American Days
As American Days a place held annually cultural festival in the metropolitan region of Stuttgart called. For eleven days, German and American institutions will present a program on various aspects of transatlantic relations. The German-American Center / James-F.-Byrnes-Institut eV (DAZ) presented the American Days 2008 for the first time in cooperation with the cultural office of the state capital Stuttgart and the Robert Bosch Foundation . The American Days are intended to draw attention to existing activities and the variety of transatlantic commitments in the Stuttgart region, as well as to stimulate new campaigns and collaborations related to America. They are following the example of the French Week in and around Stuttgart, which has been held since 2000.
history
In 2004 the German-American Institute in Tübingen, in cooperation with the German-American institutes from Freiburg, Heidelberg and Stuttgart, carried out an inventory of “German-American contacts in Baden-Württemberg” at the suggestion of the Robert Bosch Foundation. The research named more than 400 institutions and contact addresses and thus conveyed a picture of intensive exchange relationships with the United States of America and civic activities in Baden-Württemberg . On this basis, the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the cultural office of the state capital of Stuttgart developed the idea of holding annual American Days in the state capital in the future .
The then Prime Minister Günther H. Oettinger supported this idea and himself suggested the organization of America Weeks in Baden-Württemberg on the occasion of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the German-American Institute in Heidelberg in autumn 2006.
The following year, the German-American Center / James F. Byrnes Institute eV (DAZ) began working with interested partners to develop a concept for the first American Days in the state capital of Stuttgart. The first American Days in the greater Stuttgart area took place from June 26th to July 6th, 2008.
The various events within the framework of the American Days find their common focus in the encounter between people from Germany and the USA. In the program - for all ages - readings, exhibitions, music performances, theater, dance and cabaret events, films, seminars and events for advice and information as well as with reference to the town twinning. The organizers particularly welcome activities for children and young people. Political and economic issues can also be addressed during the cultural days.
The DAZ has been the point of contact and mediator in German-American relations since it was founded. It therefore takes on the role of the head office for the American Days , in which information converges, is bundled, structured and forwarded. This is intended to establish a communication network in the DAZ between actors, organizers, supporters and sponsors, the press and the public.
The American Days - the logo makes it clear that these are “US American Days ” - want to achieve a lasting and sustainable network of actors.
American Days 2008
As the opening event of the 1st American Days , June 26th - July 6th, 2008, students from Stuttgart realized the “Dancing to Connect” project in the Wilhelma Theater together with American dancers . "Dancing to Connect" was the result of a jointly developed project that was designed in close cooperation between the New York dance schools Battery Dance Company and Drastic Action , the Freiburg University of Education and various Freiburg schools. The dance project aimed to develop skills through the integration of dance, music and English as the working language.
42 cooperation partners organized 72 events related to transatlantic relations.
American Days 2009
The 2nd American Days opened on May 6th with a concert by the Wings of Dixie in the White Hall of the New Palace. This year the American Days expanded further: more than 40 cooperation partners offered over 90 events, including, for the first time, events on American football, concerts by the music college and demonstrations in the Carl Zeiss Planetarium.
American Days 2010
The 3rd American Days took place parallel to the 50th anniversary of the city partnership between Stuttgart and St. Louis. Some events therefore paid special attention to the relationships between the citizens of the two cities.
At the opening event, The Bosman Twins from St. Louis played together with the Stuttgart band Trijo in the Theaterhaus Stuttgart in front of around 500 guests from both countries.
In 2010 the German-American Center had around 50 cooperation partners and more than 70 events.
American Days 2011
The 4th American Days , May 25th - June 5th 2011, were initiated by blues singer Angela Brown . For the goal of promoting new transatlantic contacts and long-term friendship, as well as deepening existing networks, she served as one of the best examples - Angela Brown came to Germany from Chicago many years ago and stayed. Together with the Christian Rannenberg Trio, she gave a concert in the Theaterhaus Stuttgart as part of the official start of the series of events. Other prominent appearances during the culture days included a. that of the author Elizabeth Murray , who tells of her life as a homeless youth in the Bronx and her rise to Harvard, as well as that of the singer Ron Williams . Arthur Landwehr also spoke about his work as a foreign correspondent in the Stuttgart TV tower and Patrick Kamakani Bulling taught the exotic art of the Hawaiian hula (dance) . A total of 55 events were offered by 34 institutions from the Stuttgart area - some in cooperation.
American Days 2012
At the 5th American Days , May 2 - May 13, 2012, the intercultural diversity of the American Days could be experienced beyond the Stuttgart region for the first time: In Heidelberg, Prof. Robert Blecker discussed his documentary film Robert Blecker Wants Me Dead, in Tübingen The Bluegrass Queen Alecia Nugent gave a concert and in Freiburg the American writer TC Boyle presented his novel When the Slaughter is Over. These events took place with the German-American Institutes in Heidelberg, Tübingen and Freiburg. The opening event was a concert by Charles Simmons & Band, known from the German singing casting show The Voice of Germany, in the Theaterhaus Stuttgart .
American Days 2014
At the start of the 6th American Days , May 14th - May 25th 2014, the DAZ of the festival presented the best-known American woman living in Germany - singer, author and comedian Gayle Tufts, according to Stern (magazine) . The opening ceremony was on May 14th in the Theaterhaus Stuttgart . Over 50 organizers organized 65 events around the USA over 12 days. There were German-American associations, large Stuttgart cultural and educational institutions such as the Linden Museum, the State Center for Political Education in Baden-Württemberg or the State Gallery in Stuttgart , media, foundations, sports clubs and other public organizers. The German-American Center Stuttgart once again assumed the role of the central coordination point . At the same time, it was responsible for general press and public relations work and raised project funds and sponsors for this area. In 2014 the American Days were again represented nationwide due to the renewed participation of the German-American Institutes in Tübingen, Heidelberg and Freiburg.
Sponsor
The American Days are sponsored by the Robert Bosch Stiftung, the Stuttgart City Cultural Office and the US Consulate General in Frankfurt. In 2008, the American Days were also largely funded by the Baden-Württemberg State Foundation.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Stuttgart American Days under the anniversary star . Website of the Stuttgarter Zeitung. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
- ↑ Where is the German Obama, Ms. Tufts? Website of the star. Retrieved January 22, 2015.