Building on the 2023 festival edition with 60 children, 30 of whom situated in Moabit, Jazzfest Berlin is exploring the cultural diversity of the neighbouring locality with this polyphonic participatory project and its enormous range of contributors. For six months, the Jazzfest Berlin team knocked on numerous doors in the neighbouring locality of Moabit, extending the invitation to help celebrate the 60th anniversary. 38 initiatives accepted the offer. Having worked with the Jazzfest Berlin team, musicians and artists, they have developed ideas and projects based on the rituals of celebrating birthdays and collective music making, highlighting the themes of time, origin and shaping the future.

The Jazzfest Community Lab Moabit consists of three programmatic clusters: Jazzfest Specials, Jazzfest Encounters and Jazzfest ImproLabs. The public is invited to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Jazzfest Berlin together with the participating Moabit residents at various open events, free of charge – some of which require registration. Each cluster has its own specific focus and target group. While the Jazzfest ImproLabs are closed workshops mainly aimed at children and teenagers, the Jazzfest Encounters and Jazzfest Specials comprise artistic interventions and meet-ups in local shops and cafés, theatres and cultural centres as well as other community spaces such as the Afrika-Haus Berlin and Stadtschloss Moabit.

Map of the venues of Jazzfest Community Lab Moabit

Downloadmap as a PDF.

Children and teenagers can familiarise themselves with the art of improvisation under the guidance of interdisciplinary artists and educators from the fields of music, songwriting, theatre, dance, painting, storytelling and political education. Through various workshops, participants can experiment, dance and make music, regardless of any prior musical experience, and without any pressure to perform. They can engage playfully and intuitively with new art forms while also becoming acquainted with new locations in various daily specials.

Various venues in Moabit are welcoming for the Jazzfest Specials musical interventions by neighbourhood musicians and Jazzfest Berlin artists for the Jazzfest Specials. From established venues to pubs and cafés, spaces will open up for improvisation and artistic encounters. The Jazzfest Community Lab Moabit will kick off the festival week with the participating initiatives and partners from Moabit as well as musicians from Jazzfest Berlin on Monday, 28 October, at the Jazzfest Special at PAS Berlin.