Updated 17 January 2024

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who is behind STRIKE GERMANY?

A broad coalition of artists, filmmakers, writers and cultural workers based in Berlin. STRIKE GERMANY is a call to strike, and not an organisation in and of itself. It is entirely without affiliation or funding.

Why is it a strike and not a boycott?

By choosing the framework of a strike, STRIKE GERMANY is appealing to artists and cultural workers as people whose labour can be withheld – not just their money or attention or name. A strike emphasises that there are concrete demands being made. 

Who is expected to join the strike? 

STRIKE GERMANY is addressed to cultural workers who are invited for shows, festivals, and panels at German cultural institutions. We invite those working in Germany to sign in solidarity if they are able, however the strike does not primarily target cultural workers who are based in Germany and dependent on local structures for their livelihood and residency status.

Can I be in solidarity with STRIKE GERMANY without signing the list?

Yes. The call for a global strike to work with German institutions is a tactic alongside other tactics being practised by cultural workers in Germany.

If striking is not an effective tactic in a particular case, the cultural worker is encouraged to negotiate and pressure the institution in other ways to accomplish the outlined demands. They’re also encouraged to reorient the cultural event towards raising consciousness around the Palestinian struggle.

Is the call to STRIKE GERMANY addressed to academics?

Yes. Academics are often invited to participate in the programming of cultural institutions at various capacities. We call on academics to withdraw or withhold these invitations until the given institution meets the demands of the strike. 

Is the strike addressed to NGOs?

Yes. STRIKE GERMANY calls on NGOs and civil society organisations to withdraw or withhold invitations programmed by cultural institutions until the demands are met. Any organisation that wants to participate in the strike through refusing to work with German cultural institutions can be a signatory.

What exactly are the signatories agreeing to do?

Signatories agree to withhold their labour and presence from German cultural institutions, until the demands of the strike are met.

This means: withdraw your participation from festivals, cancel your participation in already committed exhibitions, say no to forthcoming invitations, and organise with fellow artists and cultural workers to withdraw your labour collectively.

Signing the list should not be considered the main objective of the strike, rather demanding implementation of structural changes in the cultural institutions. Nevertheless, the signatory list is an important tool for putting pressure on these institutions.

Cultural workers can sign STRIKE GERMANY preemptively without being in direct conversation with any particular cultural institution.

In cases where cultural workers are in discussion with a cultural institution, STRIKE GERMANY encourages negotiations with the institution to secure commitment to the demands.

Is the call for STRIKE GERMANY differentiating between publicly funded institutions and privately funded institutions?

Public funding of culture in Germany is ample and widespread. The strike is aimed at German cultural institutions, whether state-run or independent, that have been complicit in the culture of repression of Palestine solidarity. If an institution is independent and receives no public funding then it should be much easier to meet our demands.

How can cultural institutions meaningfully respond to the strike?

STRIKE GERMANY expects cultural institutions to respond publicly to all three demands. The aim is to overturn repressive conditions and break the silence around the Palestinian struggle.

Towards those ends, institutions may pursue a great range of actions including:

1. PROTECTING ARTISTIC FREEDOM (KUNSTFREIHEIT):

• Making a public pledge to refuse to enforce background checks on cultural workers’ positions on Palestine/Israel and BDS

2. FOCUSING THE FIGHT AGAINST ANTI-SEMITISM

• Making a public pledge to uphold the Jerusalem Definition of Antisemitism (JDA) within the institution
  (The JDA offers important clarifications of the IHRA working definition and clearly differentiates between critiques of the State of Israel and Antisemitism.)

• Initiating or joining a collective institutional initiative rejecting the use of the IHRA working definition, and/or demanding its supplementation by the JDA definition wherever it is in use by the German state

3. COMBATING STRUCTURAL RACISM

• Releasing a public statement demanding a ceasefire and an end to the assault on Gaza  

• Making a public declaration about their opposition to the 2019 anti-BDS resolution
  (The resolution was a guideline issued by the previous Bundestag which continues to trigger overcompliance of German cultural institutions. It was found unconstitutional in its implementation by several courts.)

• Initiating or joining a collective institutional initiative demanding the overturning of the 2019 anti-BDS resolution and actively working towards this goal

• Organising cultural and artistic programming with the aim of raising consciousness around the Palestinian struggle, with a majority of Palestinian participants

Should I withdraw my signature if an institution I’m working with meets the demands in a meaningful way?

You are free to remove your name from the list if you so choose. However, your signature remains valuable as a commitment to pressuring other German institutions you might work with in the future.  

Are clubs considered cultural Institutions and expected to meet the demands of STRIKE GERMANY?

Yes. Clubs and live music venues receive various degrees of public cultural funding, and are integral to German cultural life.

Can I contact STRIKE GERMANY?

Yes. Send a direct message on Instagram or X (Twitter). Our email address is strikegermany ( at ) proton.me