by the pair — there's hymns, gay bops, optimistic electronica and so much more in store. Tune in for a blend of insights and sounds setting the tone for the year ahead.

Caroline Whiteley is a freelance writer, editor and creative strategist based in Berlin and London who explores the intersections of culture, including music, fashion, visual art, design, and tech for publications like Crack Magazine, FACT, Resident Advisor, Vice and Telekom Electronic Beats. She also hosts a monthly show on Radio 80000.

Join us for a short film by writer and artist, Farrah Berrou. Buffer Zone is part-documentary, part-memoir, taking us back to her ancestral border village of Kfarkila in southern Lebanon as she visits for the first time since October 8, 2023. Following the film, we’ll share an intimate, open discussion on supporting relief efforts alongside the creative community in Lebanon, as well as how, from Berlin, we can stand in solidarity against genocidal erasure and violence.

As Nick is moving house later this month, he's been going through his record collection to weed it out a bit. Along the way, he found a lot of good stuff he forgot about, which he's going to play for this month‘s show - vinyl only…

As We See It is a show that explores the many facets of Berlin that you may not have heard about. Edna and Abby dive into different aspects of the city’s culture, history, and community by going beyond the headlines to discuss the issues shaping Berlin today. With an emphasis on progressive viewpoints, the show features in-depth interviews, political debates, quirky finds, and the latest cultural events.

Refuge began in 2015 as a fundraising platform working in solidarity with grassroots and non-profit organizations across Berlin. Refuge Worldwide radio was launched in 2021 to amplify the music and issues that we care about, broadcasting live out of Neukölln. Read more about us

Jake Hanrahan has made a name for himself within and beyond the world of traditional journalism, having reported from war and crisis zones in Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, Palestine and southern Turkey, to name a few. With his media organisation, Popular Front, he shares podcasts, documentaries, and zines focusing on the aspects of war and conflict that mainstream outlets ignore.

Activist and writer Hebh Jamal has been flying under the radar of Germany’s political and press elite, a group she identifies as having a vested interest in smearing any discussion of Palestinian identity as an infringement against the state of Israel. Three years ago, Jamal moved from New York to Mannheim in Germany, where she started a new life with her Palestinian-German partner.

Event January 17, 2023 Monday 30 January, 14:00 - 15:30, Weserstr. 166. By Staff Join us at Oona for an exploration of different sound materials. On Monday, 30 January, you can attend a 90-minute workshop hosted by sound artist Debashis Sinha, an artist who has composed for dance, video, film and theatre alongside numerous solo and collaborative projects.