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EMPHATONIC

Empathonic, is a new live music event series held in Novilla Schöneweide, dedicated to fostering the embrace of live music within the pop and experimental music scene specific for the Schöneweide area in Berlin. Its mission is to cultivate empathy, diversity, and inclusivity through the powerful medium of music. The series is the result of a collaborative effort between soydivision collective and movingpoets e.V , in collaboration with The rest is Music, and L-KW. Over the course of 2024, Emphatonic will consist of six concert series, each edition taking the form of a captivating live radio show. These shows will feature multiple curators/hosts, 18 artists/performers, and be capable of holding live audiences.


Background

Schöneweide, once known as a hub for hardworking individuals, embodies a rich history peppered with industrial factories and the bustling brewery that characterized the landscape. Tucked away from the city center, it carried a distinctive charm, offering a glimpse into the East Berlin era. However, the neighborhood was not without its shadows, as it carried a reputation for harboring a population with right-wing inclinations, often displaying a lack of tolerance for those different from them. The existence of the Neo-Nazi Bar Zum Henker until 2014, and sightings of individuals sporting right-wing attire like Thor Steinar clothing, only reinforced these stereotypes.On the flip side, Schöneweide has plenty of natural areas, with the riverside and  green spaces like Wuhlheide, Planterwald, and Müggelsee. The presence of academic institutions, such as the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin (HTW Berlin) and Humboldt University of Adlershof, right around the corner, has attracted a wave of young people and families, breathing new life into the neighborhood. Despite all the new facts and the emergence of creative spaces like RSO and Mohalla, there is still a lack of presence from live music in this area.


Novilla next to riverside Ober and Unter Schönewide (2023) Pic credit : Ariel Orah


Novilla

In 2021 I moved to Schöneweide with my family because we cannot find any affordable family flat in Kreuzberg. In early 2023, I was granted an artistic studio stipendium by Kulturaume Berlin located in Novilla. Novilla is the project  of Moving Poets Berlin, an art collective that has been curating exhibitions, concerts, performances, and various artistic presentations since 2014. This historical building, previously known as The Hasselwerder Villa, has a history that spans over a century. It was originally constructed in 1907 for the Lehmanns, a Jews couple, only to be tragically expropriated and marred by the events of World War II. In the post-war years, it served as a health office for the National Socialists and later as a military district command for the National People's Army until 1989. Even after German reunification, Novilla had its own story to tell, functioning as an administrative building, and its exterior green spaces had fallen into disrepair. in 2014 when the property, slated for sale to an international investor, was saved by the Moving Poets Berlin's project proposal for NOVILLA, with the support of the BVV Treptow-Köpenick.


Empathonic : a join forces, a collective of collectives

Empathonic brings together various collectives and creative minds to create a collective of collectives. This endeavor is a joint effort led by soydivision collective, which has curated series like soy&synth and Jendela Sonorama and  movingpoets e.V, known for organizing music series such as Der fliegende Teppich and Strings&StrangerThings. Additionally, it will feature curatorial input from Nico Daleman (The rest is Music) and the experimental musician Korhan Erel, who has previously music curatorial work in Sowieso NK. The project's music curation is a harmonious blend of Berlin-based pop and experimental music performers, with a diverse mix of artists who have migration backgrounds and “inter-local” Berliners who call this city home. Embracing an intergenerational spectrum of artists and ensuring balanced gender representation is at the core of their vision.