Art creates a space to change the world.

As cultural workers in Germany, we are not above things, but on a ground from which the greatest state crimes in human history were committed. Art was defamed as "degenerate" and culture was widely abused for propaganda purposes. Millions of people were murdered or went into exile, including many artists.

Today we understand art and its institutions, museums, theaters, studios, clubs, urban and rural places of culture as open spaces that belong to many. Our society is a plural assembly. Many different interests collide and are often found in between. Democracy has to be renegotiated every day - but always under one condition: It's about everyone, about each individual! The ground on which we stand together is the Basic Law.

Right-wing populism, which attacks cultural institutions as actors in this social vision, is hostile to the art of the many. Right-wing populist groups and parties disrupt events, want to intervene in the fixtures and programs, polemicize against the freedom of art and work on a renationalization of culture. Their contemptuous treatment of people on the run, with committed cultural workers, with those who think differently reveals how they intend to deal with society as soon as the balance of power changes in their favor.

In our state of Saxony, Pegida, the Identitarian Movement and AfD work hand in hand and polemicize against the democratic, cosmopolitan society. We oppose this.

As the undersigned of the Dresden theaters, art and cultural institutions and their interest groups, we approach these attempts with a clear attitude:

• The undersigned art and cultural institutions conduct an open and critical dialogue on right-wing populist strategies that undermine fundamental democratic values. They shape this dialogue with participants and the audience in the conviction that the institutions involved have a mandate to further develop our democratic society.
• All signatories promote debates in the interests of democracy, but do not offer any forums for propaganda of any kind.
• We fend off attempts by right-wing populists to instrumentalize cultural events for their own purposes.
• We show solidarity with people who are marginalized by right-wing populist politics.

It's about us all. Hence: Art for Democracy!