Join us as we stage a free public concert that straddles the U.S.-Mexico border wall and unites communities through music
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A free public concert on both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border.
Hello!
We are the Dresdner Sinfoniker, a contemporary symphony orchestra from Germany.
On 3rd June 2017, we will stage a concert on both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border. We will invite musicians from the United States and Mexico to play along with us at Friendship Park along the border of Tijuana and San Diego. The repertoire will be a wide range of famous pop songs and new works composed especially for the occasion.
With this concert we are not only protesting against President Trump’s proposed border wall, but also against European isolation and nationalist policies around the world. Together, we will demonstrate that music knows no boundaries and art can help to build bridges across all barriers.
The concert will be live-streamed online and the event will be professionally filmed.
Mexico and the United States meet the Pacific Ocean at Friendship Park. This is also where hundreds of families gather to catch a glimpse of their loved ones through the fence or hug one another during a brief two minute opening of the gates. With this concert we want to show that we are united, despite being divided by walls and borders.
We want musicians, bands, artists, performers and basically anyone who wants to speak up for liberty and human rights to join us by initiating their own performances on 3rd June 2017. Film or photograph your own protest, concert, song, handstand or acrobatics (anything you want) alongside the 2,000 mile U.S.-Mexican border and post it on your Twitter account using the hashtag #teardownthiswall and we will share it on our site tear-down-this-wall.org.
We are turning to Kickstarter because we need to raise €15,000 to make this project a reality. We will tour Mexico and the funds will only be used for domestic flights, accommodation, event support and professional video documentation. We are a non-profit organisation and rely on public funding, grants, and individual benefactors.
We want a community of like-minded people who are concerned about current policies of isolation and nationalist tendencies of our governments. Join our protest with #teardownthiswall and stage your own event anywhere along the 2000 mile border!
Being from former East Germany we have witnessed the impact of isolation and political walls. It is a bad idea!
Together we will raise our voices like the citizens of East Germany did during their peaceful revolution.
One of three Dresdner Sinfoniker CDs:
If you pledge for the €100 reward, you will receive one of the following CDs:
• Music from Tajikistan, Georgia, Azerbeijan and Armenia
• Hasretim: Journey to Anatolia
• Mein Herz brennt – Songs scored to Rammstein Lyrics
The following rewards are all in collaboration with award winning photographer Kai Wiedenhöfer who has travelled the world and documented political walls in more than 20 countries.
Exclusive set of Postcards:
You will receive three postcards of photographs from Kai Wiedenhöfers ‘Confrontier’ book. Printed on 315gsm paper.
‘Confrontier’ book by Kai Wiedenhöfer:
In this book Kai has documented borders from 1989-2010. 184 pages with 8 gatefolds Hardback / Hardcover 9 x13in. / 23x33cm. Paperbound hardcover with foil embossing. More images of the book here.
Kai Wiedenhöfer artwork:
Your choice of a 50cmx150cm print from three motifs. Own your personal piece of wall-art!
We have been combining music with socio-political issues for over 20 years. In 2016, we managed to create international headlines with our German-Turkish-Armenian concert aghet – ağıt, a project in memory of the Armenian genocide.
We know what civil courage and free thinking can achieve, most of our members witnessed the German reunification first hand. In 1989 our CEO and Artistic Director Markus Rindt fled East Germany, using the German embassy in Prague as a passage to freedom.
We hope you will join us on our mission. Tear down this wall and prevent new ones from being built!
April 6th 2017: Kickstarter Launch.
April – June 2017: Preparations and rehearsals.
June 1st 2017: Orchestra flies to Mexico City and on to Tijuana.
June 2nd 2017: Full rehearsal.
June 3rd 2017: Concert on both sides of the US-Mexican border with musicians from Mexico and the US.
June 8th-10th 2017: Concerts in Mexico City.
June 11th 2017: Orchestra flies back to Germany.
July 2017: Production of rewards.
August 2017: Shipping of all rewards.
Supported by sidekickcreatives.com
Our biggest challenge is the current political climate. We are confident that we can deliver a great concert, however it is possible that the officials who grant us permission to perform, may change their mind if they feel politically uncomfortable about this event.
It is also a challenge to expose as many people as possible to our project, hoping that we will win them over. Supporters who will stage their own event may run into difficulties with the local authorities.
We will keep you updated with all the news and challenges. The Dresdner Sinfoniker have always a backup plan!