re:publica — Tomorrow and Today
We probably don’t need to explain much in order to make you aware of the situation in which re:publica has found itself since the beginning of the pandemic. You surely have noticed it already. Like many other events and like the many companies and people who make them possible in the first place, we and our team are in a crisis whose end is not yet in sight.
In 2020 we have responded to the new circumstances in a number of ways: After the unfortunate but necessary cancellation of rp20, for which planning was almost completed at the beginning of May, we launched rpRemote within a few weeks—the "re:publica in digital exile" and one of the first online conferences of this scope in Germany. Tens of thousands of you participated.
Later this year in September, we organised re:publica Campus in Neukölln as a hybrid format, an experiment and prototype. Also a part of it was the "Martin Roth Symposium — MuseumFutures" and Netzfest took place as well alongside a Corona-compliant exhibition, lectures and workshops at a distance—both digitally and hygiene-compliant on site.
One thing remains: You are what makes the re:publica stand out and what makes re:publica what it is. Our guests, friends, partners—simply said: the community. It is the big party, the festival, the class reunion, the singing, the dancing, the exchange, the networking that we want to return to. And we want to return to it as soon as possible. Especially since the next re:publica "in real life" is supposed to be one of the greatest—it will be the 15th edition. But the pandemic is far from over. We don't expect Corona to become history within a few weeks after the release of a vaccine which will hopefully be available in 2021. A big party with many thousands of people will remain uncertain to plan even in 2021.
The next re:publica—in real life, on site, with everyone and as big as possible—will therefore not take place until 2022.
But this does not mean that we just sit back and relax until then, of course. In 2021 we will at least maintain a digital presence and implement many new ideas additionally. We thank you for your patience regarding further details.
#wirsehnuns: The digital meeting place for the community
We actually want to start again right now and do what we are good at: We will provide spaces for the community. We want to use the November lockdown to get in touch with you again and offer meeting places for different interest groups of the community via the motto #wirsehnuns. Digitally, of course, and hopefully with as many of you as possible.
We have many more ideas on how we can get through these strange and difficult times as best as possible together filling them with internet culture. And we want to increase the anticipation for rp22 to whole new levels! Are you with us?
(Please note: We will contact all ticket holders for rp20 before the end of November with details on next steps.)