A NEW French and German cultural initiative has launched in Scotland to build stronger ties among the three countries.
The Kultur Ensemble, based in Glasgow, opened its doors on Wednesday, creating a shared space for cultural exchange, language learning, and international cooperation between France, Germany, and Scotland for people across the country.
The Scottish Kultur Ensemble is one of only eight locations chosen worldwide by the German and French Ministries for Foreign Affairs, which the institute said highlights the importance of international relations for the three countries.
Led by three key cultural organisations, Alliance Française Glasgow, Goethe-Institut Glasgow, and Institut français d’Écosse, the initiative aims to build on Scotland’s “vibrant local cultural landscape” by expanding the scope for European cultural collaboration across borders by hosting a variety of events.
At the Kultur Ensemble’s Park Circus venue visitors will be able to experience the French and German Médiathèque and Library, along with a range of regular events, including cinematic gems to concerts, literary events, and language classes.
For the inauguration of the institute, local school pupils will be invited to take part in a French-German language day, featuring renowned German illustrator Axel Scheffler, best known for his Gruffalo work, along with the Edinburgh-based French illustrator Marie-Alice Harel.
Scheffler, who took part in a live illustration event with the school children along with Harel, said he believes collaboration amongst different cultures is “extremely important”.
“I'm German. I came to England to study at art school, and I've lived here for a long, long time, and my school English was very bad, but I think it's slightly better in the last 40 years," he said.
“It's important and it's so enriching. I'm with a French partner, and living in the UK, and our daughter speaks three languages fluently, and it makes your life richer, and it opens doors that would be closed if you don't have more than one language.”
Scheffler added that he believed the collaboration was a great initiative as he’s “very pro-European”.
“Cultural collaboration is immensely important for everybody,” he said, adding that culture is a great way to show that “people are different, but they're also the same everywhere”.
Those behind the Scottish Kultur Ensemble said the initiative will serve as a platform for dialogue, cooperation, and creativity, while also supporting artists, educators, students, and cultural organisations.
It’s hoped the initiative will also contribute to the “dynamic cultural life” of Glasgow and Scotland as a whole.
The Glasgow Kultur Ensemble comes after the Alliance Française and the Goethe-Institut have shared the Glasgow premises for more than 20 years.
Hanna Dede, director of the Goethe-Institut Glasgow, welcomed the collaboration as she said: “Historically, I think all our organisations were very much founded in the spirit after World War two.
“This kind of European philosophy was really, really fresh and cultural cooperation, cultural exchange, and also being able to literally understand each other by speaking each other's language as a great preventive measure and a great measure for peace and democracy.
“I think that's kind of the core at the foundation of all of our organisations.”
Dede added: “In current times, when we see that there's a lot of populism rising, there's a lot of heated debates, there's a lot of divisiveness, it's more and more important to create this kind of understanding and bridge building.
“To come closer together and to be more collaborative and to work together for a better, more peaceful, more democratic society.”
Imogen Morgan, from the Alliance Française Glasgow, added that she believed Glasgow was a great city to host the Kultur Ensemble in the UK due to the city’s rich and diverse multiculturalism.
“The collaboration has existed, and we're just here to strengthen this collaboration in a place that really celebrates multiculturalness," she said.
“I think Glasgow is a great space for the initiative, but we also have the extra support from the Institut français d’Écosse in Edinburgh, who are also a partner, to make it more Scotland-wide and not just, even though the physical building may be in Glasgow, it's not limited to just Glasgow.”
